Cove Cafe is a cafe and dining room at 1726 Highcliff Road in Portobello, on the Otago Peninsula, and its menu is built around sharing. The main offer is a set of sharing platters, with focaccia and hummus, Nonna's meatballs in a rich tomato sugo, salt and pepper squid, and a slow-cooked lamb shoulder or grilled trout with greens. Afternoon tea is also served, with a savoury selection, scones with jam and cream, petit fours and French macarons. As at 2026, the afternoon tea was listed at $68 per person, and it includes one tea.
The menu also lists rigatoni with pork sausage ragu and orecchiette with prawns and courgette cream, and dessert options include a pistachio cream tart and tiramisu. Drinks can be added as packages of two hours: soft drinks for $10 per person, wine and beer for $25 per person, or bottomless mimosas for $20 per person, all as at 2026. The website says tables of 14 or more need a set menu, with a $300 deposit to secure a group booking and the final numbers due four days before the event. Our view is that it is a good spot in Portobello for a long lunch shared with a group.