What are Lush Cafe's opening hours?

Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Thursday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Has Lush Cafe won any awards?

Yes, its handmade gelato has won multiple gold and silver medals at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards between 2010 and 2018.

How far in advance do I need to order a cake?

All cakes must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance.

Does Lush Cafe offer catering?

Yes, including a canapé menu, platters, and tiered buffet menus for corporate events and family gatherings.

Are there gluten free or vegetarian options?

Yes, several dishes are marked GF or V on the menu.

Can I hire a venue or staff through Lush Cafe?

Yes, venue hire and staff hire are available as additional options for catering.

Lush Cafe & Gelato

cafe — New Plymouth Central · New Plymouth

About Lush Cafe & Gelato

Lush Cafe & Gelato is located at Shop 64 Gill Street in New Plymouth's Centre City, serving 'Lush' food made from fresh produce that is, where possible, locally sourced and free range. Whether guests are in for breakfast, brunch or lunch, the menu covers everything from the famous Lush Eggs Benedict and a hearty big breakfast through to an extensive à la carte menu and fresh daily cabinet food.

Lush is also known for its handmade gelato, produced since 2008 and recognised at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards with multiple gold and silver medals across flavours including Espresso, Gingernut, Apple Pie and Tiramisu, with fruit sorbets that are 100% fat and dairy free. Alongside gelato, the cafe serves fresh juices, milkshakes, iced coffee drinks and cakes made to order with 48 hours' notice.

Lush also runs a full catering service for corporate events and family gatherings, offering a canapé menu, platters, and tiered buffet menus with a choice of proteins and sides, along with optional plates, cutlery, staff hire and venue hire.

Lush Cafe & Gelato: Award-Winning Gelato and All-Day Brunch in New Plymouth

At Shop 64 Gill Street in New Plymouth's Centre City, Lush Cafe & Gelato serves what it calls 'Lush' food — made from fresh produce that, where possible, is locally sourced and free range. Whether guests are after breakfast, brunch or lunch, the menu is built to satisfy, from the cafe's famous Eggs Benedict to a hearty big breakfast, an extensive à la carte menu, and fresh daily cabinet food.

A Full Breakfast and Brunch Menu

The breakfast and brunch offering runs from a Maple & Cinnamon Roasted Granola layered with berry compote and Greek yoghurt, to Lush Waffles with vanilla mascarpone, and the Lush Famous Eggs Benedict, available with salmon, bacon, or spinach and mushroom. For something heartier, Taranaki Mince Lovers pairs house made beef mince with a sunny side up egg on ciabatta toast, and Bangers & Hash comes topped with caramelized onion and gravy.

Burgers, Sandwiches and Classics

Lunch options lean into hearty, satisfying plates. The Monster Beef Burger stacks a grass fed patty with fried egg, bacon, caramelized onions and cheese, while the BBQ Pulled Pork Burger comes with caramelized apple slaw and a smokey BBQ sauce. There's also a Wild Vege Burger for vegetarians, a Steak Sandwich with chilli jam and aioli, and a classic Fish & Chips with beer battered fries, slaw and lemon aioli.

Award-Winning Gelato Since 2008

Lush's gelato has been handmade since 2008, and the cafe has picked up a long list of medals at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards over the years — gold for flavours like Espresso, Gingernut and Apple Pie, and silver for Hazelnut, Tiramisu, Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel and more, spanning awards from 2010 through to 2018. The fruit sorbets are 100% fat and dairy free. Gelato can be enjoyed by the scoop, as a Gelato Sundae with sauce, whipped cream and toasted almonds, or blended into Lush Iced Gelato Drinks in coffee, chocolate or mocha.

Juices, Milkshakes and Cakes

Beyond coffee and gelato drinks, Lush makes five fresh juice blends in-house, including the Slim Shady (apple, pineapple, orange and ginger) and Morning Sunshine (beetroot, apple, carrot and pineapple), alongside classic milkshake flavours like banana, caramel and chocolate. For special occasions, Lush also makes cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate deluxe cake and banana cake to order, with 48 hours' notice required.

Catering for Any Occasion

Lush runs a dedicated catering service for everything from corporate events to family get-togethers. The canapé menu lets guests choose any four options — from truffle mushroom and cheese arancini to gluten free brownies — served per person for groups of 15 or more, with platters like an antipasto platter or a dessert and fruit platter catering for 10 to 15 people. Tiered buffet menus offer a choice of proteins (from roast pork and Moroccan chicken through to beef scotch fillet and lemon garlic mussels at the top tier) served with gravy and a selection of sides, with the top tier including a dessert platter. Plates, cutlery, staff hire and venue hire are all available as additional options.

Visiting Lush Cafe & Gelato

Lush is open Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, Thursday from 9am to 8pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Whether it's a weekend brunch, a scoop of award-winning gelato, or catering for the next office function, Lush Cafe & Gelato brings together fresh, locally sourced food with a genuine gelato-making pedigree in the middle of New Plymouth.

Signature items

Lush Famous Eggs Benedict
Monster Beef Burger
Handmade Gelato
Fish & Chips
BBQ Pulled Pork Burger
Fresh Juices

Maple & Cinnamon Roasted Granola — Layered with berry compote and Greek yoghurt, GF, V
Lush Waffles — With vanilla mascarpone and berry compote, bacon can be added, V
Free Range Eggs — Two eggs scrambled, poached or fried on toasted multigrain, bacon can be added, V
Lush Famous Eggs Benedict — Choice of salmon, bacon, or spinach and mushroom
Creamy Mushrooms — Served on ciabatta, bacon can be added, V
Taranaki Mince Lovers — House made beef mince, sunny side up fried egg and ciabatta toast
Bangers & Hash — Topped with caramelized onion and gravy

Catering - CanapéS

Truffle Mushroom & Cheese Arancini — Canapé option
Pork Burger — Canapé option
Crispy Chicken Burger — Canapé option
Ham & Egg Clubs — Canapé option
Tuna Clubs — Canapé option
Almond Chicken Clubs — Canapé option
Chilly Beef Pocket — Canapé option
Avocado Hash Stack — Canapé option
Gluten Free Brownie — Canapé option
Carrot Cake (Canapé) — Canapé option
Caramel Brûlée Slice — Canapé option
Scone — Canapé option
Sweet Muffin — Canapé option
Oat Slice — Canapé option

Catering - Platters

Antipasto Platter — Caters for 10-15 people
Dessert and Fruit Platter — Caters for 10-15 people

Burgers & Sandwiches

BBQ Pulled Pork Burger — With caramelized apple slaw, smokey BBQ sauce, aioli and beer battered fries
Monster Beef Burger — Grass fed beef patty, fried egg, bacon, caramelized onions, gherkins, cheese, tomato relish, aioli and beer battered fries
Grilled Chicken Burger — Lush slaw, gherkins, cheese, pesto aioli and beer battered fries
Wild Vege Burger — Veggie patty, mushrooms, tomato, lettuce, gherkins, halloumi cheese, aioli, tomato sauce, served with fries
Steak Sandwich — With salad, fried egg, chilli jam and aioli served on ciabatta
Crispy Chicken Sandwich — With salad, caramelized onions, aioli, topped with kumara crunch
Classic Bacon & Egg Sandwich — Classic combination
Elvis Sandwich — Lush hash brown, bacon, fried egg, aioli and tomato sauce on white bread

Catering - Buffet Menus

Buffet Menu Tier 1 — Choice of 2 proteins (roast pork, Moroccan chicken, sticky pork ribs, beef curry) served with gravy and 3 sides
Buffet Menu Tier 2 — Choice of 2 proteins (adds beef sirloin steak, 5 spiced pork belly, butter chicken) served with gravy and 3 sides
Buffet Menu Tier 3 — Choice of 3 proteins (adds beef scotch fillet) served with gravy and 4 sides
Buffet Menu Tier 4 — Choice of 4 proteins (adds lemon garlic mussels) served with gravy, 4 sides, and includes a dessert platter

Cakes (48 Hours Notice Required)

Cheese Cake — Made to order, 48 hours notice required
Carrot Cake — Made to order, 48 hours notice required
Chocolate Deluxe Cake — Made to order, 48 hours notice required
Banana Cake — Made to order, 48 hours notice required

Frequently asked questions

What are Lush Cafe's opening hours?: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Thursday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Has Lush Cafe won any awards?: Yes, its handmade gelato has won multiple gold and silver medals at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards between 2010 and 2018.
How far in advance do I need to order a cake?: All cakes must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance.
Does Lush Cafe offer catering?: Yes, including a canapé menu, platters, and tiered buffet menus for corporate events and family gatherings.
Are there gluten free or vegetarian options?: Yes, several dishes are marked GF or V on the menu.
Is Lush Cafe's gelato dairy free?: The fruit sorbets are 100% fat and dairy free.
Can I hire a venue or staff through Lush Cafe?: Yes, venue hire and staff hire are available as additional options for catering.

Tips

{"body":"Handmade since 2008, with multiple NZ Ice Cream Award medals.","title":"Try the award-winning gelato"}
{"body":"All cakes require 48 hours' notice.","title":"Order cakes ahead"}
{"body":"Canapé, platter and buffet menu options are available for groups.","title":"Book catering early for events"}
{"body":"Lush stays open until 8pm on Thursdays, later than the rest of the week.","title":"Visit Thursday evening"}

Good to know

{"dietary":"Gluten free and vegetarian options marked on the menu; fruit sorbets are 100% fat and dairy free"}