Tees St Café sits tucked away in the historic precinct of Oamaru, in rooms that began life as a drapery back in 1874. Today the space pairs that heritage with a distinctly modern mood: exposed Ōamaru stone on the walls, lush indoor plants throughout, and vibey music that gives it more of an urban, big-city café feel than a small-town one.
The café is the little sister of Cucina, Oamaru's own restaurant, and that family connection shows in the service — the kind of welcoming environment, as the team puts it, that you only really find in smaller places. A steady flow of regulars keeps coming back, which says as much as anything.
The current menu is published on the café's own website, gift cards are available for gifting, and the team can be reached on 03 4345696 or at hello@cucinaoamaru.co.nz. You'll find them at 1 Tees Street, South Hill, Oamaru.
Tucked into the historic precinct of Oamaru, Tees St Café makes its home in rooms with a past. Way back in 1874, the space traded as a drapery. Today, the same walls hold exposed Ōamaru stone, lush indoor plants and a soundtrack with real energy — a combination that gives the café an urban, big-city feel while keeping the kind of welcome you only tend to find in smaller places.
That contrast — old building, modern mood — is the whole idea. Rather than polish the history out of the space, Tees St lets it show. The stone glows, the plants soften the edges, the music keeps things moving. And somewhere in between, a steady flow of regulars has made itself at home.
Oamaru takes its heritage seriously, and Tees St Café wears a piece of it on every wall. The building began life in 1874 as a drapery, and the exposed Ōamaru stone framing the room today is a direct link to that era. It's a setting with real texture: instead of a generic fit-out, you sit inside the precinct's story.
The indoor greenery does more than decorate. With plants throughout, the room feels lush and lived-in — closer to a city café than a small-town one — while the vibey soundtrack keeps the atmosphere from ever feeling stuffy. It's a space designed for lingering, whether you're settling in with a coffee or settling in for something more substantial from the menu.
Tees St Café doesn't operate in isolation. It's the little sister of Cucina, the Oamaru restaurant with its own following, and that family connection shows in how the café runs: the same attention to service and the same emphasis on a welcoming environment, scaled to a smaller room.
The café's own description of itself is telling. It talks about marrying an urban café feel with "the kind of service and welcoming environment only found in smaller places" — and points to the steady flow of regulars as proof that the combination works. For visitors, that usually means a room that's lively but unpretentious, where the locals are clearly onto something and newcomers are quickly let in on it.
The current menu is published on the café's own website, so there's no need to guess before you arrive. Because café menus move with the seasons, the team keeps theirs updated online — check the menu page at teesstcafe.com before you visit, or simply ask on the day. That's also the best route if you have particular dietary needs: a quick message through the café's contact page or a phone call will get you a straight answer from the people actually running the kitchen.
Finding the café is simple. The address is 1 Tees Street, South Hill, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand, in the historic precinct close to the heart of town. If you need to get in touch, the phone number is 03 4345696, and email reaches the team at hello@cucinaoamaru.co.nz. There's also a contact form on the website if you'd rather write.
One thing to note: opening hours aren't published on the café's site, so if timing matters for your visit, a quick call is the surest way to confirm before you set out.
If you're shopping for a gift rather than a flat white, gift cards are available through the website — an easy way to hand someone else the excuse to sit among the stone and the plants for an hour.
Tees St Café is a small café doing several things at once well: honouring a genuinely historic space, keeping the atmosphere current, and treating people the way regulars want to be treated. It has the backing of Cucina, a building that dates to 1874, and a room full of greenery and Ōamaru stone. Whether you're passing through Oamaru or live around the corner, it's an easy place to stop, order, and see why the regulars keep the seats warm.