Aro Cafe

About Aro Cafe

Aro Café sits at 90 Aro Street in Aro Valley, one of Wellington's most colourful and historic neighbourhoods, just a few minutes' drive from the city centre. Noted as one of the best cafés Wellington has to offer, it's a bustling oasis of great food and coffee, open six days a week almost all year round.

The café is renowned in equal measure for its coffee and as a favourite brunch and lunch destination. The menu is an interesting selection of seasonal brunch and lunch offerings, with salads, housemade scones, takeaway sandwiches and sweets among them.

Behind it all is a simple philosophy: seasonal, fresh, simple food sourced locally when possible. Aro Café uses organic milk products and free-range poultry, and almost everything is made from scratch and with care — a philosophy that carries through to the coffee as well.

That reputation draws coffee connoisseurs from far and wide, and table space on weekends fills up fast. Whether you're settling in for a long brunch or grabbing something on the go, bookings, vouchers and general enquiries can be made by email, and the café shares its food styling on Facebook and Instagram.

Aro Cafe, Wellington: Seasonal Brunch and Standout Coffee in Aro Valley

A few minutes' drive from central Wellington, in one of the city's most colourful and historic neighbourhoods, Aro Café pours coffee and plates up brunch six days a week. Tucked onto 90 Aro Street in Aro Valley, it has built a reputation as a bustling oasis of great food and coffee — and is often noted among the best cafés Wellington has to offer.

A brunch (and lunch) destination

Aro Café is renowned for its coffee and for being a favourite brunch and lunch spot. The kitchen's philosophy is to serve seasonal, fresh, simple food, sourced locally when possible. Organic milk products and free-range poultry are used throughout, and almost everything is made from scratch and with care — right down to the housemade hollandaise and chimichurri that finish some of the menu's standout plates.

The brunch menu covers plenty of ground. Start simple with toast and spreads on seeded or sourdough, granola with seasonal fruit and Greek yoghurt, or eggs your way with add-ons from grilled halloumi and bacon to herb-roasted mushroom, potato rosti, avocado and wilted spinach. From there it gets more ambitious: shakshuka with Turkish baked beans, spiced tomato and feta; a grilled halloumi stack with poached eggs, bacon, avocado and chimichurri; creamy mushrooms with a fried egg; and a seafood chowder with smoked fish, served with ciabatta.

The Benedicts are the quiet signature — bacon, green and salmon versions, all built on potato rosti rather than bread and topped with housemade hollandaise, with gluten-free options available. Buttermilk waffles come plain with maple, with seasonal fruit and mascarpone, or with bacon, maple and banana. For heartier appetites there are brisket and beef & bacon burgers served with fries, a classic BLT, open sandwiches and a grilled cheese toastie you can customise with kimchi or bacon and caramelised onion. Salads, housemade scones, takeaway sandwiches and sweets round out the offering, with vegetarian, vegan-available and gluten-free-available dishes clearly marked.

The coffee draws a crowd

Coffee is half of Aro Café's reputation, and the hot drinks list goes beyond the basics: black, white, mocha, hot chocolate and chai latte — with an in-a-pot option on the list — plus turmeric ginger & coconut lattes, matcha lattes and a T Leaf tea range. Each coffee can be adjusted with decaf, an extra shot or syrup, served iced or with ice cream, or made on almond, coconut, oat or soy milk.

Cold drinks get the same attention, from the iced strawberry matcha and kombucha in ginger lemon or cherry plum to Phoenix juices, ginger beer and Foxton Fizz — which you can top with a scoop of ice cream. Milkshakes come in chocolate, lime, vanilla, strawberry and caramel; smoothies run from mango, peach and pineapple to a green blend with spinach and Greek yoghurt; and there's a passionfruit & pineapple slushy for warm days, with kid-sized juices on the list too.

Before you go

Aro Café opens Tuesday to Friday from 7:30am to 4:00pm and weekends from 8:00am to 4:00pm, closing Mondays — weekday service starts an hour earlier than weekends. It trades six days a week almost all year round, but weekend table space fills up fast, as the coffee and food draw connoisseurs from far and wide, so be quick or arrange a booking by email. The team also handles voucher purchases and general enquiries at [email protected], and can be reached on 04 384 4970.

Part of the charm is the setting: Aro Valley is one of Wellington's most colourful and historic pockets, and the café is its bustling little oasis. Follow Aro Café on Facebook or Instagram for a taste of the food styling before you visit.

Signature items

• Salmon Benedict
• Shakshuka
• Grilled Halloumi Stack
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Seafood Chowder
• Iced Strawberry Matcha

Menu

Brunch

• Toast & Spreads — Seeded or sourdough toast with strawberry jam, marmalade or peanut butter.
• Granola — With seasonal fruit and Greek yoghurt.
• Eggs Your Way — On seeded or sourdough; add halloumi, bacon, salmon, mushroom, rosti, avocado or spinach.
• Bacon & Egg Butty — Bacon and egg with aioli.
• Open Sandwich with Halloumi, Mushroom, Avocado & Egg — Poached egg with halloumi, mushroom and avocado on sourdough.
• Bacon Open Sandwich — Bacon, avocado and a fried egg on sourdough.
• Smashed Avocado & Tomato — On seeded sourdough with mesclun; vegan available, add halloumi.
• Smoked Salmon Salad — With avocado, tomato, Asian dressing and sliced almonds.
• Shakshuka — Turkish baked beans, spiced tomato, feta, herbs and smoked paprika oil, with poached eggs and ciabatta.
• Grilled Halloumi Stack — Poached eggs, tomato, bacon, avocado and chimichurri on seeded sourdough.
• Buttermilk Waffles — Plain with maple, with seasonal fruit and mascarpone, or with bacon, maple and banana.
• Seafood Chowder — Smoked fish and seafood chowder, served with ciabatta.
• Creamy Mushroom — With a fried egg and ciabatta.
• Classic BLT — Bacon, fancy lettuce, tomato, avocado and aioli on sourdough.
• Bacon Benedict — Poached eggs on potato rosti with housemade hollandaise; gluten free available.
• Green Benedict — Poached eggs, avocado and wilted spinach on rosti with chimichurri hollandaise.
• Salmon Benedict — Salmon, poached eggs and spinach on potato rosti with housemade hollandaise.
• Brisket Burger — With cheese, pickled cucumber and red onion, mesclun and tomato; served with fries.
• Beef & Bacon Burger — With cheese, pickled cucumber and red onion, mesclun and tomato; served with fries.
• Bowl of Fries — A side of fries.
• Grilled Cheese Toastie — Add kimchi, bacon and caramelised onion, pineapple and caramelised onion, or ham and tomato; GF toast available.

Hot Drinks

• Black — Classic black coffee.
• White — The classic white coffee.
• Mocha — Coffee meets chocolate.
• Hot Chocolate — A chocolatey classic.
• Chai Latte — Spiced chai, also available in a pot.
• Turmeric Ginger & Coconut Latte — A golden latte with turmeric, ginger and coconut.
• Matcha Latte — Green tea latte.
• T Leaf Tea Range — A range of T Leaf teas.
• Coffee Extras & Alternatives — Decaf, extra shot, syrup, iced or ice cream; almond, coconut, oat or soy milk.

Cold Drinks

• Iced Strawberry Matcha — Iced matcha with strawberry.
• Kombucha Selection — Ginger lemon or cherry plum kombucha.
• Ginger Beer — Chilled ginger beer.
• Phoenix Juice Selection — Orange, apple and mango, or apple, mango and passionfruit.
• Apple & Orange Juice — Kid-sized juice available.
• Foxton Fizz Range — Soft drink range — add a scoop of ice cream.
• Sparkling Water — Available in 1L and 500ml bottles.
• Passionfruit & Pineapple Slushy — A frozen slushy of passionfruit and pineapple.

Milkshakes & Smoothies

• Milkshake — Chocolate, lime, vanilla, strawberry or caramel.
• Mango, Peach & Pineapple Smoothie — A tropical fruit blend.
• Berry, Apple & Banana Smoothie — Berries blended with apple and banana.
• Banana & Honey Smoothie — Add peanut butter if you like.
• Green Smoothie — Spinach, mango, peach, pineapple and Greek yoghurt.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Aro Cafe located?

At 90 Aro Street in Aro Valley, Wellington — just a few minutes' drive from the city centre.

What are Aro Cafe's opening hours?

Closed Mondays. Tuesday to Friday 7:30am–4:00pm; Saturday and Sunday 8:00am–4:00pm.

Do I need a booking?

Weekend table space fills up fast, so be quick. For bookings, email [email protected] or call 04 384 4970.

Are there vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes. The menu marks vegetarian (v), vegan-available (vg) and gluten-free-available (gf) dishes — for example the Green Benedict and the Smashed Avocado & Tomato.

What food is Aro Cafe known for?

Seasonal brunch and lunch — including Benedicts on potato rosti, shakshuka, buttermilk waffles and seafood chowder — alongside its coffee.

What coffee and milk options are there?

Espresso classics plus turmeric ginger & coconut and matcha lattes, chai and T Leaf teas, with decaf, extra shots, syrups and almond, coconut, oat or soy milk.

Can I buy a gift voucher?

Yes — email [email protected] to purchase vouchers or make a general enquiry.

Tips

• {"body":"Table space fills up fast on weekends, so arrive early or arrange a booking by email.","title":"Beat the weekend rush"}
• {"body":"The Benedicts are built on potato rosti instead of bread, with gluten-free-available versions.","title":"Benedict on rosti"}
• {"body":"Add a scoop of ice cream to the Foxton Fizz range.","title":"Make it a float"}
• {"body":"The cafe is closed Mondays; doors open 7:30am Tuesday to Friday and 8am on weekends, closing at 4pm daily.","title":"Mind Mondays"}
• {"body":"Eggs Your Way takes add-ons from grilled halloumi and bacon to herb-roasted mushroom and wilted spinach.","title":"Build your plate"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kid-size apple or orange juice on the drinks list.","dietary":"Vegetarian, vegan-available (vg) and gluten-free-available (gf) dishes are marked on the menu."}