Enigma Cafe

We had the homemade gnocchi with bacon and mushroom cream Parmesan sauce, which was mildly creamy and tasty. The nachos were generously portioned, and the milkshakes were definitely a nice addition to the meal. The atmosphere felt a bit dim compared to the sunny day outside that we arrived in. However, the staff were respectful, and we still had a quite pleasant experience.

Sad to see how awful this café has gotten over the years, its a far-cry from what it used to be and has gone downhill so badly. The food and drinks have gone down-hill in quality, the server at the counter made me adjust my order over 3 times since they were unable to fulfil them, they wouldn't make a gelato milkshake, but would gladly make a thickshake despite the gelato being visible in the ice-cream counter right next to the register? The fettucine that I ordered was swimming in sauce, it was not thick or creamy, it was watered down with barely any taste to it, this is disappointing considering the past times I've went here the fettucine is creamy and flavourful. The only flavourful part of my watered down fettucine was the sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. The overall vibe of the restaurant was horrid, the back area which used to be maintained was in disarray with chairs all over the place, and the entire mood of the cafe felt depressing. The cashier staff felt incredibly disinterested and bored, I felt unwelcome with their tone and attitude in how they served me, the only saving grace was the waiter who was kind and polite and treated me nicely despite my terrible experience. PLEASE NOTE: At the time of my review they do charge a credit card surcharge, and a holiday surcharge too and did NOT have any posted notices on the door, front counter and staff failed to notify me of this surcharge and the only way I known there was a surcharge is by checking the receipt receipt.

Yummy food! Steak is my favorite 😍 Great service as always...my old time place.

Very cool little spot in the city. They serve an awesome breakfast with great coffee options, and they had loads of desserts, pastries, and even gelato. Their french toast was nice and fluffy. The Eggs Benedict were very good, but they did have just a slightly overwhelming hint of vinegar. It's understandable since they're eggs came out so perfect, and it wasn't a bad flavor, just slightly noticeable. Both the salmon and the bacon options were tasty. Definitely recommend!

Good selection of food, but probably a little more expensive than most. I was at a table of 4 and we all had something different and everyone and myself loved the food. The coffee was fairly average. The service was not overly friendly though. One girl seemed to be annoyed when we asked for cutlery. The decor was pretty trendy, though it was really dark inside. I understand that perhaps it is meant to be intimate, but it was really dark. This place is probably better suited for 1 or 2 people who want a quick bite.

This used to be my all-time favourite cafe in Wellington but it’s lost its touch and is going downhill. We arrived on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the cafe used bustling with customers, sometimes it was hard to find a free table, however it was completely empty when we arrived. The staff were uninterested and on their phones until we spoke up, overall service was extremely poor and there was no care for their customers. We wanted to sit outside and enjoy the weather however the entire area was littered with rubbish bags, smelling up the entire area, cigarette butts all over the ground despite no smoking signs. I ordered a iced chocolate and even after stirring in the chocolate syrup that was drizzled around the inside of the cup, my drink was still basically straight milk with iced cubes, not even the hint of a chocolate after taste. The coffee tasted off, the food was average and seemed like it had either been heated in a microwave or just not taken very good care of. I’d like to return back one day and hopefully they’ve found their rhythm again but unfortunately for now I will be steering clear.

Quite disappointing. Ordered the spare ribs because they looked delicious when another patron ordered them. But the ribs were tough and the sauce poured all over the ribs was quite strong and made all the chips underneath very soggy. The NY style cheese cake was quite a small portion for $10 and too sweet. Finally the men's toilet was born with the toilet seat off its hinges.

Great food! Fantastic drink

Notice the dates on the 4 star reviews. Well it's 2024 and this ain't your Daddy's Enigma cafe (unfortunately). The cafe has evolved from a slightly hipster cafe with a hidden out-the-back pigeon friendly courtyard. A place where you would once enjoy serviceable cakes, omeletes, ice cream... now it is burnt weak coffee, oily strange food, the baked goods are?? Well just not yummy... If you ever find yourself seeking coffee, a good rule of thumb is "does this barista drink coffee?", save your money and head across the road to sixes and sevens. The good will Enigma built up over the years still gets people through the door, but it has been many years since this cafe was even average. It has no vibrancy, the paint on the walls makes you think it is what it once was, but the soul has died.

My local friend took me to Enigma as my first stop in the city with the introduction of "this place is very Wellington." Indeed it is. I felt like I was back in Brooklyn, with a Kiwi flair. The food was great and reasonably priced and came out quickly. I got the cauliflower and kumara soup, while he got fish and chips. We ended up splitting a cheesecake slice, and it was decent! Recommend if you're traveling through.

Busy and bustling place not too far from Cuba Street in central Wellington. Good place to catch up with a friend or just get a drink.

Good coffee and the cabinet food is decent. The lunch and main meals are reasonably priced and good value. The fettuccine was excellent and eggs Benedict is also good. The environment is a bit noisey from loud talking and loud music playing on the speakers but not enough to hurt the ears.

Nice staff, the food was decent, but nothing to write home about. The breakfast took a long time due to the kitchen being overwhelmed. There was a lot of yelling going on.

Decent flat whites nothing to write home about. There pastries can sometimes be hit and miss, like they have been sitting there all day. Milkshakes don't seem to be thick at all , more like shaken milk.

One of my regular haunts. Good coffee, great lunches (the fettucine and BLT meals are awesome) and the sheltered smoking area out the back (with heaters!) is great. Only thing I've found is sometimes their cakes/slices can be a little on the dry side. Not a complete turn off though.

Very expensive given its location and relative price of other cafes. Limited selection of ready to order food and ridiculously small servings of $6 smoothies. Food was okay but potato & chicken cakes didn't have any chicken! Salad served with all meals which was a great bonus. Excellent decor and warm atmosphere. Difficult customer who appeared to be drunk walked in and was promptly and professionally dealt with by staff.

Tourist trap. Very average commercial coffee. Nothing to write home about. Locals don't really go to this place anymore.

The food was good, we had a chicken sandwich and bacon and egg pie I was not overly impressed with how unfriendly they were.

Food is acceptable, but not a good Cafe. I went there twice to have Flat White and the foam was unacceptable and it was much too thick not smooth at all.