Floriditas — Restaurant in North Island

I have been looking for a place and a menu that will suit our different tastes. I was also looking rather for a quiet place that will allow to have conversations at the table at the normal voice. This place is aesthetically pleased with dimmed lights and nice music on the background. Tables are decorated nicely and have a good size, so you dont have to kick anyone with your elbows and constantly adjusting a chair when people passing by. The staff seems friendly and attentive. We were welcomed once we walked in and seated. A server seems to know menu well. The menu offers 2 ($55) or 3 ($70) course meal. At the beginning we were offered complimentary bread rolls with butter. Bread was nice and warm with black sesame seeds on top. The butter was whipped and easy to spread. We have tried several dishes: venison carpaccio, trevolli sashimi, and fig salad. I love venison and I found carpaccio outstanding. It had a light dressing, and two types of onions: fresh shallot and crispy fried red onion. Delicious ! Fig salad was great ! Very nice combo of figs, red and yellow beets, and watermelon. The dressing was delicious. Sashimi was also outstanding. Portions were great! For main we tried lamb, marker fish and gnocchi. Lamb was nicely roasted, not chewy, very flavorful. Market fish that supposed to be poached came ( server has informed ahead of time with a problem with a sous vide machine) pan seared with a very nice risotto and fresh thinly sliced radish on top. This was delightful ! The radish made a great combo to go with a fish and risotto was very creamy and tasty. Gnocchis have a very fluffy structure. Although they were made with a goat cheese, it was not overpowering at all. I would recommend this dish to try. Gnocchi were served on a bed of chopped zucchini. The pesto sauce made a final touch to that dish. We also had to try dessert dishes. We chose brown sugar pavlova and fejoya crem brûlée. Pavlova was decorated with fresh strawberries on top. Crem brûlée came with a fejoya sorbet on the side. We all thought that the dinner was delicious and portions were a good size. We really enjoy the dinner and was happy with a choice of the restaurant! Definitely will be back !

Few things I thought could be better : -There was a 15% surcharge that I was not aware off while making reservation. I have not seen that on their website either. However, in the email where they asked to confirm the reservation was a fine print of extra holiday surcharge of 15% and 2 % for paying with credit card ( this one i knew); There is a problem with a sous vide machine that forced them to change of fish preparation. At the time when we were explained items on the menu, I was interested and asked how the fish is prepared. The server replied that its poached. That was good for me and so I ordered that. A few minutes later a server came back to me saying that they cannot prepare it poached as they are having problem with an aparatus and I was asked if I would like to get anything else. It was not that tragical for me as i wanted to try the fish, but that might upset someone else. I have to say that our server was very kind to offer me to have a look at menu again. when we walked in, servers were hanging out at the bar area in the dining room and having a chat with a bartender. We were first guests in the house, as they just opened. It looked little bit...

The BEST cafe in Wellington!!!

Finally checked out Floriditas after years of cafe hopping around Wellington - and oh boy were my expectations exceeded! No word of a lie, I received the best service and food that I have EVER experienced at a cafe in my 18 years of life. All the staff members were incredibly energetic, smiley and welcoming from the get-go. We were seated within seconds of entering and the food came out very quickly considering it was 12:30pm on a Friday.

I ordered the oat and chia seed bircher which was topped with granola, grilled pineapple, blueberries and greek yoghurt ($18), and my Mum ordered the brioche french toast with was paired with macerated strawberries, strawberry mascarpone cream and strawberry syrup ($24).

As a granola/muesli/all-things-oat connoisseur, I can confirm that this was one of the best oat-based dishes available in Wellington. We only have a few bircher options here in Wellington, however this was definitely the best I have consumed by far. Unlike others, the amount of grated apple wasn't overwhelming, and it wasn't too thick or too thin. The granola (which I may add was the perfect oat to nut to seed ratio) added a delightful crunch, the greek yoghurt helped balance the overall sweetness of the dish, and the grilled pineapple was just the cherry on top. It was also a VERY generous portion which we love to see.

As soon as Mum took one bite of the french toast, she paused, tilted her head back and said “Oh my God” in utter disbelief. This dish was INCREDIBLE. It was so decadent, but not sickly sweet like french toast from other cafes. All the flavours worked today harmoniously, and it was a very decent slice of brioche too! At first I thought $24 was quite steep, especially as in photos it looks very small, but the price was definitely justifiable with the quality and quantity of the meal received. She also got a cheeky mimosa which was delish!

The overall atmosphere was also very commendable. The music was the perfect volume meaning I could still converse with the person beside me without having to lean over or shout at them. This made for an extra pleasant and enjoyable eating experience. Great music taste too - lots of Queen, ABBA and other 80s classics.

Truthfully, the prices put me off coming here sooner, but it is safe to say that the hospitality you receive is 100% reflected in the prices. From what I observed, the food presented to patrons at the tables around us looked absolutely heavenly too. I have heard good things about their eggs and fish hash, so we will definitely be returning ASAP to try those. Floriditas deserves all the hype. I am still blown away by our experience here yesterday. 11/10. Highly, highly recommend. Keep up the great...

Floriditas is a renowned Wellington eatery situated in the heart of Cuba Street.

I used to live in Darwin NT Australia and regularly travelled back to Wellington, (my favourite New Zealand city). I discovered Floriditas when Wellington was celebrating the Wellington on a Plate festival. Since then every time I arrived back in Wellington🛩️ I would always make a beeline for Floriditas. I think it's fair to say that one of the reasons I came to Wellington was because Floriditas was always on my mind, just like the song (You Were Always On My Mind)😍😂 I love the elegant and relaxed setting of Floriditas. It has an old world 1930s charm and ambience that is comforting and familiar. The hospitality is friendly and attentive and you're made to feel welcome from the moment you enter.

Floriditas magnificent food is the star of the show. They have an extensive range of menus across breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.

My all time favourite is the Smoked Mackerel and Potato Hash with dill, a drizzle of olive oil and crowned with a soft poached egg. It's sooo good that I always order it. So simple but it's the perfect combination of flavours and textures and it's the perfect comfort food. This is a stalwart dish of Floriditas and I hope it always remains on their menu!

Two more highlights are the Kaikoura Goats Cheese Gnocchi with asparagus, zucchini and basil pesto and the Red Tussock Venison Carpaccio, with pecarino, romano, red pepper and rocket are both equally delicious and refined dishes. My conundrum is that they're so good it's hard to choose but whatever your choice the harmonious balance of flavours, seasoning, innovation, presentation and execution of these dishes will leave your palate craving more.

Floriditas also have wickedly indulgent sweets and desserts including Floriditas signature brown sugar pavlova. The origins of who made the first pavlova are disputed with Australia and New Zealand both claiming to have made it first. But there's no disputing that some say that Floriditas is the 'best pavlova'!

Floriditas showcase New Zealand cuisine at it's best where their chefs expertly and deftly merge simple, seasonal ingredients into something magical and sophisticated and all the while keeping true to their values of sourcing organic, free-range and sustainable...