Badger & Mackerel Messhall Espresso — Restaurant in South Island

Review for Badger and Mackerel – 5 Stars

Badger and Mackerel is a true gem, offering both excellent food and a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. During my visit, I had the pleasure of enjoying their hot chocolate and mac and cheese, both of which exceeded my expectations.

The hot chocolate was perfectly balanced—rich and smooth with just the right amount of sweetness. It was served at the ideal temperature, making it instantly enjoyable without being too hot. The mac and cheese, meanwhile, was a standout dish—delightfully creamy, generously cheesy, and full of comforting flavor. The texture was spot on, with the perfect balance of gooey cheese and well-cooked pasta.

Beyond the food, the service was attentive and friendly, enhancing the overall experience. Whether you're looking for a quick treat or a satisfying meal, Badger and Mackerel delivers quality and consistency. I highly recommend this café to anyone in search of delicious comfort food in a...

Coffee seems consistent but like so many places you need to keep it simple with the pricing and not keep micro adjusting to squeeze every cent possible; rounded prices are good. The food here used to be so rateable, various fresh salads, real variety in sandwiches, y’know the hood and fresh healthy things. Sadly now the majority of choices are carb heavy and they also went a bit silly with keto, gf and all that funky silliness. Pies are great but do try and focus more on that cabinet with salads - go with your menu or make that cabinet shine - not worth it trying to do both. Overall it’s just too pricey given the lacking quality of the goods. Especially given their past...

A group of 6 at 10.30am on a Wednesday. The Cafe was very busy, we got the last table, so it is probably advisable to book. Great looking food in the cabinets and also a number of choices on the brunch menu. Our choices were, stuffed kumara, loaded fries, chicken/bacon/cranberry brown grainy bread sandwiches (heated and asked to have onion removed which was no problem), quiche, yoyo, a slice of cheesecake, and a couple of coffees. All the food and coffee, was a very reasonable price and tasted really good. Food and coffee was delivered to our table quickly too even though it was busy. Overall we were very happy with everything and would be very happy to...