Shine Cafe — Restaurant in North Island

I have visited this delightful cafe a number of times and think the cafe its self is very pleasent and a nice place to eat with good quality of food and coffee. However I am a restaurant owner and am very high on my standards of customer service which makes me critical of anywhere I go to enjoy a meal. The first intance where I had gone to enjoy a meal at Shine I asked for the eggs benedict a orange juice and a coffee, I was then charged to much and had to ask for my correct change. As I was walking to a table I would like to sit at I was told loudly from across the room that I need to get my orange juice from the fridge in the corner of the room!!.

Why could the cafe rep not bring me my orange juice with my coffee? and also why was the fridge in the corner of the room which reduces the chance of upselling as it is out of sight??. Also to add I was eating at a cafe and not a takeaway.... On the bright side the food came out in good time and was of good qaulity as was the coffee.

The second time I had visited I ordered the big breakfast and a coffee. I was once again charged too much and had to ask again for my correct change. I sat down and got to talking to some lovely women from Canterbury that were up for the Sevens. After a while I realised we had been talking for some amount of time and my meal had still not come out yet and coffee was long finished. I asked the cafe rep walking past "how my meal was coming along Ive been waiting 30 mins" and the cafe rep asked what it was and number. I explained what I had ordered and my table number and was told " oh I didnt get that order" and walked off with no apology or explaination of what was happening!! Not Im very sorry about what has happened I will check for you now and come back. I had to ask another cafe rep that was walking past the same question about my meal but this time was told "i'll go and check for you now". A short time later the cafe rep came back and told me "it wont be long".

Another 20 mins past and the food finally arrived along with a generous portion of chocolate fudge cake and cream for free which was a good gesture. Unfortunatly its was 10am and why would I or anyone want to eat choclate fudge cake and cream at 10am!! (but thankyou for the gesture).

Just some advice (please this is good criticism) Always apologise and be very attentative to customers if order is missed/late. ASK them if they would like another coffee or drink while they wait (on the house of course) for the meal rather than getting a surprise at a time of day that is a bit off for a rich cake and cream dish.

All and all great place just need to up there customer standards and also make your drinks fridge more noticable...

A fantastic Cafe with fantastic food, great coffee, helpful staff, and of course sunshine. Came here for a solo lunch and was greated with warm smiles, sunshine, and a selection of wonderful food. Wanted to try it all but settled with a salmon bagel, Louise cake, and a great flat white. The bagel is the softest in town, with a generous helping of wonderfully smoked salmon and capers. The Louise cake was wonderfully light, with great raspberry jam centre. The coffee is probably the best in the Hutt, so you need to at least try it. All in all this is a lovely place to escape the...

Unfortunately this cafe has gone from one of our weekend stop-offs, to now we will no longer bother.

The avocado toast was hands down the worst I have ever eaten. Tiny portion, bizarre stick of seed toast, on a strange platter with a huge hunk of coriander?! (Ew)

Not to mention the $3 side of hollandaise being so pathetically tiny, that it was barely a tablespoon of sauce.

My table companions pancakes, were unfortunately dry as sawdust and screamed of reheated/prepackaged.

It’s a huge shame, but Shine has seriously slipped in terms of quality and we...