Ristretto

Reasonably priced menu compared to other places locally, love coming here as the eggs benny with salmon and potato cake are to die for! Great outdoor area and a section for kids to play around too. Never too busy so food comes out quite quickly and the young guy behind the counter is super friendly

An excellent café with great food and very helpful staff.
Very reasonable prices which is a pleasant change.
Especially good are the savoury vegetarian muffins.
Coffee is always to a high standard.
Highly recommended…

Not sure what’s happened here. I remember Ristretto having a bit of an interesting menu and really good food. But today was below average for me. My French toast was ok but the bacon on the side was a bit tough almost like it had been cooked earlier and reheated in a microwave. My husband’s big breakfast was average. Looked like pre-​cooked sausage and pre-​frozen hash brown from the supermarket. Disappointing.

If there were any other cafés between Royal Oaks chip shops and fruit stores, Ristretto wouldn’t even be getting the begrudging two star score here. Saying the only café in the area has «the best local coffee» is as redundant a title as an Upper Hutt Film Festival award.
The café, including the «courtyard» looks like a long prison cell. The only «relaxing» area is in the entrance on ridged stools facing traffic and dirty shops. Two staff members ignored us and relaxed at the tables while a third fluffed about the kitchen before impolitely serving us. Ristretto isn’t even on the menu. Affogato, cortardo and doppio are unknown. For a café named after a fancy coffee style, it would be presumed they would know others.
Only those in desperate need of a caffeine fix should risk Ristretto.

Located in the shopping centre by the Royal Oak roundabout, Ristretto is a café that offers fantastic coffee and wonderful home-​style food.
Their scones are to die for! The best I’ve ever had in my life! Crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside — they are perfect.
Ristretto boasts a really nice covered outdoor area behind the café, which also has great shutters that can be altered to protect you from gusty winds and rain if necessary. This area also offers a small playground for children, so they are entertained while you enjoy a delicious cup of coffee and catch up with friends.
Ristretto’s menu is also fantastic. A full blackboard menu offering everything from breakfasts, salads and light lunches is available, as well as a great selection of mouth-​watering cabinet food can be found at Ristretto.
Bonus: Most of the wait-​staff are young, and they are very friendly. As a semi-​regular customer, I am always pleased to see that they remember me and what I usually order. It’s nice to feel like a valued customer and as if you are part of the Ristretto community!