Fidels Cafe

Fui a Fidels porque un argie que trabajó ahí y ahora tiene un café en el centro de Baires me lo recomendó.
Era un día de esos lluviosos y ventosos que Wellington tiene durante todo el año.
La cuestión es que el lugar está bueno. Si sos argentino te llama porque pensas que alguna foto del Che Guevara tiene que haber, y también para ver que onda en cuanto a la movida cafetera increible que tiene esta ciudad .
Dentro de lo que ofrecia la carta en ese momento, desayune los huevos denominados españoles. Estaban muy sabrosos y a muy buena temperatura. Lo malo fue que el plato vino antes que el café .El cual termino llegando cuando estaba terminando mi plato, y eso tal vez desmejoro un poco el desayuno. Fue como que me trajeron las cosas por partes.
La atención del staff fue correcta, y el ambiente del lugar es bastante relajado, respondiendote a las consultas realizadas siempre con una sonrisa .
No te suelen apurar con el tiempo de estada y tiene un espacio afuera donde uno tambien puede optar por degustar alli su orden.
Algo no menor es que no tenes que pedir la cuenta, si no que una vez que decidiste irte. Te tenes que acercar a la caja y abonar lo que consumiste.
Como en la mayoria de los lugares de este estilo en Nueva Zelanda, tienen para llevar y suele estar bastante demandado .
La cocina se encuentra a la vista.

What appalling attitude from the staff!!! Refused to seat us at an empty table and forced us to squeeze onto a table with another couple. No way! Outta there as soon as we could and no desire to be treated like that again.

As every one else has posted the food and coffees are well worth the cost. Spanish eggs is a favourite and the milkshakes are divine, will be back for sure

Cool ambiance and décor.
Ordered coffee, salmon bagel, and the spanish style baked eggs. All items were delicious. Highly recommend the spanish baked eggs. Get it. You won’t regret it.

I always make sure to visit Fidel’s when I’m in Wellington. The menu & cabinet are both packed full of delicious choices — but make sure you save room for one of their giant shakes! During peak times the small spaces can feel cramped but that’s part of Fidel’s beauty — a relaxed, unpretentious loca to dine at any time of the day.

This restaurant has a great vibe, excellent food, and really good coffee. The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars was that the service was somewhat slow. Even this wasn’t a bad sign. It’s because the place was popular and we were seated after a large table.
I got the baked Spanish eggs, my friend had Fidel’s waffles (the chicken & almonds kind). We both got flat white coffees. Everything was delicious. I’d never had Spanish eggs before so I can’t judge them versus other versions, but the food was flavorful and everything that the description promised.
My friend commented that the chicken that came with her waffles was juicy and seasoned to be slight spicy.
We both cleaned our plates. All the other food we saw come out looked equally delicious.
This restaurant was a great stop in a fun part of Wellington. It’s worth the time and your money. As I mentioned the only drawback was that service can get bogged down when they get busy. If you’re willing to enjoy the atmosphere over a couple cups of coffee you won’t even notice.

Dropped by for takeout and ordered their ribs, cubano and their Tim Tam cake. The first two were great (i could go on about those ribs like how juicy and tender they were, falling of the bones) but the cake was such a disappointment. It didn’t taste like Tim Tam at all, unless that was the point? It was basically a chocolate cake a little bit above average compared to others. Maybe the server gave us the wrong dessert. Either way, that put me off from ordering sweets from them anytime soon.

Absolutely IN LOVE with Fidels! The quirky café is quite possible one of the best along Cuba and have really amazing food. Really recommend the Cubano and their Tim Tam cake. Don’t miss out on the Tim Tam cake.

Quite possibly the best brunch I have ever had. After a night out, Fidel’s café was the perfect cure for that morning headache.
I got the bubbles and squeak dish and the refried mashed potatoes were wonderful. You can tell that the eggs were fresh and the bacon also went great with everything. Best meal that I had while I was in New Zealand.

So so… Self service… Good for having a fast meal… But must try cabinet food… If you up to quit time, say date try not rush hours. say between breakfast and lunch

On a warm sunny afternoon during the weekend, Fidel’s on Castro Street is a great place to lounge with friends. During our adventure through NZ, we met new cycle touring friends and agreed to meet up again in Wellington. Where else but Fidel’s.
The menu is typical pub grub with a US SouthWest/​Mexican influence, along with Burgers and Pizzas. The three of us shared a plate of the Haloumi & Chicken Salad, Fish Tacos, and Quesadillas. The food is satisfying, but nothing exceptional. The salad was my favorite of the three, fresh and tender pieces of chicken with substantial portions of avocado, topped with a burst of lemon thyme dressing. The fish tacos were good and the quesadillas were average at best. Looking around at the other tables, I would choose the from the brunch/​breakfast menu on a second go around. Since we had an amazing breakfast earlier in the morning, we went with the lunch menu.
What gives Fidel’s a bump to 4 stars is the Bloody Mary with a strip of crispy bacon… first time I’ve had this combo and it was heaven on earth.
Fidel’s is a great place to meet with friends, share some Sunday morning cocktails (the Bloody Mary is a must), bask outside in the sun (complimentary sunscreen on tables), and snack away the afternoon.

4 stars, but plus 1 for the Tim Tam Cake because I would go back just to eat that. Cuba St. is literally LITTERED with good cafes and restaurants. So many options to choose from. Be sure to stop by Fidels Café, as it seems to be a staple in this area, and rightfully so.
While small and unassuming, and most certainly «quirky,» this place delivers good food for the hungry in Wellington.
If you come between the hours of 3−6pm, you’ve made it to their Happy hour! Unfortunately, the only thing I really remember from the HH menu was the $ 15 wine carafes (about 3 glasses) but hey no one said wine improved your memory?
Foodwise, the menu is resplendent with what I learned to be classic NZ fare during my time in NZ. This means flavorful and simple dishes made with fresh ingredients. Lots of veggies. I actually did get the salad with the haloumi cheese, avocado and chicken. You know why? I did it for the avocado and haloumi. This combo is everywhere in NZ and I became an avocado crack head while I was in NZ. My mom got the pulled pork which was OK, but honestly in the states they have better Cuban/​Mexican places so it wasn’t too mind-​blowing. The sliders of the day we ordered were just OK. Don’t even remember what they were.
Lastly, TIM TAM CAKE say what… a rich, indulgent chocolate party in my mouth! Not too heavy. Please do yourself a favor and order that. The ice cream sandwiches were also surprisingly fun and delicious (not really a huge ice cream sandwich fan that’s why).
Service was alright; a bit slow, but it looked like they only had 2 waitstaff that the time so props to them for working the entire restaurant. Pricewise, it’s worth it for you to come here in my opinion.
You can’t miss the Cuban flag roof, check of Fidel’s!

I had the vegan feast, which was pretty good. However, it took me a while to decide what to get. The choice is not that great and they are not able to substitute specific ingredients.
Staff is very nice.
I didn’t really like their interiors. It was cramped and loud… Also, I thought it was overpriced (19 NZD for my breakfast without drinks).

OK, it is not Cuban food. It is on Cuba Street. Get that out of your head. And, while there are a lot of pictures and artwork of Fidel Castro, this is not a place for the revolution. So, if you don’t mind eating yuppie food with a guy holding a machine gun over your head. Then, this is great.
Fidel’s is a fun and funky place for a wonderful brunch or lunch. Everything is fresh and flavorful. I passed on the eggs, which look fantastic, because I had eggs for breakfast. Instead, I had the fresh mesculin salad haloumi cheese and smoked chicken. It had huge chunks of avocado. I really loved it with the kiwifruit, apple, pear and lime fruit juice. Nice and tart beverage.
Watching the meals go by, everything looked interesting and incentive. A lot of people ordered burgers. But, I recommend being more adventurous. Next time, I am ordering the smoked cheese, lamb and caramelized onion pie.
It is a bustling place that is clearly popular. Expect a queue out the door. But things move fast.
Perhaps, given the décor and food quality, we should call this the Gastro revolution.

The restaurant is billed as a Cuban Restaurant, hence the name Fidel’s. I had the Ropa Vieja Quesadilla, which was filled with tender beef shoulder slow braised in tomato, garlic and chilli, served with tomato salsa, guacamole and an iceberg lettuce slaw. My companion had the Fish Taco, advertised as a soft tortilla rolled with cajun spiced fish, shredded jalapeño and coriander slaw, fresh tomato and chipotle mayonnaise.
We thought both items were delicious and well seasoned. The fish tacos had a spicy sauce on the side, so you could moderate the heat if you wanted the dish on the mild side. The fish was excellent and appeared to be cod, but I didn’t verify. The quesadilla was very tasty and I just wish that there was more of it.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is that, while delicious, the food didn’t appear to be Cuban but rather a blend of Tex Mex and Californian grill. They do say that the coffee is Cuban, and it’s located on Cuba street, so that good enough for me.
I plan to return while in Wellington.

Bustling café with good coffee and great food. Plenty of options for vegetarians /​vegans, indoor /​outdoor seating, great staff and a vibrant atmosphere.
Check the notice board by the toilets for gigs coming up!

I’ve been away from NZ for two years now, and still miss Fidels.
It was always packed for lunch, but getting there early ensured deliciousness, coffee was top, and the atmosphere perfect.
I can’t imagine the legacy of fidels changing much — was also my aunty’s favourite café when she was a student.
Can’t wait to come back.

I was in Wellington on a 2 week Lord of the Rings tour (don’t you look at me like that). And I have wanted to try Fidels since I saw Billy and Dom talk about it in the extras in the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring (don’t you look at me like that).
WELL! I was here. I got a Merry crew together (points if you got the pun) and we headed up Cuba Street. There was a long table outside free perfect for our party of 11. The waitress took our drink and food orders and then it kind of went downhill for me.
I do not like spicy food. This restaurant is mainly Cajun.
I ordered the Salt and Pepper Squid — which did not say contained chilli — took a bite and promptly send it down the table for the others to enjoy. I relayed this information to our waitress (which to be far she had only been working there for 3 days) and she apologised profusely. But she neglected to question why I then ordered the Jerk Chicken.
And by gad was the chicken a jerk. I had no idea that ‘jerk’ was a type of spicy ass seasoning — I thought it may have been the way the chicken was prepared. It arrived, my mouth was on fire and I was unable to send it back without being charged for a second meal. So I proceeded to scrape the seasoning off and slather it with sour cream and it became edible. Tasteless, but edible. For the debacle that was my dinner, I at least got a giant bowl of coffee for free.
Now this whole thing could be construed as my own dumb fault, so I’m not giving it 3 stars for that. No Fidels — you lose 2 stars for your lax attitude. The waitress who was there for 3 days was trying damn hard to fix up our mistake and I felt horrible when I looked over to see her being told off by another waitress. Meanie! Also when I asked for additional sour cream it came back 25 mins later and I had just about finished my meal and then I was given an eye roll by the waitress who delivered it.
The 3 day waitress did warn us that the food pretty much comes out at random. Hmmm… maybe it shouldn’t. We all got our food at different times, even when some dishes were exactly the same. And the whole sour cream thing, that just annoyed me.
Look, it’s a great place with a great vibe that I can *almost* forgive the lax service, and it probably was the best night I had in New Zealand, but I do really feel like they need to tighten the reigns a bit.

Having tried to get a kai in here on the weekend but being told there was quite a wait, I thought I’d give it a go during the week. So glad I finally got to try this Wellington institution.
Seated straight away. It was busy but service was excellent. Coffee was on point. Smoothie was so refreshing. Food was bloody good.

We were staying in the City Apartments just down the road from Fidels, and this was our first foodie stop after arriving in New Zealand. What a spectacularly good choice from the Silent Reviewer. The waitress serving us was fab, giving us good recommendations, and as per the parents in law, they had ‘the finest burgers they have ever had’. The Silent Reviewer Was Not Happy — he had the pork belly, which paled into insignificance both in portion size and flavour (I can’t say whether it was good or not, envy was dripping from every bite).
I had the vegetarian pizza, which was pretty delicious, with a healthy smattering of vegetables on top, which always makes me happy. Highly recommended.

We had to wait what seemed like a million years for our food, perhaps I was a bit too hangry, but they also lost our coffee order so all that waiting was sans coffee — not a pretty situation. The comments about the perfectly coordinated rotating waitstaff was not our experience, hence the lost coffees and a dangerous hanger situation.
When the food did come out it was pretty great. I wish I could give this 4 stars, but the waffles were just okay. Not bad, just standard and not much to write home about. The vegan breakfast, on the other hand was super delicious. They were able to swap the crispy potatoes for poached eggs (not a vegan), and that was exactly what I wanted. The mushrooms were substantial, and the tomato relish thing was extra delicious. If I hadn’t split the vegan and the waffles, I would have been more hot on this place.
Likely would recommend this place, but you do need to keep the waitstaff on their toes if you’re left waiting too long… and recommend the savory over sweet brunch options.