cafe raeward

we have 4 little boys and don't go out much because it's a hassle taking our kids & trying to entertain them. cafe reward is awesome! we went there for breakfast. food is delicious. our boys loved it and there's kids playground which really made it easy for hubby and i to enjoy our food while the boys are out playing! kid friendly environment. definitely be going back!

we've been to this cafe a couple of times but have never been fast enough to take pictures because the food always looks so good and it is devoured before i can get my phone out.

things that you need to know about this place is that on weekends and holidays, it is very popular and very busy during lunchtime. as they have a small playground and an assortment of toys, as well as the raeward fresh grocery store on-site, it is also really busy. as in freakishly busy on some days and with lots of children around as well. if you plan to visit, a booking is advised, although we have never planned well enough in advance each time we have visited and they have still managed to seat us somewhere - you may just end up on couches though (but they are comfortable).

this is a service cafe, where they will seat you, give you water and name your service person - as well as coming to take your order whereby you pay at the end. all great components of good service that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a cafe - but highly appreciated. staff are attentive, polite and friendly and very skilled at dodging children scattered about the floor playing with toys.

the outdoor fenced playground is semi-sheltered but on a cold or rainy day, you and your children will still get cold or wet. there is a table where you can sit outside and supervise your children, however this isn't covered at all. from the warmth inside however there are a few seats where you can see your children playing outside if you were inclined to leave your kids to it, but be warned there are signs that indicate supervision of children is required.

the food arrived quickly on our last visit - there is a breakfast menu up to 11.30 followed by a brunch menu. i ordered eggs benedict with bacon off the brunch menu. priced at $21 it isn't the cheapest around, however the portion size is fairly impressive and you get a reasonable amount of bacon on crispy toasted bread. eggs were poached well and the hollandaise was delicious.

i've noticed that the menu on this page is outdated, because the prices are different and there are some menu variations, but only a few on first look. so be prepared for variance if you are keen on a particular item on the attached menu.

overall, a fantastic experience, as all our others have been. the reason why i haven't given a 5 is largely because cafe raeward is the victim of it's own success ... i don't particularly enjoy really busy and noisy places, but the food is generally worth the angst of it ... and our wee boy does enjoy having a run around while we eat, so happy to return any time :)

my partner and i had brunch here on new years day and were very impressed. the service is friendly and efficient plus it has more variety than your average brunch menu. we ordered the dukka eggs and the creamy mushrooms. the food came out promptly, both dishes looked and tasted great. generous portion sizes at a reasonable price, we were both very impressed!

it was with a little trepidation i journeyed out to near the christchurch airport for a taste of what the unknown had to offer.
my previous experience of raeward fresh grocery super market was just that, so i was interested to see how the add on restaurant to the market stood up.
first impression was one of terror, seeing the mcdonald's style plastic playground should had told me to run for the hills. if you provide a playground attached to a restaurant it normally follows there will be kids inside and i wasn't wrong.
the feeling of being one second away from a major child event while sitting in the place removed any truly relaxing time with my parter and teenage daughter.
we dodged that bullet, but only just.
my review of my meal and drinks will be short and simple. the chicken satay burger filled the gap but was really something that could have been slapped together at my local chippy. the twenty plus dollars was top dollar for an average burger and fries. satay usual means peanut spicy sauce but mine wasn't really peanut but more of a mild curry flavor. not unpleasant just unexpected. fries were just that, very average. janeens battered blue cod was the winner for us and ticked the right flavor and portion size boxes but the flat pile of packet salad left us all wondering why a place with access to great produce couldn't have done better. needless to say it wasn't great and was left alone on the plate.
the coffee i had was full pice and was rubbish, burnt and bitter, how hard is it to make a decent flat white? i suppose when you have grocery staff trying to double as restaurant staff something is going suffer.
my feeling about the place is a bit of refinement and a effective separation of grown up diners from kids would be a start. i feel the proximity to the airport has influenced the pricing in a negative way. better staff training and dedicated staff will help the overall flow.
with so many really good eating places it is hard to recommend raeburn cafe, parents with little ones would probably enjoy the convenience of shopping, dining and somewhere for the kids to play.

i went here for an early morning breakfast and ordered poached eggs with avocado. there was a tasty spin on a basic breakfast choice. staff were extremely friendly and more than happy to help.

firstly this is cafe raeward. it has great coffee, both innovative and traditional food and friendly professional staff. great that you get free wifi and then get your produce/groceries after!

excellent service, fast friendly and attentive without overcrowding. the food is tasty and as i am gluten free they have many options. i would highly recommended.

after a bad experience at another cafe i will not mention . i came her a couple of days later and what a refreshing change. we were greeted with a smile and the manager even came to see if we were being served. the food was amazing the drinks were great and will definately come here again

went out for a sunday brunch.

firstly, they forgot one of our meals. they apologised for this and offered a complimentary beverage. i asked for a soy hazelnut latte.

the drink that came was a normal latte, not made with soy. i did not realise this until it had been half consumed - not useful for somebody who is lactose intolerant.

my friend then nearly cut her lip on a water glass that was chipped.

finally the second meal arrived - without the side of bacon as requested. we decided not mention it, but when paying it became clear that the extra bacon had been put on the first meal.

when paying for our meal, the cashier was less than friendly and incompetent - as couldn't put the transaction through.

it was not even overly busy - four errors - would not recommend.

good food and good service on a busy morning. always pleased to see some flexiibilty in the menu too.

lunchtime... busy so obliged to sit in the children's play area. unruly chilldren all over the place somewhat spoilt the lunch.

pumpkin filo wrap: hard par-boiled pumpkin, chunks of raw garlic, vivid-green yoghurt sauce added much needed moisture to an otherwise dry, chewy and rather bland (other than garlic-breath) dish.

chick pea salad: a bowl of brine-chickpeas and some over cooked aubergine, hardly a salad.

orange cake: stodgy cake with artificial-flavoured orange icing.

chocolate brownie: can't go wrong here, but what tiny wedges.

coffee: not bad, not great, but smooth.

would have coffee again, but no cabinet food. can't understand why it's so busy.

however shop does sell excellent aged beef... but this review is just for the cafe.

absolutely fabulous! the food and coffee are great and the service is first class!. considering how busy it is, the staff are attentive and the cafe is clean and tidy. it is so refreshing to get such high quality service, where the customer is number one. well done and keep up the great work to all the team.

one of the best dining experiences ive had in a while. came for lunch on 18/02, service was exceptional all the staff made a point of welcoming us without being overbearing. cafe was clean, tidy and spacious. cabinets had a huge selection of fresh and reasonably priced food aswel as the menus and special board. got offered a free fluffy for our 8 month old daughter, well stocked toybox and plenty of clean highchairs were available aswel as a playground outside. our farmers 'big breakfasts' were $17.50 and huge we couldn't finish it all. coffee and smoothies were good.