Simon B.

In a whirled of mediocrity it's reassuring to know there exist PROPER cafes like FIDELS, 234 Cuba Street Wellington. A near flawless performance this afternoon ticked every box save the background music / techno pop rock whatever twas didn't hit MY sweet spot, but let's discuss the positives: Warm hospo greeting explains a 10 minute wait to be seated, a busy Labour Weekend in the city, then ushered into cozy back room warm and airy retro themed 50s 60s during Fidel Cs heyday. Ordering process smooth and efficient water for the table refill without asking. Communicative servers, bright and efficient attitude. Food choices abound looking terrific in the cabinets, kitchen pumping out FRESH menu items in a timely fashion. Barista made coffee exactly as ordered AND a very high standard too! FRESH TASTY DELICIOUS to the last drop. No plastic butter substitutes here accompanying the yummy vegan gluten free choco muffin....a generous veritable Square of loveliness. Comfy seating, relaxed vibe, many locals hangin out, loos clean n tidy, a BUSY well run operation to be commended. In our view there are two proper cafes in Wellington, FIDELs and Maranui Surf in Lyall Bay. We liked the environmental concern for overpackaging and discount half a buck for using one's own coffee vessel, REAL crockery no throw away STUFF here = well done FIDEL! A top ten New Zealand coffee experience earns a FIVE star review and unreserved recommendations. Thnx for looking after us today, Fidel management and staff ! Pics will follow.

Danielle h.

I've been here tons of times and everytime never fails to impress. This is the kind of place that gets really really busy so you do have to wait to get seated at the front. It does have a sign at the front saying how long food wait is though which I like. Layout kind of sucks, if you don't mind bumping elbows with the person next to you. Parts of the place feel like a very loud lounge room where you can hardly hear yourself think let alone talk to someone your having lunch with. Food is always 5/5 delicious. My usuals are the Eggs Benedict with bacon and a coconut mocha. Today I thought I'd try a hash cake thing with my eggs Benedict but that was a bit yuck. Wait staff are very friendly and will treat you like your in a restaurant. I like the outdoor areas as well they're really nice but again overcrowded. I think this place would be even better if they shut down for a little knocked down some walls and made it more open rather than feeling like a small 2 bedroom house where everyone is in your space. Overall a nice place with average Wellington priced my meal and coffee was $33.50

Robert T.

Fidels Cafe on Cuba Street is completely deserving of it's high rating on Yelp and other rating networks. The carne asada sandwich was served on freshly baked ciabatta bread and filled with caramelized grilled onions and roasted peppers, smothered in some house-made sauce that was perfection. The fries had some light spicy seasoning and came with a ketchup-mayo whip that was a delight to try. This is also a really cool hang out place and has plenty of take-out and restaurant seating. If I were to come back to Wellington I would head back to Fidels to try 2 or 3 more things on the menu.

Alice H.

Highly recommend you pick up a baked good on your stop here. The food is decent but what I think makes them really shine is the bake program. A wonderful and diverse selection of tasty baked treats (including gluten free). We stopped by after dinner to pick up a slice of their chocolate cake and wish we had gotten two slices. The ganash icing was deliciously creamy and not too melty. The chocolate cake texture was not too dense but not too fluffy. Nice moisture level. Stop by earlier in the day for maximum selection options. Another day we stopped by here we ordered their cubano sandwich. Overly mustardy for me but the ham was delicious and fatty. Wish the bread was a little more dense with a harder crust. The sandwich kind of collapsed while eating. Portions are large.

Khaled A.

Went for a breakfast here and the fried chicken waffle didn't disappoint. They have a lot of selections but if you are a sweet tooth you won't find pancakes or French toast. Due to this fact I went with the fried chicken waffles. The portion is good amount and maple syrup goes really well with the chicken and waffles. I would recommend ordering it if you have the appetite in early morning. My wife went with the healthy section and choose yogurt with granola (not because she is trying to be healthy but because the dr told her just one day ago to avoid eating heavy food!) she said it was ok which is expected given it's only yogurt. Overall I highly recommend ordering the fried chicken waffles.

Sandi S.

Best. Flat whites. EVER. Not sure why they went with this dictator cafe theme, maybe because Cuba street. But what a fun and quirky breakfast place! Plenty of yummy options on the menu, I went with the basic salmon eggs benedict...It did not disappoint. But I want to call out the flat white I had here. I don't know why, but it was seriously the best one I had my entire trip in NZ! If I lived in this area, I'd definitely frequent this place. They have a quick order window for those just wanting coffee and not a sit down meal. It was pretty busy when I came here to eat, but they were able to seat me inside right away. They looked like they had a really big patio outside to sit in too, but it's fenced so you can't see it from the street. I miss the flat white.

Nick P.

It's hard to talk about Fidel's without mentioning the incredible atmosphere. The place is laid back, relaxed, friendly and fun. The table service is prompt and the time estimates for when the food is due to arrive are usually very accurate. I recommend them as a brunch spot. The Spanish eggs and the Mexican menu options are the standouts if you asked me. The coffee is very very good. The long blacks I usually drink are never over extracted (which is often the case in average coffee shops). This is the kind of place that you can come back to every day of the week without getting bored.

Lucy C.

Looking for an incredible cafe with amazing food and staff? Fidel's, located on the ever-quirky Cuba st, definitely seems to have it all. If it weren't for this cafés delicious menu I wouldn't of made it through my first year at uni. It was always a breath of fresh air and a much needed escape from the food served at my uni hall. Although there are several different options including many with Cuban flavours I can just never go past the eggs benedict, a hangover cute like no other. Fidel's is always packed at any time of the day which is definitely a reflection of its popularity, and it's not surprising how it's got such a great reputation, particularly with students. Fidel's offers amazing food at an affordable price which is often difficult to come across in the Wellington CBD, and it's amazing atmosphere and Cuban inspired decor is always a winner. Popping in for one of their famous snickers milkshakes or an epic meal it seems to cater on all accounts. I'm just waiting till I'm back in Wellington this year and Fidel's will definitely be seeing a lot more of me!

Laura S.

Quite possibly the best brunch I have ever had. After a night out, Fidel's cafe 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.

Rick H.

Very good breakfast that is served almost all day. Flat White was excellent. Waffle and bacon as well as the burito were also very good. Fun atmosphere and would also be great for drinks and dinner.

Sheenal S.

Having pored over several reviews and having read Wellingtons version of urbanlist, I decided to visit Fidel's cafe for its famous baked Spanish eggs. There are two versions.- the veggie version with eggs in a yoghurt spinach and ricotta sauce or the other version with potato, bacon and beans. Both are served with ciabatta bread. Unlike Melbourne, you don't get a large heaving breakfast dish but prices are comparable. So for 21.50 I got baked eggs and a small trim (skim = trim in kiwi?) Cap. The coffee was ok. The baked eggs were quite disappointing. I expected a tomato sauce base but the eggs, beans, bacon, tasteless potatoes and celery were in water?! The bread was ok. The service is excellent and quick and omg you can pay at the table. The ambience is relaxed with old town music. There's savoury and sweet delectables at the counter which are visible from the front entrance. There are three seating areas with one being an outdoor sort of covered seating area.

Lance H.

While I like what I ordered (ropa vieja)....this is more interpretive Cuban food than it is authentic. The atmosphere is casual and cool. Service is a bit slow. Wife loved the hot chocolate.

J M.

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.