new zealand coffee review (archive)
new zealand coffee review (archive)
View from the window of the Bicycle ...
Another window view from the Bicycle ...
WHERE: 21 Latimer Square, CBD, Christchurch (STREET MAP)
WEBSITE: The Bicycle Thief.
PHONE: (03) 379-2264 (SEE WHITE PAGES)
COFFEE BRAND: Caffe L'Affare
Added by ArtofCoffee on Mon, 20 Feb 2006.
The Bicycle Thief has been one of my favourite restaurants since it opened. I've always found the staff genuinely friendly and the service consistently excellent. Love the food, adore the hot chocolate (it comes with a Whittaker's Sante bar, nom) and I recommend it often to friends and visitors to Christchurch.
I'm very surprised by the review from Barry. I frequent The Bicycle Thief because they have the recipe spot on - great service, coffee, food and atmosphere. I have coffee from here every day because it's so consistent. The Bicycle Thief is also one of the 4 restaurants in Chch I ever recommend to people and find the service simply outstanding. I work in hospitality which means I'm even harder to please. The comment the pizza is like pizza hutt is either a blatant lie or from someone with no food knowledge as it simply couldn't be further from the truth. Can't speak highly enough of this place.
I love the coffee here.
I buy coffee (large takeaway trim cap) here 5 days a week and VERY rarely get a bad one.
The Bicycle Wheels (the perfect savoury accompaniment to any coffee) are delicious! Every day there are two different flavoured Bicycle Wheels and two different Muffins to chose from. The cafe offers a huge range of flavours of both items so you never know what flavours you will find there each day... luckily they are all delicious.
The service on the cafe counter is top notch. The staff actually take an interest in their customers. I've never been to a cafe before where the staff are on a first name basis with so many of their customers! Obviously the coffee and food is so good there are MANY repeat customers :)
It is little wonder The Bicycle Thief was voted the best coffee in the metropolitan area by members of Canterbury Young Professionals last year!
Take these recent reviews with a grain of salt. Last time I went to the Bicycle Thief, it was awesome - great food and atmosphere - and my friends all still love it too.
-CM [founder, NZ Coffee Review]
[edited by the administrator to remove names]
Nice atmosphere and nice service in general on the positive side, but the new manager was annoying at best, didn't appear to do any work and was generally an annoying ass. Food was of a 'pizza hutt' standard and that's being kind. Very oily polenta fries , very average pizza. The place was overly dark and felt like what it really is which is a re-furbished car park.
The only thing that was good was the coffee.
Honestly if they got rid of the night time Chef they would probably do quite well.
I would avoid this overly trendy spot at all costs. The owner appears to only provide good service to those 'appearing to be' wealthy.
This restaurant would simply last two weeks in any other place in the world.
Mocha's are av the syrup they use is a funny liquid but you get a yummy BIG chocolate stick with your cupa so that makes up for it. When they bring it out they have the chocolate is sitting on top and partially melted it’s yummi.
I have been In recently and they have made the lighting brighter it’s better… There’s ambiance and there’s poke yourself in the eye and trip on the step that’s not there cos… it’s to dark to see :-)
The staff are wonderful, the location great, but the long blacks are often burnt!
The Bicycle Thief is dark and welcoming - sort of English Pub style. Unusual for a Christchurch cafe, most of which are brightly lit, but definitely a good thing. It seems to function primarily as a cafe in the morning, but I guess later on in the day it turns into a restaurant, then a bar.
I dropped in for a cappuccino on the way to work recently. The coffee was good. Strong enough, slightly bitter on top, but nothing to complain about.
Notes from further visits:
- a large takeaway cappuccino, which was OK, although not spectacular.
- a small takeaway cappuccino, which was great.
It's built a bit like a bunker with as many nooks and crannies as an old fashioned english muffin and hasn't yet been discovered by the masses, being a bit off the beaten track on the verge of Latimer Square. The indoor/outdoor flow (especially on a nice breezy summer day) and diversity of passing pedestrians combined with good service and high quality flat whites (a barista who formerly helped give the original Flask on Manchester street its good name is on the job), and at least one long table with a gas fireplace literally under your feet makes for a satisfying break from a harried work day. Apparently their menu is very good, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an emphasis on pizza. For beer-swilling cafe afficinados, they have Emerson's Bookbinder and Pilsner on tap. Fast on the way to becoming a regular haunt for those of us in Kenton Chambers (sorely missing the convenience, quality, and comfort of the original Flask).