new zealand coffee review (archive)
new zealand coffee review (archive)
Underground Cafe - Small but tasty!
WHERE: 791 Colombo Street, CBD, Christchurch (STREET MAP)
PHONE: (03) 961-7310 (SEE WHITE PAGES)
Added by ArtofCoffee on Mon, 20 Feb 2006.
This would have to be the worst cafe experiance of my life!
We fiance and i visit cafes on a weekly basis- i also belong to a coffee group that meets once a week, so thats a lot of cafes i have been to and never have i come across such disgustingly rude staff members and such awful coffee! you are pretty lucky if the staff even talk to you- but if they do you wish they hadnt! its almost as if they went out of their way to be un-helpful! I rang on the tuesday asking to book their 2tables for my coffee group and was asked what we planned on buying- when i said it would be about 8 coffees 2 fluffies and snacks each was told that wasnt enough and i could have one table, fine, turned up on the wednesday and nobody would talk to us- i tried to ask a staff member about it while ordering my coffee and she just snapped have here or take away?! this cafe doesnt even own a high chair! the coffee is burnt and comes in a silly little cup that you cant fit your finger in, the hot chocolate ought to be called a hot milk and worst of all we were all stuck at an outside table with babies and toddlers and an electric door in the cold! I will never go to this cafe again and neither will the others we were all so shocked at the lack of service
Consistently top coffee ("fantastical") and top service. V good food. Friendly staff. What's more you can take your own food if you REALLY want to. One of my all-time favourites
Colombo street location. I have been there twice recently, first time was not to bad ordered three flat whites and a couple of afghans to go after ordering popped next store to Mr sushi (best sushi love it;) so individually picked a couple of trays of sushi paid and went back to pickup coffee's and wait....and waited didn't think they where busy enough to justify such a long wait, but coffee's where good and afghans delicious. Next visit worst ordered one flat white to go.It was quiet at three in the afternoon but again waited at window painfully watching barista make two coffee's then start on my one, coffee in cup milk steamed yes.. oh no phone rings she wanders over to other side of cafe to answer with my cup in hand, wanders back milk in, top on finally my $4 flat white arrives, have a sip absolute scorcher still have a burnt tongue!. I would not bother going back, there are enough good cafe's offering better service close by.
GREAT COFFEE!!! Great food, served on fabulous kiwiana plates! (South City). Probably the best and most consistent coffees in town!
I've had mixed experiences at the various Underground espresso bars.
I have had a few very good shots pulled at the Colombo st site in Sydneham. But I had an awful macchiato at their cafe up on Victoria - the shot the girl pulled must have poured for 45 or 50 seconds. (And as an aside, I can't get my head around macchiatos in NZ. Everybody seems to serve them very differently. Sometimes a tiny dab of milk, sometimes a dollop of foam. What the heck?)
And what's with their high prices? If they can afford to give $1 off every drink to RDU card holders, I don't see why I can't get all my drinks at a buck cheaper. This annoys me greatly.
I really want to try their Colombo st bar beside the roaster. I'm keen to get in and talk to the roaster sometime and try some of their other espresso blends.
Always get good coffee here. They have a smart card system and you can use it at any of their 3 branches. They also have newsletters and txt specials. Try their branch at Sydenham Central(?). Coffee is excellent and the food is also very good.
Have always been a C1 and odd-fellows guy. But this coffee has to be the best in christchurch. The new expresso bar on columbo street has awesome atmosphere and experienced and friendly barristers! Best coffee - never burnt and always well extracted. Free trade coffee :) freshly roasted a couple of doors down.
Cheers underground, you guys rock! Big ups!