45 Dixon St, Te Aro, Wellington
Opens 7.30am weekdays, 8.30am Sat, 9am Sun; closes 4.30pm every day
Granola $11; L’affare coffee; Tea Total tea
Dixon Street Deli goes back to 1930 when it began as a farm and poultry produce outlet. In 1974 it became a more general purpose delicatessen and was the place in Wellington to buy such exotic European foods as olives and olive oil, salami, pickles and coffee beans. At some point I think it combined being a cafe and a deli, but now it is solely an eatery.
I turned up here at 8am on a cold weekday morning and the heaters above the comfortable upholstered seats provided a nice cosy atmosphere. There were two or three other stray loners like me getting their breakfast or coffee when I walked in but others gradually arrived.
The granola was fairly dry (a good thing, as it suggested it wasn’t roasted in a lot of honey/syrup or oil) and dominated by large oat flakes, whole almonds and large chunks of dried tropical fruit, the last lowering the tone a bit. The yoghurt was great and the fresh fruit (apple, grapes, pear, kiwi fruit orange) welcome. The whole was fairly plain but good value for $11. The coffee was OK nothing to write home about.
There were newspapers to read, and at this hour, plenty of larger tables to spread one out on. And no problem grabbing one of the soft seats.
Conclusion
A comfortable environment with good, no-frills granola.
Reviewed July 2019
Menus, ingredients and opening hours may change. Check with eatery before you visit.
