Vegan
Western
Take-out
Bakery
Catering
Breakfast
Vegan cafe offering breakfast with cabinet items plus shakes, coffee, and desserts. Makes custom cakes. Can make custom cakes. Became all-vegan in 2017. Previously located at 134 Willis St. Open Wed-Thu 10:30am-3:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:30am-4:00pm. Closed Mon-Tue. Kitchen closes at 3pm or sometimes earlier unexpectedly. 2 for 1 cabinet items during last hour.
135 Reviews
First Review by Guspops
Anniefield
Points +53
A little gem! - Edit
Staff were warm and welcoming and the food delicious!
Read moreWe had the smashed avocado on hash browns which was really tasty and a work of art on the plate! The fries were exceptional too. Also did a takeaway box of a custard bun and a mocha cream bum…heaven in a box!
Guest
vegansoul88
Points +646
Fantastic loaded fries - Edit
Lovely staff and amazing loaded fries with no rib chunks, mayo and bbq sauce. We loved it!
Read morePros: Friendly staff, Amazing food, Central
Guest
vacafeliz74
Points +102
A vegan gem in Wellington - Edit
I ate here a few times when I visited Wellington. A good vibe and great food.
Read morePros: All vegan, To die for buns, Good value
Guest
PaulHolroyd
Points +482
Fantastic breakfast! - Edit
I ordered the 'living wage' breakfast with 'not fried eggs' made from tofu, hash browns, avocado, spinach, sausages, mushroom and tomatoes. Absolutely gorgeous.
Read morePros: All vegan, Good choices, Plenty of seating
Guest
Savannastent
Points +102
vegan food for junk food cravings! - Edit
These guys do great snacks, deserts and meals too! If you want a milk shake and some cookies this is your place! Some of the cakes are super super sweet but if you got a sweet tooth you will love it!
Read moreGuest
MariaW.
Points +64
awesome - Edit
really cute café, nice staff and the food was delicious.
Read moreGuest
tbfnz
Points +938
Fantastic! - Edit
[Review is from 2020 - apologies for tardiness!!]
Read moreWe popped in for lunch (our first ever visit) and were looked after really well by Simone, who was absolutely fantastic! She was really friendly, helpful and happily answered my (many) queries about their food :)
This is an awesome vegan cafe with yummo food. They also have (had?) a 'Pay it forward' system where you can buy a voucher for someone else to use for a meal, which is a really nice service to see in these difficult times.
We'll definitely be back next time we're in Wellington!! Oh, and with veganism on the rise (yay), it'd be great to see them open another cafe in Christchurch!!! Fingers crossed :)
Pros: Great food, Great staff, Cosy cafe
Cons: A long way from Christchurch :(
Guest
cgreaves
Points +482
Awesome breakfast - Edit
Great sausages and hash browns for breakfast. Cute cafe to sit in too
Read moreCons: Limited hours
Guest
AliceMurray
Points +383
Love to see all vegan cafes - Edit
I wasn't a huge fan of the eggs and meat substitutes but I think if I had tried something else I would probably have liked it. Definitely worth checking out
Read morePros: Fully vegan
Guest
ellaidagrantham
Points +666
Really Good Mac ‘n “Cheese” - Edit
Loved it, would totally have again. Also nice brownie.
Read moreGuest
waynevisser1
Points +42
More than sweet cakes - Edit
Loved the living wage breakfast. Really interesting “fried egg”. Bright and happy ambience. Portion sizes were a bit big, resulting in food waste #Veganuary
Read morePros: Great breakfast & lunch options, Lots of wicked sweet treats, Supports the community
Cons: Portions are very big
Guest
Heatha
Points +402
Best breakfast - Edit
Loved my eggs and sausage. The long black was excellent. Lots of seating at the back and a few tables on the sidewalk. Can’t wait to return. #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
Tiggy
Points +13797
New Release - Edit
This place is very different from the Sweet Release where I ate bagels in 2017 on Willis Street. We came here three time on this visit to Wellington, once for coffee and twice for lunch. We had the Living Wage Breakfast both times, and it’s a real draw card for the cafe, with sausages, a decent vegan egg, has browns, avo, mushrooms and roasted tomatoes: a real treat. The only thing missing was maybe a sauce to give it a bit more moistness, but there may have been side condiments I didn’t notice. The BBQ bowl - rice, grilled corn and slaw, was fresh and satisfying, and we had it with Not Ribs, but unsurprisingly the sauce was pretty sickly sweet, maybe more than your average BBQ sauce. The mac and cheese was just pretty ordinary, without a lot of flavour and quite watery. For my part the coffee here is not great either, to the extent that I didn’t have my usual second cup. Strangely, they use all imported Alpro plant milks rather than at least some local ones, but I have noticed a lot of places in using at least one Alpro plant milk. I didn’t try any baked goods, which are the foundation of the cafe, so my review is based on savoury dishes. Staff are super friendly, chatty and lovely to deal with. I’ll be back for lunch.
Read morePros: Delicious big breakfast, Lovely staff
Cons: Poor coffee with imported planted milks, Watery mac and cheese, low in flavour
Kittybiscuit
That sounds disappointing. I do love alpro but I only have it when travelling through Europe. I think most places I’ve been to use oatly or a different soy brand.
Read moreIt is weird to use that in NZ
Tiggy
I know, right? Especially when there are good local brands.
Read moreGuest
Melissa:)
Points +78
Always go back for more! - Edit
I've been here a few times now, it's just amazing to have a place where you can have delicious donuts and tofu burgers when you don't feel like veganising a recipe to make it yourself. Beautiful food, cute little place.
Read morePros: All vegan, Dessert
Guest
MatthewLeece
Points +86
Amazing vegan breakfast - Edit
Great café, the vegan 'egg' was the best I've ever had!
Read morePros: Fully vegan, lots of great options
Guest
SagaVigreBohinen
Points +1079
Not for me - Edit
Not into the pushing of hyper left propaganda, stories about autoimmune diseases on the wall yet selling *only* junk food. Not impressed by the menu, staff or location. So not for everybody.
Read moreMenu was disappointing, not really food, everything was deep fried. Had the brownie which was okay, but decided to eat somewhere else.
Guest
CityExplorer
Points +151
Brunch Sorted! - Edit
We stumbled upon Sweet Release and were so excited when we realised what this cafe stands for. Vegan, gf and allergen friendly as much possible, and a cafe that pays their workers a liveable wage- yes please! The food was basic brunch fair, but all cooked well and presented beautifully. Their Iced Brown Sugar Lattes are our top recommendation!
Read moreGuest
TristanaLeist
Points +262
I’ll be back! - Edit
So excited for more! Just delicious. Very cute atmosphere as well. Solid pricing as well.
Read moreGuest
brendanpaul
Points +26
The definition of comfort food - Edit
Learnt a valuable lesson today.. I need more bagels in my life 🥯
Read moreGuest
aliceboar
Points +89
Amaziinngggg - Edit
Best bagel of my life omfg!!!
Read morePros: Fully vegan, Large menu, Delivery and takeaway
Guest
AudKon
Points +81
Absolute go to - Edit
Amazing cabinet and kitchen food, fantastic coffee, really creative options and kind service.
Read morePros: All vegan , Cabinet food specials , Creative options
Cons: Closes early most weekdays
Guest
Tashanz11
Points +183
Delicious desserts - Edit
Always a must visit when in Wellington, fully vegan and good quality food
Read morePros: Fully vegan, Amazing coffee, Lots of gluten free options
Cons: There medium/regular coffee is on the small side
Guest
turntableshred
Points +90
A Must Visit - Edit
I love this place and wish there was one in Auckland. Great staff, good vibes, and awesome food.
Read moreang55
I love the Mac and Cheese. Great value for money.
Read moreGuest
gracecan
Points +334
Cute spot with great food! - Edit
Lots of options! They also are very cautious with cross contamination.
Read morePros: Lots of options, Kind and welcoming
Guest
AnnettevZ
Points +382
Nice vegan lunch restaurant - Edit
My husband and I had a nice bagel with smashed avocado for lunch here. The restaurant is in the back of the shop and therefore hasn't much daylight, but otherwise is nice and friendly. The food and coffee were good, the service friendly and the price reasonable. They are open at the weekend, which is a big plus!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-12
Guest
OlivePrice
Points +73
Not salmon lox - Edit
Had high hopes but the not salmon lox was almost too salty or fishy. I think if you did like salmon you would like it. Milkshake was good!
Read moreGuest
Wellington-Vegan
Points +132
Yummy cakes and treats - Edit
Sweet Release does the most delicious baked goods. Their cakes are so amazing, lovely and moist with creamy icing. I often go and have lunch there and really enjoy the ‘not salmon’. The staff are super friendly and I always feel welcomed. Nice place if you want to go with friends but there are lots of people who go by themselves as it’s such a friendly place - you normally get a smile or 2 from other customers
Read moreGuest
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