Arthur's + Martha's Pantry, Wellington (NZ)

It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a nana. I love eating dinner before the sun sets, discount vouchers really get me excited and tucking myself into bed for an early night with a good book is my idea of a party-time!

I do draw the line at watching Miss Marple on TV though (it's on too late), but cute, quirky cafes like Wellington’s Arthur's...and sister cafe come bakery Martha’s Pantry speak right to my inner nana. Crammed full with more bric-a-brac than your grannies house these two cute cafes are grandma chic and I LOVE them.



Located at the top end of trendy Cuba Street Arthur’s is a sweet little bistro that serves standard cafe/bistro fare in a homely setting that feels both welcoming and comfortable.  Arthur's is housed in one of Wellington’s lovely old wooden homes that remind me a little of a fisherman’s shack. So sweet...so nana-ish!

The Boy and I have basically been eating non-stop for five days so we decide to lunch on something healthy, yet hearty and the Ploughman's Lunch for two (NZ$32.00) is just the ticket. Arthur’s Ploughman comes on an adorable granny-inspired two tired cake stand that is crammed with delectable morsels like cold meat, local cheese, housemade terrine, homemade preserves, pickles, along with a of radish and apple chutney. The whole lot is served with some lovely focaccia bread & butter.

As we’d be so virtuous with our healthy lunch which decide to do some damage an order “spiders” for drinks...mine is a lime spider and The Boy sticks with tradition and opts for a good old Coke Spider.

Our drinks don’t seem nearly naughty, or calorie laden enough, so we decide to duck across the road and visit Martha’s Pantry for some good-old home baked goodies.

This bakery is just too cute and anyone with a sweet tooth and penchant for home-baked goodies will be in heaven here. They do a full-blown high tea (that you MUST book in for), but we just want a little something something.

The Boy was quite taken by The Hummingbird Cake that our blogging friend CatsLoveCooking made for a  recent trip to the Mi Casa Su Casa supper club so orders the Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake here. It’s good and sweet – but a tad dry (maybe because it’s gluten free), but we think CatsLoveCooking was WAY better – much more moist and the pineapple in her cake was tops.

I go all Jerry Seinfeld with my choice of the Neenish Tart – the black and white tart, that is so racially harmonious as Mr Seinfeld so astutely notes (though mine didn’t make me sick like poor old Mr Seinfeld’s did). I really loved this tart – crumbly shortcrust base that is filled with mock cream – half the cookie is then covered in chocolate. Yum.

You can find Arthur's at 272 Cuba Street (Te Aro), Wellington Central. Just across Arthur Street you find Martha's Pantry at 276 Cuba Street (Te Aro), Wellington Central, New Zealand.