Picnic Cafe occupies one of Wellington's most distinctive cafe settings, beside Begonia House and the Lady Norwood Rose Garden inside the Botanic Garden. The Glenmore Street address leads to a room that can seat around 70 indoors and roughly 80 outside, so the garden is part of the visit rather than a decorative backdrop. Daily daytime service, reservations, highchairs and event bookings allow it to shift easily between a walker's coffee stop, family lunch and organised gathering.
Breakfast follows the generous, recognisable style promised by the cafe's all-day approach. A Big Picnic Breakfast covers a larger appetite, while eggs Florentine, eggs on toast and smashed avocado offer simpler routes through the morning. Creamy mushrooms on toast add a rich vegetarian option. These plates are supported by coffee and takeaway service, which matters in a garden where many visitors want to continue walking rather than settle indoors for a full meal.
Lunch keeps to updated cafe classics. Seafood chowder supplies a warming bowl, a beef burger offers the substantial choice, and a Caesar salad provides a lighter familiar option. Pulled pork and daily or weekly specials add variation beyond the core selection. The kitchen emphasises fresh ingredients and uses local produce where practical, an approach that fits a venue serving both destination diners and regulars who return through the changing garden seasons.
The cabinet completes the cafe picture with savoury baking and sweets such as scones, muffins, quiche, almond-orange cake and passionfruit cheesecake. Selected wine means a garden lunch need not be limited to coffee, while a full meal can also be packed to take away. The broad daytime offer is deliberately flexible: visitors can stop for one baked item, meet over brunch, or book the indoor and outdoor spaces for a longer occasion among the roses.
Address: Begonia House, Lady Norwood Rose Garden, Wellington Botanic Garden, 101 Glenmore Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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Picnic Cafe Wellington Menu
Breakfast
All Day Menu, available from 8.30am. GF: Gluten free | GFO: Gluten free option available | VO: Vegan option available
Picnic Toasted Granola
Maple and honey toasted oats with coconut, pecan nuts, pumpkin & sunflower seeds, banana chips, dried apricots and dark chocolate. Served with seasonal fruit, dried cranberries, yoghurt, & milk
Warm Rhubarb & Apple Crumble
Rhubarb & apple roasted in demerara sugar, with a crumble topping. Served with yoghurt & cream
Crêpes
Served with lemon & sugar
Crêpes
Served with maple syrup, bacon & banana
Eggs Florentine (Spinach)
GFO
Eggs Benedict (Ham)
GFO
Eggs Pacifica
GFO. (In-house smoked NZ salmon). All with poached free range eggs served on toasted ciabatta with hollandaise sauce
Big Picnic Breakfast
Veg option available, GFO, VO. Free range eggs on toasted ciabatta with homemade hash browns, bacon, sausage, garlic roasted mushrooms, roasted tomato and hollandaise sauce
Eggs on Toast
GFO. Free range poached, scrambled or fried eggs served on toasted ciabatta
Extras
Homemade hash browns, roasted tomatoes, wilted spinach, garlic roasted mushrooms, sausages, avocado (in-season)
Bacon
Halloumi
Hollandaise sauce
Side salad
In-house smoked NZ salmon (1 piece)
Rico sausage (doggie treat)
Kids Menu
GF: Gluten free | GFO: Gluten free option available | VO: Vegan option available
Fruit & Marshmallow Skewer
GF
Egg on Toast
GFO. Poached, scrambled or fried free range egg on toast
Cup of Soup & Toast
GFO. Soup of the day served warm in a cup with toast
Sausages & Hash Browns
Served with tomato sauce
Kids Toasted Sammies – Cheese
GFO
Kids Toasted Sammies – Cheese & pineapple
GFO
Kids Toasted Sammies – Cheese & ham
GFO
Kids Toasted Sammies – Cheese, ham & pineapple
GFO
Kids Picnic Box
GFO. A cheese & ham toasted sammie with a fruit and marshmallow skewer, a kid’s juice, and a chocolate brownie bite, served in a take-away box
Kiddy Crêpes
Served with maple syrup & banana
All Day Menu
GF: Gluten free | GFO: Gluten free option available | VO: Vegan option available
Smashed Avocado
GFO. Smashed avocado on multigrain with beetroot hummus, quinoa tomato salsa, feta, dukkah & a poached egg
Potato & Feta Hash Cakes
GF. Moroccan spiced potato & feta hash cakes with wilted spinach, roasted tomato and a chive yoghurt
Creamy Mushroom Medley
GFO. Trio of mushrooms cooked in a rich, creamy garlic and herb sauce served on toasted polenta & parmesan bread
Corn Fritters
GF. Homemade corn fritters served with a fresh garden salad, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce
POP (Picnic on a Plate)
GF. In-house smoked NZ salmon, served with homemade hash browns, roasted tomato, avocado and wasabi mayo
Chicken Caesar Salad
GFO. Free range chicken, fresh cos lettuce, crispy bacon, garlic croutons and parmesan tossed in a creamy Caesar dressing. Topped with a poached egg
Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad
GF. In-house smoked NZ salmon, salad greens, gourmet potatoes, green beans, kalamata olives, capers and cherry tomatoes with a lemon dressing. Topped with a poached egg
Red Chicken Curry
GFO, VO. Red chicken curry served in a poppadom bowl with green beans, bok choy and capsicum, accompanied by fruit chutney and basmati rice. Garnished with toasted coconut, almonds and coriander (spicy or mild)
Picnic Beef Burger
GFO. Our famous Picnic burger patty, Swiss cheese & smoked cheddar, bacon, red onion, tomato, beetroot, gherkin, Rocket Fuel sauce, homemade aioli and seasonal lettuce in a toasted milk bun. Served with shoestring fries and tomato sauce
Lamb & Kumara Pie
Chunky NZ lamb with Moroccan spices nestled in shortcrust pastry with kumara & rosemary mash topping. Served with a side salad and pickle
Soup of the Day
GFO. Served with toasted ciabatta. Please ask our friendly staff
Weekly Special
Please ask our friendly staff
Shoestring Fries
GFO. With tomato sauce & homemade aioli
Kumara Fries
GFO. With homemade aioli & sweet chilli sauce
Hot Drinks & Coffee
All coffee served double shot. Regular | Large
Short black
Long black
Americano
Long macchiato
Cold Drinks
Iced latté in a tall glass
Iced Americano
Mocha on Ice
Iced Matcha
Wine
Glass | Bottle
Matahiwi Estate Blanc De Blanc NZ
Bubbles
Mimosa (bubbly & orange juice)
Bubbles
Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle NV
Bubbles
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
Bubbles
Beer
Heineken
Corona
Garage Project Beer (lager)
Wellington Local Range Beer
Pan Head Port Road Pilsner
Wellington Local Range Beer
Wine – Bubbles
Glass | Bottle
Matahiwi Estate Blanc De Blanc NZ
Mimosa (bubbly & orange juice)
Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle NV
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
Wine – Whites
Glass | Bottle
Pond Paddock Chardonnay, Martinborough
Odyssey Iliad Res. Chardonnay, Gisborne
Boneline Riesling White Label, Waipara
Terrace Edge Liquid Geography Riesling, Waipara
Wine – Rosé
Glass | Bottle
Astrolabe Pinot Noir Rosé, Marlborough
Elephant Hill Tempranillo Rosé, Hawke’s Bay
Wine – Reds
Glass | Bottle
Clearview Estate Merlot, Cape Kidnappers
Torlesse Merlot / Cabernet, Waipara
Ka Tahi Syrah, Hawke’s Bay
Charles Wiffen Pinot Noir, Marlborough
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+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Wellington
- Eggs benedict Typical in Wellington: $24.75 $26.00
- Long black Typical in Wellington: $5.20 $5.50
- Smashed avocado Typical in Wellington: $24.00 $26.50
- Short black Typical in Wellington: $5.00 $5.00
- Americano Typical in Wellington: $5.50 $5.50
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