Wellington claims to have more restaurants and cafés per head of population than New York, a claim that I find quite credible. Floriditas is an institution. It's the closest I've gotten to a Parisienne-style café for some time. The décor is tasteful and unpretentious, the food full of flavour and reasonably priced. Their enticing egg dishes are drawcards for brunch or lunch but the menu also offers a range of other temptations including fabulous bakes from their own bakery.
Although we've always 'dined out' on the brunches we recently returned for dinner: Pan-fried Haloumi, Marlborough Figs, Chervil & Grilled Flat Bread to share ($20), followed by Grain-fed, Crumbed Free-range Pork Chop, Red Cabbage, Fennel and Oregano Slaw ($29.50) and Red Wine Chorizo, Red Chard and Parmesan Risotto ($25). Service was smart and the food mouth-watering. And their groovy menus double as placemats — they're good enough to frame, old-master food scene reproductions on one side with the menu on the other.
Dining at the same time was my colleague and supreme caterer and foodie, Ruth Pretty and her husband. So my thoughts were reinforced — Floriditas is good.
Open:
Breakfast: Monday-Friday 7.00am-11am;
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm;
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 3pm-10pm, Sunday 3.30pm-9:30pm;
Brunch: Saturday 7am-3pm, Sunday 7.30am-3.30pm.
Public Holidays: open and no surcharges. Closed: 24, 25, 26 December. 1, 2 January.