Gipsy Kitchen, Strathmore

I freaking love this place. Excellent coffee, excellent sandwiches, delicious pies, super nice staff, I could go on and on. So, okay, I will.

Let's start with the coffee. They use Supreme beans, and while I don't like to think I pick favourites among Wellington's coffee roasters, perhaps it is more than coincidence that lately, all of my favourite cafes use Supreme? But anyway, I digress. It's not so much that Gipsy Kitchen uses Supreme as much as the fact that I have yet to have a bad coffee there. And, if you can't (or don't want to) drink cow's milk in your coffee you're not limited to soy - there's the option of goat's (yes, goat's) milk or rice* milk, too. I once sampled some of fellow blogger Shirleen's goat's milk flat white, and I can tell you, it's not overly goaty or pungent - just has a little bit extra tang. So for those so inclined, the option is there.

The food is all counter food, and it's all beautiful, from the luxuriously folded layers of pastry making up the scones, both sweet and savoury (who puts mashed potato in a savoury scone? these geniuses, that's who), to the gorgeous rectangular tarts and pies (a superb potato top number immediately springs to mind), to all kinds of sandwiches almost too beautiful to eat. Fresh herbs seem to be everywhere, everything tastes as it should, a bit better even. I'm aware that I'm gushing here. Don't worry, it's warranted.

And I actually think I'm in love with everyone who works there, male and female. Certainly they know that the best way to run a cafe is to be charming to everyone; no silent, aloof baristas here. They're all very cool, but not too cool for you, and they always seem to be having fun, listening to good music, calling everyone "babe" in the most genuine, un-ironic way you could possibly say it. It's practically impossible not to have an immediate cafe crush on whoever is taking your order/making your coffee/bringing you water/etc. I'm speaking from experience.

Sometimes it's hard to get a seat because it's only tiny - just a few counter seats along the window, plus some tables outside and some stools in a courtyard out the back - with the next door shopfront used for food prep. Apparently, on Mondays and Tuesdays the deli is closed and the shop next door transforms into a place called Zuris' Coffee Shoppe. I work too far away to visit, but I'm sure it's also great. 

Normally I'd go through and describe some of the food, but I think this time I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Also, most of these photos were taken** on solo visits spanning the last couple months, and I hadn't been thinking about blogging on some of the earlier visits, so... I don't think I could accurately describe exactly what everything was like. It doesn't matter too much. It was all delicious. I'm going back tomorrow. 


*? I will check asap, and fix this if I'm wrong. 
**yes, okay, instagrammed...

Gipsy Kitchen

4 Glamis Ave

Strathmore*

Wellington 

04 388 4455

(If you don't have a car, don't let this stop you. Get the #44 bus. It's worth it)