Coffee Revolution

Coffee Revolution

Article by Lisa Conijn, via The Wellington Guide

Cubita means "little Cuba", which sums up how it feels to walk into Cubita Cafe on Courtenay Place. The walls are covered with large colourful murals of cuban streets, and the smell of coffee mingling with the Cuban music adds to the atmosphere.

Cubita opened three years after owner John David visited Cuba and decided he wanted to bring a slice of it back to Wellington. "I love Cuba and the politics so when I first had the opportunity to be there I decided I wanted to bring something different back to Wellington".

Wellington's well-established cafe culture means you have to stand out if you are going to succeed. Fortunately Johns decision to import his own coffee from Cuba meant that he stoof out from Day One. His coffee's so popular that he not only sells it freshly brewed in the cafe, he now sells it by the bag direct to the public and also supplies supermarkets.

Today we were up for the freshly brewed version and ordered two flat whites while we looked at the all day menu. Given how well the coffee has gone down , John is planning to bring a more Cuban flavour to his food too. For now the choices are simple and appetising, ranging from lighter options like fresh fruit platter, French toast with bacon and banana, eggs Benedict and Florentine to light meals such as nachos and an open steak sandwich. There is also a selection of cabinet food including cheesecake and pastries.

Feeling peckish, we settled on the Cubita Grill with poached eggs, bacon, mushrooms, toast and the special of the day, Spanish sausages. John's next step is to bring more Cuban flavour into the food he provides.

Both arrive hot and beautifully cooked, and the servings were generous, more than enough to take care of our hunger pangs.

While tucking into our meals, we had a chance to further appreciate our surroundings. Cubita is warm and colourful, and there's a continuous flow of customers giving the cafe a chatty vibe but without feeling overcrowded.

At the far end of the cafe a projector screen plays black and white movies and Cuban documentaries. "Cuba is very colourful and full of live", says John. "I wanted to give something for the people to look at and enjoy while they're here".

That together with the good food and great coffee means that its worth taking the trip over to little Cuba.