Urban Grind

Cafes key icon.
Cafes key icon.

Monday7:30 am – 2:30 pm.

Tuesday7:30 am – 9:30 pm.

Wednesday7:30 am – 9:30 pm.

Thursday7:30 am – 9:30 pm.

Friday7:30 am – 9:30 pm.

Saturday7:30 am – 9:30 pm.

Sunday7:30 am – 2:30 pm.

72 Ardmore Street, Wānaka

03 443 6748

In a hip and happening industrial home on Ardmore Street, Urban Grind’s all-day neighbourhood eatery has been providing locals with delicious daily fare since 2011.

This modern, urban setting is pumping from 8am (till late Tuesday to Saturday), and with an open-plan dining space, upstairs bar and outdoor patio to linger in, don’t be surprised if your brunch outing rolls right on into nighttime. Kicking off in the morning, a skilled team of baristas churn out an impossible amount of Underground Coffee brews for workday regulars and weekend brunch-goers. Need it on the go with a freshly baked scone? There’s an app for that.

Urban Grind’s sunrise-to-sunset offering makes it seriously difficult to pick a favourite meal of the day, let alone a dish. If you’re wondering what those cool kids at table 5 are chomping into, it’s likely the eatery’s popular French Benny (poached eggs, hollandaise and cucmber salad on a croissant) or the Japanese Pancake topped with roast pork belly, pickled ginger, coriander and a fried egg.

Once midday rings in, pizza is flung into the oven and it only gets better as the multinational kitchen team steps up to the stove to assemble even more eats inspired from around the globe. A drinks list of homemade smoothies and frappés, seasonal cocktails, tap craft beer as well as local and international wine confirms that this hot spot does it all – and does it very well.

Adding to the list of reasons we love Urban Grind, they sure excel in the party department. The upstairs bar has a stellar view of the exposed brick walls stretching up the light-filled double-height space beyond, and it can be rented out to make business meetings a heck of a lot more fun or to celebrate special milestones with up to 60 of your mates.

We’ve reached the conclusion that whatever the time of day, or day of the week, you’ll find every happy excuse to spend it here.

Words by Maggie Worthington & Photography by Nancy Zhou

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Location

72 Ardmore Street, Wānaka

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