The indisputable granddaddy of the nation’s now well-entrenched café scene, L’affare have been roasting and serving their emblematic espresso since 1990. Twice the size of any regular coffee bar, L’affare’s status as a Wellington institution can be attested to by the cacophony of people inside on any given day, though the huge interior takes the stress out of finding a table.

The stage-lit café restaurant on College Street acts as a storefront for the company’s packaging plant and features an equipment showroom, making it a compulsory pilgrimage for any joe junkie worth their salt. The menu is chock full of wholesome options, and there’s an assortment of meaty pies and sandwiches in the cabinet to put any regular roll to shame.