Serves meat, vegan options available. Cafe and restaurant re-established after the quakes of 2011. Vegetarian and vegan breakfast items include dishes such as tofu scramble. Has a vegan food cabinet, always serving a vegan muffin, sometimes raw vegan food, usually vegan meatball and cheese pizza slice. Vegan slider option is quinoa patty with mushrooms. Chips and sides are vegan too and suitable drinks are available. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-5:00pm.
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185 High St, Christchurch Central, Christchurch, New Zealand, 8142
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 13 Aug 2022 by nicole_m
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Added by RosannaKent on 19 May 2017
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26 Reviews
First Review by RosannaKent
DarknessGurl
Points +268
Reasonable - Edit
I had the lentil roll and apple cinnamon muffin. Muffin was really nice, just a little bit crumbly. The roll just fell apart. It would be better if they made it a filo. Both were tasty though.
Read moreCoffee was very small. A large is tiny. About 4 mouthfuls and it's gone. Would have given it a 4 if it wasn't for this.
Guest
MarkDarbyshire
Points +86
Mixed experiences - Edit
I've had mixed experiences here. They have a reasonable selection of vegan options but the range has deteriorated over time and the cabinet food is very bland. They often make mistakes and forget to veganise meals on request. Many drinks come with non-vegan lollies. My vegetarian boyfriend ordered an iced chocolate and it came with gelatine marshmallows in the drink, despite the rest of our order being vegan.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-04-02
Pros: Reasonable variety of vegan options, Charming decor and awesome pneumatic tubes, Open late
Cons: They often make mistakes when you request vegan, Bland cabinet food
Guest
DevanshPatel
Points +50
Horrible service - Edit
I ordered an Iced chocolate and they put non-vegetarian marshmallows on it without asking me and when I politely asked them to remove those, she took the drink inside. After a while a guy comes out acting like he owns the place and tell me if I want the drink to be vegan I should have said so at the counter (In a horribletone). I never wanted to have it vegan. All I wanted was them to ask me before putting dead animals in my drink 🤦🏻. He didn't apologized for his tone.
Read moreVegans should stay away from this place. They are not welcoming.
Pros: It's in city center.
Cons: Horrible staff attitude , No good vegan option, Will serve meat order even when ordered vegan
Guest
RobynMelvin-Freed
Points +160
Cool cafe - Edit
Really cool interior, lots of quirky decorations. Had the best coffee ever here! Had a few vegan slices in the cabinet and on the menu. Offered vegan yogurt with the vegan muffins which was nice! Had a range of freshly squeezed juice. Very pricey for the coffees/drinks but worth it.
Read moreGuest
antonianz
Points +20
Good selection of food but don’t expect a smile - Edit
The food selection makes this a place you would want to keep going back to. However nothing has changed in regards to the overall unfriendly vibe of the cafe. The demeanour of the woman who now runs it is rude, unfriendly and she comes across as someone who doesn’t like her customers very much but considers them to be irritating and a bother. As a front of house person she is completely out of her comfort zone and after all the media attention this cafe got last year I am surprised there is not more of an effort from her to win people back. So if you can overlook the rudeness and lack of appreciation that you have chosen them from all the others you could possibly have gone to, then by all means go there for the food - it’s the best part of the experience.
Read morePros: Food selection is great
Cons: Unfriendly
Guest
JDK
Points +11
Owner is notorious SCUM - Edit
Owner jokes about “brain cancer”, won’t hire anyone with a mental illness, reduces staff to tears, makes staff opt out of KiwiSaver, muffins which are marked as gluten free aren’t which he is well aware of however he sells them on even when people can develop cancer. Scum of the earth owner and boss. Boycott this place
Read morePros: The amazing Staff
Cons: Narcisstic owner
Guest
SuitableCoconut
Points +261
Boss is a piece of [censored] - Edit
Google it. See recent news stories
Read moreGuest
maddywa
Points +203
Never going back - Edit
Not only was the place really dirty, they served MEAT in their vegan nachos... they remedied the mistake but I had already had a bite... poor piggy😒I will not be going back there. So disappointed.
Read morePros: There are some vegan options
Cons: Expensive, Dirty , Served meat instead of vegan food
Guest
megankate
Points +45
Nice - Edit
Quite happy with C1 ☺️ The place has a great atmosphere (it's amazing at night or in poor weather) with a nice menu with vege options. I haven't (yet) tried any hot food, but the apple & feijoa crumble was super tasty. Coffee and tea is nice as well (plus they give you enough tea to take home which is always a bonus) 👍
Read moreGuest
vanessaxh
Points +291
Bland and overpriced? - Edit
I ordered the cauliflower nuggets which came in a pneumatic tube. The concept was quite cool but they were bland and lacked flavour. They came with fries (which were fine but not worth the $20). Some of the cabinet food is vegan, usually a muffin along with some raw slices. I had the vegan apple and blackberry crumble which was excellent and came with a fantastic non-dairy vanilla ice cream. However, overall it was just pretty expensive.
Read moreGuest
KathH
Points +74
C1 Omlette - Edit
It looked superb but lacked flavour unfortunately today & was a bit oily. Several vegan options on the menu & will come back to explore more options as a great cafe.
Read moreGuest
desmoonbear
Points +30
Loved it - Edit
I took my family here for my birthday. The menu was a little confusing but overall great experience. The food was very filling which is always great. The secret door to the bathroom is also super cool (as well as the tubes that go all over the place)
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
LenaBaumert
Points +391
Nice and cozy - Edit
Great place to meet friends and have a relaxing break. I tried an apple-pear crumble with vegan vanilla ice cream and a salted caramel ball. Delicious!
Read moreCons: Not entirely vegan, expensive
Guest
EmilyAnnette
Points +175
Interesting, well thought out vegan options - Edit
I had the sticky date porridge made vegan and my partner had a vegan omelette. Both delicious options although the porridge was a bit sweet for my liking, still great though! A lot of vegan options available and clearly marked on the menu. The staff are quite sarcastic, which we liked, so be prepared.
Read moreGuest
Rosie108
Points +199
Harry Potter in the toilets - Edit
The best thing about this place is the toilets. You’ll have to visit to find out! Other than that it was okay. As you would expect for a cafe with vegan options.
Read morePros: Vegan GF options, Quirky place
Cons: Not entirely vegan, Food wasn’t that nice (vegan gluten free)
Guest
LC70PZJ70
Points +564
Poor service. Expensive. Do not like to cater for dietary requirements. - Edit
I went with a friend who was gluten intolerant. She specifically told them and requested GF bread. When her meal arrived, the bread was regular. She subsequently was unwell for the remainder of the day. I also requested no dairy. My meal came with buttered bread. Food is super expensive. Staff are rude. Coffees are served single shot. They charge you for a double (what every other cafe serves...). They also don’t offer trim milk or ice on request (weird I know). Do not eat here.
Read moreThey also take pleasure in sharing bad customer feedback through their menu as if it’s a badge of honour. Personally, I found this highly offensive.
Pros: The nice outdoor seating
Cons: Rude staff. Inattentive. Ignores dietary rq, Very expensive for what’s served , Lack of options. Especially vegan
Guest
mallinds
Points +358
Gimmicky - Edit
Had the vegan sliders with fries which were all bland and nothing special. You barley also get any fries, I was actually able to count all nine of them.
Read moreThe wow factor is the food arriving through a tube but unless you are eagerly sat and staring at all the tubes at all times you are most likely going to miss the moment your food comes flying in.
Pros: Vegan options clearly marked
Cons: Loud awful music
Guest
Tiggy
Points +13875
Custard squares and fat phobia - Edit
We came here for coffee and dessert. I liked that this place was open for coffee so late, and it was quiet when we were there on a Sunday evening. The menu had changed since I was here a year ago. I checked the cabinet and two of us ended up sharing a decent-sized custard square ($8.90), which was pretty nice but came to pieces, as custard squares are wont to do. What disturbed me was when I saw stickers on the cafe magazines and for sale with a fat-phobic slogan on them. This is the cafe’s response to a TripAdvisor comment complaining that they did not have Trim (non-fat) milk. I’m not a fan of dairy, but spouting offensive slogans like that misses the point entirely and just does more damage. I won’t be coming back.
Read moreGuest
KyraBothwell
Points +104
Vegan muffin ❤️ - Edit
Vegan muffin and vegan pizza were great and clearly labelled!
Read moreGuest
LucasYarid
Points +414
Cool hipster atmosphere - Edit
This place is all about the food being delivered in tubes next to your tables.
Read moreIt has a nice hipster vibe with cool looking prots.
They don't have the biggest vegan selection ever but it's ok.
Pros: Cool looking
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Gravenhale
Points +1100
Intriguing place - Edit
Really enjoy the vibes in this unique place. Very well done, and nice little touches, such as the bookshelf sliding door, the sewing machine water tap, and Harry Potter playing in the toilets. Not to mention their renowned ceiling tubes. It is cool to eat curly fries knowing they've been shooting through the ceiling. The food here is generally good, but unfortunately the vegan muffins I've had here have been stodgy/dry. Also it's incredibly expensive, I think last time I went the cheapest thing was $4.50, even for a small biscuit. Also the coffee is expensive and served in small cups. This place is possibly a bit overrated. Nonetheless, good for a special treat, and a must try in CHCH.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-09-07
Pros: Individual/different, Great vibes
Cons: Expensive, Can be crowded
Guest
Hardyj
Points +23
Consistently good vibe & service - Edit
C1 is a long time favourite cafe
Read moreThe coffee is one of the best in town & comes out quickly even when it's really busy
Unfortunately my favourite tofu scramble has disappeared from the menu after many years but there are some other alternatives to try
Lovely home made GF casava bread 😊
Pros: Consistent service , Cool atmosphere , Vegan muffins
Cons: Bring back tofu a scramble, Lots of egg based breakfasts
Guest
nicole_m
Points +3290
Fun and quirky - Edit
The menu has recently changed and now includes three vegan slider options. The vegan muffins (which are also gluten free) are always nice and the waffles with cauliflower nuggets are really good. There's limited savoury options in the cabinets though for vegans and the coffees, while nice, are small for the price.
Read morePros: Sliders delivered by tube to your table, Variety of options, Good coffee
Cons: Small cups, Can be very busy and noisy
Guest
Yolanda
Points +1856
So loud! - Edit
It is good that C1 has a few vegan options and it is a very quirky and interesting place to dine and it is in a heritage building which is rare in post quake Christchurch. However it must be said that the staff usually look pretty unhappy, the music is way too loud and the choice of music often obnoxious so it is not an easy place to enjoy company with friends. Plus the plant based milk they use for coffee and hot chocolates (not sure if it is soy or what) is very thin and not creamy as it should be. The hot chocolates are served in small glasses and cost a lot for what you get.
Read moreThey do at least always have a vegan muffin though have yet to see one not 'veganised' by adding mashed banana which means every muffin is a banana muffin. In 2017 you'd expect they would have found other ways to make a muffin vegan but it is a good muffin to be fair.
It is really good though for being open late which is not common in Christchurch.
Pros: interesting building, has some vegan options, open late
Cons: loud loud loud, unhappy staff, overuse of banana in the muffins
Guest
NatashaQuasar
Points +595
Not just coffee! - Edit
This fabulous fun place has a game theme. With pinball machines, lego counter, and a fabulous fun way to deliver burgers! (I'll let you find out for yourself) Two delicious vegan burger choices (a bit spicy for my taste) but you could ask for less spicy if you wanted. Lots of vegan cakes and also a vegan meatball pizza! Definitely recommend this fun atmospheric place!
Read morePros: It's fun and there's lots of vegan choices
Cons: Burgers too spicy for my taste
Guest
RosannaKent
Points +45
yummm - Edit
their vegan meatball cheese pizza slices are herby and satisfying and delicious, perfect on a cold day with one of their coffees. love that they are open late and its a great place to visit. i do have an issue with the fact that they serve butter with the vegan muffin and they dont have coat hangers in the bathrooms i went in.
Read morePros: great veganised meals, great coffee, fast service, cool music, open 15hrs 7 days a week
Cons: butter w vegan muffin...
Guest
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