• C1 Espresso

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  • White Veg-options
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Pizza
Raw
Western
Beer/Wine
Bakery
European
Breakfast
Non-veg

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.


Venue map for C1 Espresso
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25 Reviews

First Review by RosannaKent

DarknessGurl

Points +268

Vegan
11 Dec 2022

Reasonable

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.

Coffee 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.

MarkDarbyshire

Points +91

Vegan
02 Apr 2022

Mixed experiences

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.

Updated 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

DevanshPatel

Points +54

Vegetarian
02 Apr 2022

Horrible service

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.

Vegans 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

RobynMelvin-Freed

Points +160

Vegan
28 Feb 2022

Cool cafe

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.

antonianz

Points +20

Vegan
25 Apr 2021

Good selection of food but don’t expect a smile

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.

Pros: Food selection is great

Cons: Unfriendly

JDK

Points +11

Mostly Veg
21 Nov 2020

Owner is notorious SCUM

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

Pros: The amazing Staff

Cons: Narcisstic owner

SuitableCoconut

Points +293

Vegan
20 Nov 2020

Boss is a piece of [censored]

Google it. See recent news stories

maddywa

Points +203

Vegan
01 Nov 2020

Never going back

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.

Pros: There are some vegan options

Cons: Expensive, Dirty , Served meat instead of vegan food

megankate

Points +45

Vegetarian
04 Jun 2020

Nice

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) 👍

vanessaxh

Points +283

Vegetarian
28 Dec 2019

Bland and overpriced?

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.

KathH

Points +74

Vegan
09 Dec 2019

C1 Omlette

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.

desmoonbear

Points +30

Vegan
22 Oct 2019

Loved it

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)

Pros: Lots of vegan options

LenaBaumert

Points +391

Vegan
27 Sep 2019

Nice and cozy

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!

Cons: Not entirely vegan, expensive

EmilyAnnette

Points +175

Vegan
11 Sep 2019

Interesting, well thought out vegan options

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.

Rosie108

Points +199

Vegan
09 Sep 2019

Harry Potter in the toilets

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.

Pros: Vegan GF options, Quirky place

Cons: Not entirely vegan, Food wasn’t that nice (vegan gluten free)

LC70PZJ70

Points +703

Vegan
18 Aug 2019

Poor service. Expensive. Do not like to cater for dietary requirements.

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.
They 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

mallinds

Points +409

Vegan
13 Apr 2019

Gimmicky

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.

The 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

KyraBothwell

Points +104

Vegan
07 Oct 2018

Vegan muffin ❤️

Vegan muffin and vegan pizza were great and clearly labelled!

LucasYarid

Points +414

Vegan
05 Jun 2018

Cool hipster atmosphere

This place is all about the food being delivered in tubes next to your tables.

It 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

Estelle.ghost

Points +1122

Vegan
07 Sep 2017

Intriguing place

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.

Updated from previous review on 2017-09-07

Pros: Individual/different, Great vibes

Cons: Expensive, Can be crowded

Hardyj

Points +23

Vegan
22 Jul 2017

Consistently good vibe & service

C1 is a long time favourite cafe
The 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

nicole_m

Points +3485

Vegan
01 Jul 2017

Fun and quirky

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.

Pros: Sliders delivered by tube to your table, Variety of options, Good coffee

Cons: Small cups, Can be very busy and noisy

Yolanda

Points +1900

Vegan
02 Jun 2017

So loud!

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.
They 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

NatashaQuasar

Points +614

Vegan
30 May 2017

Not just coffee!

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!

Pros: It's fun and there's lots of vegan choices

Cons: Burgers too spicy for my taste

RosannaKent

Points +45

Vegan
19 May 2017

yummm

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.

Pros: great veganised meals, great coffee, fast service, cool music, open 15hrs 7 days a week

Cons: butter w vegan muffin...




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