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Story: Restaurants and food outlets

Astoria

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People eating at tables outside restaurant

Once a country where people stayed home and served up tea and scones, New Zealand now has cafés everywhere. One of the most popular in Wellington, ‘the coffee capital’, was Astoria. This café was famous as a place where politicians and public servants would hold informal meetings over their coffee.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Shirley Williams

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How to cite this page

Perrin Rowland, Restaurants and food outlets – New dining experiences, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2245/cafe-astoria (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Perrin Rowland, published 15 January 2010.