El Cafe

Really loved my breakfast burrito. Pay attention to the sizes of the burritos on the menu - my husbands was a 10” and mine was a 12”, and mine was very filling, his not as much. Great easy breakfast spot, filling but not really greasy - still felt somewhat healthy!

Had the big breakfast sandwich and it was incredibly delicious!
The coffee was great as well.
Definitely recommend it!:)

Happy tummy guarantee!
This little cafe has good vibes. The chef (also the owner I believe) plays good music in the kitchen He prepares every meal patiently, all food are served warm and tasty, the portion are generous too! The lady at front desk is pretty cool and polite, she makes good coffee! ️
Try their quesadilla! It was so good I forgot to take a photo!
Thank you for the good food and warm hospitality)

Lovely cafe with Mexican inspired dishes and great coffee. I love the huevos rancheros. You can also sit outside.

Super tasty food, you can enjoy beach views and the sparkling water if you sit outside. They were able to swap the wheat for corn tortillas with the Spanish eggs. Breakfast burrito was tasty, well balanced and a good portion. Smoothie was generous and gluten free brownie was nice and chewy.

Happy to find El Cafe a wee bit further from main centre (which was overwhelmed with cruisers) Nice music, friendly folk, really good food and not the usual tex-mex look or taste, thankful for something a bit different.

Excellent food, and awesome service. It's a bit off of the main center but worth the extra block or so walk. BBQ Pork Tacos were huge and delicious! Staff was helpful making suggestions. Loved every minute of our time there.

Better Coffee than Letz Cafe.
Fast enough.
Staff weren't particularly energetic or enthusiastic

Great lunch if you want a quality sandwich away from the crowds.

Everywhere along the sea front was really busy and had menus full of fried food. We wanted a light bite and El Café really delivered.

We also liked that it had a nice, small family vibe to it.

The Chicken Sandwich was lovely, flavourful and fresh and the berry smoothie was tasty too.

What a hidden gem this is, honestly in all of our breakfast experiences so far in Paihia, this place has been the best, the Chorizo breakfast burrito was divine and authentic, full of flavour and appropriately apportioned. The heuvos rancheros was tasty and the eggs were perfect. Coffee was some of the best we’ve had in Paihia so far, I’m guessing they use high quality beans.

Was supposed to dine in but felt really uncomfortable so took it out to eat at the bay after sitting inside. The lady at the counter had no welcomes or hellos, and none existent service, if anything her efforts felt forced and our presence was a burden. Besides that we were there for the food which in fairness was good, hearty, and well priced. The quesadillas was spot on and chorizo burrito was just right for a breakfast option. The kids enjoyed all of it.

Good coffee. The nachos are pretty good, good range of toppings, my only criticism would be the ratios of toppings there was the smallest sprinkle of cheese and a little beans, plenty of beef, and the flavors were good.missing the melted cheese brought this rating down slightly. Service consistently good, will go again.

Enjoyed a delicious chorizo burrito for breakfast. Great atmosphere and friendly service as well!

Love your food, coffee and service! Always nice to stop by for a pick me up and a friendly hello from the owners! Cheers guys!

I was looking forward to eating here as I read so many good reviews but the lady that served was rude and didn’t speak nicely infact didn’t even look at me. First we sat down but decided to leave!

Dropped in for takeaway lunch today. What can I say excellent service and food. The best Mexican in town, would highly recommend a visit when you are in Paihia

Food here is insanely good. Highlights are the Cuban Sandwich, Vegetarian Quesadilla, Fish Tacos, and Guacamole. Generous portions. Free selection of authentic sauces at the table so you can adjust flavours/heat. Always good music playing, too! Thanks Carla and John x

I enjoyed the food it was delicious. The cheeky monkey is a tasty drink to order. Service was great. Would go here again.

It was ok, I had the El Cafe Burritos it was a bit bland, it needs to be a bit saucier and the sauce should have a kick and zing to it. I thought it should have fries or more corn chips with it. I'm used to burritos being toasted a bit as well. It was big, but still expensive for it's serving as I say it should come with more chips and guacamole. But otherwise it was filling and nice enough.

Fantastic food, so fresh and flavourful. Cozy little cafe, who lives up to all the positive reviews it has received. Would come again