Sweet treats, slices and a new library cafe: What’s opening in Wellington
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
New eateries are popping up around Wellington, and a much‑loved library café is preparing for its return.
Inside the soon-to-be opened Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library, work is underway to bring back the building’s on-site cafe, formerly Clark’s.
The new eatery, Central Ground, is set to open alongside the library in March, with owner Sam Huy saying he’s excited to revive a space filled with memories.
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Huy also runs Common Ground Café at Waitohi in Johnsonville.
The café won’t return to its old mezzanine spot. Central Ground will instead sit on the library’s ground floor, opening directly onto Civic Square, Huy said
Construction began in November and the cafe has been designed to fit in with the library’s updated interior, Huy said.
“We want to make something that’s really comfortable and aesthetically pleasing … it's always nice to have delicious food and delicious coffee in a nice environment.
“Our goal was to try and design a space that aligns and matches the whole space of Te Matapihi.”
When it comes to the menu, Huy said the offering would be similar to Common Ground Café, with the addition of six or seven salad options aimed at the workers who’ll be visiting.
He said they wanted to focus on the lunch crowd by offering healthy, appealing options, noting there were already plenty of croissants, pastries and sweets available around the city.
On Lombard St, Dough Bakery has opened a new pizza joint, Slice. The bright green hole-in-the-wall eatery sells square slices of pizza made with a thick focaccia base.
Owner Mia Tracey said she and her partner Tim had decided to turn their Dough Bakery store into a pizza joint, offering a cost‑effective, delicious “grab and go” option for people in the CBD.
The idea had been inspired by the dough the bakery already used, Tracey said.
“We thought, why don't we take the dough that we're so good at and put pizza toppings on top?”
The spot had been popular with Gen Zers, Tracey said. Customers had the option to add toppings such as a drizzle of hot honey or chilli.
In Lower Hutt, BreeZen Café opened in December. Owner Risa said the café sold Japanese desserts, including handmade mochi ice cream, matcha, coffee and açaí cups. It had already built a strong following, with Risa saying the mochi ice cream was so popular it often sold out before 2pm.
Other openings include Zaza Jungle on Manners St, which also sells açaí bowls, as well as loaded desserts, shakes and sodas.