A warm and inviting cafe beside the city marina surrounded by a number of cafes and next door to a museum and short walk to the Kauri Clock Museum. Good selection of gluten free food.
We're usually in too much of a hurry when we visit Whangarei to take time out in a cafe but yesterday the conditions were right and we ducked in for a light lunch. We both loved this small, friendly cafe and especially the super-strong coffee. The oat milk latte was superb. We didn't have time to order one of their main meals (another time...) but chose from the cabinet: a taco wrap and a veg muffin. Each of these came with accompanying sauces and my wife commented on how usually 'vegetable muffins' means the tiniest sliver of vegetable matter amongst all the gluten, but at the Dragonfruit Cafe it was packed full of veg and very filling. My taco wrap was in two pieces and also very filling. I'm not a big fan of "fake" meat (in this case a kind of vegan mince) and I much prefer beans but it was tasty enough to meet requirements and kept me going all afternoon. I prefer a little more "zing" to my food and perhaps there could have been some lemon seasoning or a bit of spice, but perhaps my tastebuds were just having an off day. Regardless, highly recommended and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other menu items.
I love coming here as someone who has coeliac disease. There are lots of yummy gluten free options and even a gluten free menu. Thank you for providing a range for coeliac sufferers that includes more than lettuce and fruit!
I have recently found out that I’m gluten and dairy intolerant and a special thank you to the staff that assisted in making my food delicious. I’ve been there several times now and will go again 🙂
Excellent friendly service from the minute we walked in. Really yummy meals and good gluten free options. Our visit was made even better by our fantastic waiter! Can't wait to come back next time we're in Whangārei.
Amazing service, great food choices including lots of gluten free options and even a little play corner with toys for the kids. Thanks to the lovely friendly staff and chefs who made our brunch perfect 👌🏽
We booked the cafe to host my parents 60th Wedding Anniversary on 17/5/2025. They catered for 40 guests. The venue was perfect. It had a great atmosphere and was ideal for mixing and mingling. The food was amazing and plentiful, with both standard and gluten free options available. Many guests commented on how good the food was. The service was outstanding. Very highly recommend this cafe.
Everything in this lovely cafe / bakery looks and tastes amazing. Had a delicious steak and blue cheese pie. The filling was tasty, the best handmade pastry. The selection of sourdough bread made choosing a loaf to take home impossible so we bought two 🙂 An expansive sweet selection with many gluten free options. The owner was also a delight to talk with.
I would like to thank the owners of Authentic Flavours for being very kind and professionally food health safety conscious. Authentic Flavours can also cater according to dietary requirements. They made sure the celiac safe food dish masala dosai is all separately secured and stayed warm. We trust Authentic Flavours when it comes to celiac safe. We absolutely enjoyed the masala dosai and the gluten free okra curry was delicious. Your dishes are all always tasty and we will definitely dine in one day. I will also bring a group of ladies to dine at your place as the food is always amazing. Thank you again for filling us up with mouth-watering food and your lovely warm hospitality.
Aqua Restaurant and Bar (In the Hundertwasser Art Centre)
81 Dent Street, Whangārei 0110, New Zealand
Gluten-free options
BreakfastLunchDinnerBrunchDeliveryTake AwayPet FriendlyOutdoor SeatingKid FriendlyRestaurantOpen Late
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Shondell
My family had a really nice brunch here! The menu is pretty inclusive with lots of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. I forgot to take a photo of my meal for the review but I got the vegan spiced mushroom dish and it was so nice! I also had fries with vegan aioli and a flat white with oat milk - also really good! The service was a little chaotic being very busy and a relatively new cafe, so even the staff are still learning what the menu items are - but everyone was super friendly.
Expensive for what you get. Save your $5 extra for Gluten Free and just order a normal pita with no pita as that's all you get. Otherwise meat was good but salads nothing special.
Friendly staff, delicious scones & muffins, good coffee, light & airy. They do a good range of cabinet good including gluten-free, as well as meals off the menu. All food looks very tasty. Usual prices. Plenty of parking, very clean. The only possible drawback is the lack of character as it is in a traditional hotel, and there is nothing that can be done about that. Definitely recommend for relaxed visit inside or outside on the terrace.
Always a wonderful experience. Staff excellent and good is amazing with huge selection . Coffee is really good with different coffee bean options to suit you. Chef goes out of his way to cook Perfect gluten free food for our celiac adult son who struggles with cafes who don’t. It’s our definite go to cafe.
Accommodating Gluten-Free
