Fantastic coffee – amazing service. Genuine as! Not a huge fan of the foods to offer however, I ordered two takeaway coffees – the man put them in a carry tray and sprinkled marshmellows around the coffee – I thought it was a nice gesture and next time I am in Wanaka will defo visit again!

When I visit a cafe just for coffee, I don’t usually write a review, unless it is unusually good or abominably bad. Several times I’ve dropped into Ritual for coffee and a scone/muffin/cookie and on each occasion I’ve come away with a warm feeling. The place has an X factor, an ambience – partly but not only because of the friendly, attentive staff. The coffee is as good as it gets (in my opinion). The food is always fresh and tasty, even at 4pm.

And another thing: as a long or short black drinker, I resent being expected to subsidise those who prefer flat whites, lattes, capuccinos and other milk based concoctions. Thankfully many (but not all) cafes seem to have moved away from a “one price fits all” policy and do charge a little less for the no milk selections. To Ritual’s great credit, they go further than most, charging only $3.00 for a short or long black but $4.50 for a flat white, latte etc. User pays, as it should be. Well done, Ritual Espresso!

Even without the price differential, if I lived and worked in Wanaka I would be an every day customer. It just feels right.