Succulents is a bit of a conundrum really … actually I just wanted to be able to use the word conundrum. You don’t expect to find much in the small town of Roxburgh, apart from the famous (at least in Otago) Jimmy’s Pies Bakery a few metres up the road.

On the main drag through Roxburgh (on your left if you are heading South) there’s a fairly modern looking cafe. The decor inside is reminiscent of the sort of cafe you would expect to find in Wellington with a very arty feel about it all. The menu is simple but appealing and there is a cabinet of delicious looking cakes and slices (not to mention the almost compulsory in this part of the country) cheese rolls.

When it’s hard to find good coffee in the South Island, it is nice to have a small town cafe that does coffee really well and Succulents would be one of them. It’s a bit of a goldmine find because it sneaks up on you just as you need to find a caffeine fix on what is likely to be a long drive from either Dunedin, Queenstown or Wanaka.

The seafood chowder at least looks homemade. Lots of chunky bits of seafood and vegetables and not soiled with curry (like you so often find with some places). At $12.50 the price is medium range, but not out of kilter with the place as a whole.

Staff are friendly and efficient and a credit to the town of Roxburgh. That you can find a good barrista and staff in such a small place is a pretty impressive accomplishment. That you can have such a quality place in a small town is an even greater accomplishment.