What a lovely little cafe. We had breakfast here and the service was fantastic, the food was delish. Highly recommend and we would definitely return for an evening meal one day.

I finally had an excuse to go back to Small Poppy for a pizza meal (following my earlier delightful coffee and muffin experience at Tall Poppy Cafe) when we went to celebrate my son’s academic achievement for this year. We had a cajun chicken with chillies pizza and a seafood pizza. They were both out of this world! I am not a great fan of seafood but this was pure magical genius! The chicken pizza was equally superb. Desserts were Black Forest Gateaux, a gluten-free chocolate brownie both with the option of cream or yoghurt accompaniment and a chocolate mousse. All were divine. This place ticks all the boxes with food, presentation, friendly staff, lovely private and peaceful setting with tasteful background music and decor which reminds you that you are indeed beside the New Zealand seaside. Having dined elsewhere the previous night in Dunedin with similar fare for a Christmas function shows that the decision to drive out to Port was well worth it. My two sons are even raving about it. I will try to find an excuse to go again soon! This may well be Port Chalmers’ best kept secret.

I head out to Port about once a month to enjoy the delicious food, coffee and general atmosphere of the village.
Tall Poppy is one of my favourite places to visit, its a great place to have a semi formal lunch or go in the early afternoon for a coffee and fresh muffin .
We are always warmly welcomed and the service is efficient.
I recommend dining alfresco in the lovely courtyard on a sunny warm day. In summer I ordered blue cod and it was cooked to perfection, crispy and seasoned so well. Sitting in the courtyard, eating fresh cod and drinking wine, it was a lovely experience.
A slice of cake from Tall Poppy is always a must as they are moist and oozing with goodness! Nomnom

Had a great dinner at this restaurant for the second time (15 May 2010). Highly recommend friends who like chicken to try their Chicken Breast dish. The best I had till now. Grilled chicken breast with chicken skin slightly 60% detached from the chicken. The chicken skin was grilled until crispy brown while the chicken breast still moist inside. There was half a pouched pear inserted between the skin and chicken breast gave the meat a light fruity flavor. Chef’s special creamy sauce with poppy seed make the flavor to a higher level. It was an explosion of flavor, texture yet in harmony when the chicken breast, chicken skin, the sauce and a small slice of the pouched pear in the mouth. You have to experience in to understand the wonders. The roasted vegetables were carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin and baby potatoes. The roast pumpkin was my favorite. The skin of the pumpkin was crispy and the pumpkin just melt in my mouth leaving the creamy sweet flavor.

The chef’s other special dish that also amazed me was his Chocolate Fudge Cake. The chef’s Special Chocolate Fudge Cake served with cream, vanila ice-cream and fresh fruits. The chocolate fudge cake has a thin layer of crispy crust and moist , soft inside that melts in the mouth with a light pressed. It just reminded me of the best Chocolate Devil Cake I had in the small Desert shop ( at Bath street, closed down years ago ) in 2004. I missed that chocolate cake and I thought I will never have I again until I met this slice. For those in Dunedin, you will know which Desert shop I meant. This chef used a light vanilla ice-cream that doesn’t gave the heavy feeling, went well with the rich chocolate cake.

Lime and Mango Cheese Cake. 1st attempt, 1 month ago (16th April 2010). Fell in love with the light cheese cake that blend the lime and mango very well. It doesn’t have the heavy feeling like most cheese cake and no sharp flavor like most lemon cheese cake. The reasons that drive us to revisit this restaurant other than this cheese cake is the service. We just ordered 1 slice of cheesecake for 2, asked about where is the nearest bus stop, and yet the waiter checked online for the bus timetable for us. Top notch service in a small town.

2nd time having the Lime and Mango Cheese cake. Still wonderful. The service is also fantastic. We arrived at 4.30pm while our reservation was at 6pm. The chef was not yet there but the owner willing to make us some soup while we wait for 5pm. We made lots of request and yet all were being satisfied. It’s hard to find a good restaurant like this nowadays. Although I will have to take 30 mins bus trip down to the port, I am making plans for my next event to revisit them again. Ah.. I’m missing the chicken ~

My advise for new dinner would be share a soup or entrée, have a main and you might still have space to enjoy the awesome desert. You had 3 courses, and it was up until our chest, yet the lovely desert still ables to keep me going until I clean the whole piece up. You have to try it to believe it.

Coffee and muffins divine (out of this world! Service went the extra mile! Atmosphere and friendliness charming. Ate el fresco in the lovely sheltered courtyard listening to tasteful, relaxing music. Would definitely go back if out that way and maybe even make a special trip to try the pizzeria.

Don’t believe Colin’s rating! We have been to this restaurant several times for coffee and for meals and found the food and service WONDERFUL!! If you want pizza, try the Small Poppy out the back – lovely salad with your delicious pizza.

What an experience! After 3 holidays and 20 months living in NZ we found somewhere with a truly French approach to service – offhand to the point of rudeness! Not only that but the coffees when they came (about 5 minutes apart with the shared muffin 3 minutes after coffee No2) were warm – not hot. We are at a loss as to why the muffin took so long as it hadn’t been heated anyway! What a shame as the coffee was a good flavour and the muffin would have been delicious with a little heat! So near but oh so far as, even if they had served the best food in NZ, the service could have ruined any day out! I wouldn’t have given it one star but I had to!