One of the best vegan food places in wellington. Staff is always friendly with pleasant service. Food is also nice with a good range of sweet and savory. They can get creative with what they come up with which is +1 for that little extra! Would recommend!
This definitely isn't health food, as each meal is probably well over a thousand calories of added fat... But there's good vibes and even better food. I've enjoyed everything I've tried. The best part is that there is comfortable seating, board games, and zero-waste practices (nooch is sold in recycled bottles, for example!)
I see a lot of admirable values as soon as I step in. The pay-a-meal-forward concept should be adopted by more businesses in Welly.
Easily the best place in town for cakes and coffee! Amazing selection - all vegan and all absolutely delicious.
Lovely service and best vegan lasagna I've ever had. Let's keep this place alive!
Amazing food, beautiful people, and such a wonderful experience tasting different cuisines today with the Ethiopian food on offer!
Fantastic options for the savory & sweet toothed alike.
Great vegan food. Central location. Plenty of choice so long as you like burgers. And they make mean burgers!
Not just a cake shop, this gem of a place can serve you some epic cuisine while you chill out on the comfortable couches.
Everything on the menu is amazing, but for something truly special check out the specials.
I did and it was legendary as it was the Pulled Pork and Banana Bagel. This intriguing dish had the perfect balance of sauce and pulled pork as well as a subtle sweetness that can only come from a chefs expert hand.
Service was helpful, quick and efficient, while the cafe itself was clean and tidy. There is a nice urban casualness to the place.
By all means check out the sweet cakes, they are fantastic, but for a more epic experience do stay and enjoy the whole menu. This could be your next favourite place.
So happy that I stumbled upon this wonderful cafe/bakery last week! Having a dairy allergy can be such a daily struggle, and this wonderful gem of an establishment takes all of that struggle away. I have never been able to walk up to a food cabinet and pick anything I want. Thank you so much for creating treats for those of us that are often left out of the baking world.
Your customer service was also spot on with your friendly and inviting staff. Thanks for being so awesome. We will be back soon!
Honestly amazed at how poor the food here was. I had a not pork burger and my partner had a fried tofu burger. The pork burger was like eating glue and it was drenched in bbq which was intensely sweet. The fried tofu burger was equally drenched in sweet chilli sauce and was almost sickening to eat. there was one corner of the fried tofu burger that was crunchy and painful to bite into. I dont know how they achieved such inconsistency but it was pretty surprising hitting something crunchy after chewing through so much playdough.
I asked for some water and they gave me a jug with nothing to drink out of. I went up to ask for a couple glasses and after some searching the waiter came out with two brightly coloured children's cups. I dont know why everybody else got glasses.
The dining area looks like a children's ward in a hospital. Blue and green cartoon hills on the walls set with little pictures of flowers and what I made out to be a pony. There were no windows and we were seated right next to a little tree covered in white led lights.
Despite comparing the cafe to a hospital I have litterally woken up in the ICU after seizures and been served better food.
Our waiter was nice.
Lovely people, lovely cake. I accidentally destroyed a cake and they sorted me out with a new one in record time! Delicious and great value.
Pretentious, nasal and easily frightened of old woman. Ridiculous.
I was underwhelmed with the options, but my goodness, my brownie was THE BEST VEGAN BROWNIE I VE EVER HAD. Staff were super friendly too!
Go for the coffee, stay for the bagels. 100% plant based food and 100% delicious. Well done guys!
Very kid friendly cafe. The best fluffies in town. We love coming here every chance we get.
..choc brownie and peanut cheesecake with oreo base..loved!!!!..staff and food were great will definately be back next time im in Wellington ;)
Wow what can I say. Absolutely amazing food, cake, coffee, ambience, staff.. as a meat eater who has chosen not to, vege and vegan options really do hit the spot.
Delicious vegan burgers, amazing house made mayo and wholesome, friendly service really enjoyed this cute place!
Amazing baked goods and drinks! incredible cafe. I am kicking myself for forgetting to buy one of the cute pins they have! Highly recommend!
Ordered a cake online and also emailed asking about selections. When i went to pick up the cake the order wasn't there as they had forgotten to write down our name in the order bookings. They opted to give us another cake out of the freezer which was no problem until i got it back home and found out it hadn't been iced and it was just a round slab of brownie. no icing at all. they refunded me $15store credit and the cake was $40. $40 for a un iced frozen cake. I was really hoping that the cake would be iced at least. The staff where lovely and the young man made me a free hot chocolate which was awesome. but really disappointed as we wanted the cake for our staff members birthday. Feeling pretty upset with what we received. I understand accidents happen and they delt with it well but i didn't think it was fair to have payed $40 for an un iced cake. Must have been my bad for assuming it would have been iced. But who wouldnt thinking they would be receiving a "cake" from the freezer... I wouldn't call it a cake. LOL
I ve been to Sweet Release many times over the last few years and so I thought I d better spread the word and not just keep this place to myself! Not that it s much of a secret; Sweet Release has been a mainstay of Willis Street for years now, growing from strength to strength and the organisers behind monthly Wellington market, The Vegan Vault.
I m dairy-free and my partner is vegetarian. It s so hard to find a place that makes treats without dairy. It also helps that these treats are frickin delicious. Oh, that sweet, sweet marshmallow fluff. The peanut butter brownies, Hershey's chocolate pie and lemon meringue are just a few of our favourites. Since going dairy-free I thought I d have to give up thickshakes for good. No longer!
I'm not a big vege eater myself but they've just started putting out frozen savoury pies which you can take home and cook for tea. The chilli cheese pie was superb. No dairy! No meat!
We ve been to a few of the baking classes and learned some valuable tips and recipes for baking vegan at home. Of course, it s never as easy as it looks! For my 30th birthday, Sweet Release made one of their signature triple chocolate cakes. It was soooo good, so moist and demolished in seconds.
The crew are always super friendly and helpful. The menu often changes and new treats are added constantly which always keeps things fresh. Reducing waste is important to me and the team offer a 50c discount if you bring in your own coffee cup or container. Top tip: keep an eye out for the weekly specials where they bring something fun to the table.
So that s Sweet Release. Whether you re vegan or just an odd couple like my partner and me, you re bound to find something you love.
Beautiful staff, beautiful food. Would recommend to anyone, pricing is so good too
I usually eat meat, but the vegan food here, especially the french fries with "pork ribs" (in quotes because it's not real meat), is delicious! We will return here always. The meal was free because they have donated vouchers. As soon as we find a job we will also donate.
Highly rate the cinnamon bun as well as the breakfast sandwich/burger. Fresh and yummy!
Today I ordered my lunch from Sweet Release through Delivereasy.
I had the tofu ribs, which were delicious! I loved that the ribs came with a wonderful potato salad and a nice green salad.
I also got some cinnabuns for dessert, which were good, although I would have liked them to have icing on top like cinnabuns usually do but the cinnamon flavour was lovely and the bun itself was soft and delicious.
I recently had surgery on my foot so I've been getting a lot of food delivered to work. It's often difficult to choose what to get but I decided after Sweet Release's Facebook post yesterday, they deserved my custom more than anyone and I think that was a great decision because the food was beautiful!
Highly recommended and I will definitely be having the tofu ribs again!
I had coffee and a brownie here. The coffee was okay, but not something to come back for. Brownie was way too sweet - it felt like I was eating pure sugar.
Place looked cosy but was a bit smelly. Staff were friendly.
Loved the brownie!!! It was grate to know that a vegan recipe works well for that kind of dessert. My boyfriend took the bannufi cupcake and said it was the perfect way to end a pampering day!
Went here today for lunch at the request of my vegan friend. To say I was skeptical was an understatement but I was pleasantly surprised. It's nothing gourmet or fancy, but the BLT I had was actually very tasty.
I also had the salted caramel thickshake. It was very tasty but more just caramel and not very thick, more a milkshake but still enjoyable.
Would definitely recommend for vegans of Wellington and visitors.
The Beef was cooked to perfection, medium rare and a little juicy in the middle - just how I like it.
I will be back!
ordered online during Level 3 - easy and friendly service! vegan ribs were also a treat :)
Great food and service. Also really appreciate their many zero waste efforts
Had been before (around 2 years ago..?) and the staff wasn't very friendly and they had hardly anything in the cabinet even though it was lunchtime on a Saturday. However I decided to give it another try today and it was vastly different. More choice (highly recommend the oreo cheesecake!) and super nice staff!
I love their 'BLT' bagels, I haven't had fake bacon so good before!! Chairs
I tried the coffee flavoured cake. Unfortunately, it is too sweet to my taste.
Absolutely awesome little cafe! Entirely vegan as well as gluten free options really caters for everyone in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way. Really impressed with the friendly service and quality of the food. Highly recommend! Keep up the good work Sweet Release!
Great place for anyone that has dairy allergies. My son who has bad dairy allergies went here and the staff were very patient with our examination about traces etc. Thanks to you all. Was great meal and excellent service.
Vegan friendly cafe. Daily specials available. Bagels and treats look mouthwatering. Bring your own cup and save 50c on coffee (unless you change into vegan latte).
Extremely friendly staff, cute decor, and great vegan baking including the best brownie I've ever tasted
Amazing food and wonderful service. Have tried some of their cakes which are fantastic and their meals are phenomenal too.
The best vegan cafe in Wellington by far. The milk shakes are amazing every time, and the cakes and treats never fail to amaze. I can never go past a hot chocolate with toasted marshmallow on top! A must visit.
Had the Not Steak for lunch, holy moly it was fantastic!!! We're lucky to have such a talented cafe in Wellington
OH MY GOD
So I ve been a veggie for 5 years and have tried every meat alternative, but the not ribs burger here is actually insane. I am coming back to Wellington in a month and this place has just made it to me come back list. Please for your own sake, try this burger!
During the week when I'm at work I really need to hold myself back to not end up going to Sweet Release every single day. Absolutely amazing vegan cafe with the warmest, friendliest staff and the best treats (the dark ghana brownies are a dream!). It's great that it's not only a place for spoiling yourself with sweets but also with a wholesome lunch/dinner. I recommend you and the work you do a million times - our environment and my taste buds are thankful for it.
Delicious cinnamon scrolls, just like mom used to make. Except vegan.
This vegan only cafe is great - it's got a friendly relaxed vibe, with great staff and a simple but delicious menu.
I ordered the BLT (with housemade facon) and peanut butter chocolate brownie. Both were delicious and it was quiet enough for me to get some work done too!
There's no words to describe how perfect and invaluable this establishment is, that's how great Sweet Release are. There's any kind of food you could possibly want - it all tastes amazing. They even have store-made takeaway meals like ribs. This place is so focused on being environmentally friendly and sustainable, which is so nice to see. From their brownies, to their Buddha bowls, to their coffee, it's all so delicious and satisfying. I'd highly recommend anyone, non-vegans and vegans alike, buy your lunch or some food from here. Stop in and have a coffee, the atmosphere is lovely. The decor is amazing, and there's art displayed all around the sitting areas. They go above and beyond to cater to gluten free vegans like myself, and it's highly appreciated. Visit Sweet Release, and if you're wanting their coffee, don't forget your keep cup!
Everything was delicious with the extra benefit of being cruelty free. Best bacon imitation I ever had!
This is the perfect place for a cute date or a moment to treat yourself. Every time I try anything baked from here, it is the best version of that thing I have ever tried. Best banana cakes, cinnamon scrolls, buns etc, fantastic decor and lovely customer service.
Such a cute place, my cheese burger salad was out of this world and I loved my cake. Very small and moderately busy however the food is totally worth it
The cakes they make here are a glorious and staff is fab. They literally saved me with a last minute purchase of a gluten-free cake that was a smashing success for the afternoon tea I was setting up catering for. The place is such a lovely spot for a tea break with friends and obviously have delicious treats! Definitely recommended and do order things in advance if you can, they cater for all dietary requirements and do everything from scratch but a bit of notice is always appreciated.
Really friendly and patient staff; delicious food!!!
Always friendly staff and their dark ghana brownie is amazing
Delicious vegan treats! Always amazing food & lovely service.
Great comstomer service and yummy comfort foods. Thank-you!
Food was amazing... service all so very nice and friendly
The happiest place on earth
Sweet Release has never ever let me down, the staff are always so kind and the atmosphere of the cafe is wonderful.
The chocolate brownies in the cabinet are my go-to and whenever I go I get as many cabinet treats as I think I can eat.
But it s not just the treats! Every menu item I have had has been mind blowing, the mac n cheese, bagels and the nachos are all some of the best vegan meals I have ever had.
My non-vegan friends also love Sweet Release, it really is for everyone.
Sweet Release value sustainability, you can use your own cup and containers, and if you do need to use their takeaway containers they re not plastic. They also have pay it forward meals and free period products in the bathrooms, you can really tell they value their customers and will do anything to help people in need.
(old photos but still relevant)
Don't bother going there for the milkshakes. Ordered one and it was so watery couldn't taste the actual chocolate flavour. Also took 10mins to make.
Burger was good but a bit pricey, the burger can still ve improved with regards to ingredients
First time back since the move to the new location. Love the new spot, great seating area with a little box with toys to keep the little ones amused while food is being prepared. High chairs available if needed. Menu items all looked amazing and I just wanted to order it all. Finally choose the Not Cheesesteak, while my little one had the Mac n cheese. Weren't not disappointed at all, will be back to try the rest of the menu you out. Highly recommend
The best vegan I've had in Wellingtion the BLT are to die for wait no one died for them because they are vegan !! The staff are super lovely also can be really busy at lunch so if your in a rush go on of Peak times also the new premises is super lush
Excellent customer service! I organised with Courtney from Sweet Release to have some vegan Cinnabuns delivered to my sister in law in Wellington (I m in AKL) and she made it all happen with a sweet little note and everything! I even put through the order on the website wrong (ordered brownies by mistake) and she contacted me to make sure that it was right as she remembered I enquired about the Cinnabuns. She was so understanding and amended the order for me, and had it ready to go and it was delivered in next to no time! My sister in law said the treats were DELISH by the way! I Will definitely be stopping by here in person next time I m in Welly. Thanks again!!
Came in for some cake, left with a smile
( Great gluten free selection too )
Burrito was good but cake (takeaway - didn't realise until later) was really a let down. I wouldn't sell a cake that turned out so solidified like that.
Just a great place to chill and eat. Even if you aren t vegan, the sweet things, especially the brownie, are amazing.
Really good food! Ordered the cheesey pasta and I was surprised to find out it tasted like actual cheese.
We popped in for lunch (our first ever visit) and were looked after really well by Simone, who was absolutely fantastic! She was really friendly, helpful and happily answered my (many) queries :)
This is an awesome vegan cafe with yummo food. They also have a 'Pay it forward' system where you can buy a voucher for someone that to use for a meal, which is a really nice service to set in these difficult times.
We'll definitely be back!! Oh, and with veganism on the rise (yay), it'd be great to see them open another cafe in Christchurch! :)
Yum! Good selection of treats and lovely coffee. I also had a BLT sandwich, also Yum!
Kris and her team are an awesome bunch. I've experienced first hand their generosity and kindness - having won both a voucher and a cake from their delicious cafe. The food here is glorious - easy to find gluten free things here and everything is vegan! So great to have an all vegan cafe in Wellington. Highly recommend everyone check it out.
Its not always easy to find a vegan bakery, plus one that also offers gluten free options! I went with the vegan coffee cake, super yummy.
Would have liked to see more creative dishes with more veges like eggplant.
The burger I had was waaay too salty and the cinnamon bun, way to dry.
They have a lot of hype online but dont really live up to it with the quality of food.
Nice decor I guess, but decor isnt food.
Sorry for the bad review. I hate doing this but idk how else to give you feedback on the quality of food.
Very nice food and hot chocolates. Lovely customer service. All vegan
Amazing sweets and treats! Also do a really good Nachos, perfect lunch in Wellington
AMAZING SCONES. OMG. Honestly vegan team, this is a goodie. Good seating, reasonable priced, friendly staff :)
Sweet Release is the best.
The all vegan options are so good.
I got loaded fries with vegan ribs and pickles, and they're amazeballs
The service is great, and the vegan food is some of the best in Wellington.
Comfortable grandma chairs too, I almost fell asleep in them the other day.
Highly recommended.
P.S if you use the bathroom, I painted the chickens, pigs and cows
Decent selection of cabinet cakes and sweets available. Tried the salted caramel doof and it was good, but certainly sweet! Suspect a secret partnership is in play with the dental centre just a few metres down the road. The coffee was well made and went a way towards cancelling some of the sweetness. Friendly staff and quick service
Amazing mac n cheese!!! Absolutely phenomenal! Lovely staff, lovely spot. Always great food here. So refreshing to go to a place and not have to ask what s vegan on the menu we need more like it xo
The bacon egg bagel was delicious!!! That bacon.. Just wow!! It was hard but I got two sweet treats for the road and loving them later. Great cafe with so many amazing vegan options.
not the cosiest of places... seemed pretty empty food wise just a few cakes and one savory option... guess they just getting sarted... but tha staff were pretty meh
Can't believe I work so close and only just visited today. Great stuff guys! Will be frequenting regularly from now on
