Who are we?
Ko wai mātou?
Karaka Café named after the Karaka Grove on the Harbour side of the premise by the late Kaumatua Sam Jackson, Te Atiawa Iwi.
Māori bought the karaka seed on waka as they travelled to settle in Aotearoa, enabling them to harvest the karaka (orange) fruit.
The Karaka grove brings with it a connection to the history and story of our ancestors.
The Wharewaka Development was a long-time dream of Te Atiawa Iwi, enabling the iwi to have a footprint back on the Wellington waterfront, where they came to harvest kai to sustain their people.
Karaka Café is owned and operated by the Retimanu whānau,
of Māori and Pacific descent.
The café came to life in 2011 on Waitangi Day.
We aim to achieve the tastes and aromas of our
Indigenous cultures within a modern café ambience.
This is seen in our signature dishes,
which infuse traditional smoked flavours found in
Hāngī or Umu alongside Kiwi cuisine.
These include oven steamed Hāngī & Eggs Benedict on Hāngī Hash, aculinary adventure you won't find anywhere else in Wellington.