We like CaféNet at the Wellingtonista, yes we do. But it's not always an unqualified feeling. Mostly it works well once you find a hotspot - and more arrive all the time. But sometimes, and with some devices, things aren't so rosy.

At this Wellingtonista's risk of sounding like a spoiled geek whose new toy won't do what it says on the box, it seems that iPods Touch and iPhones don't always have an easy time connecting to CaféNet. And it's not just this writer's experience - others have noticed it too.

More after the jump...

I have stayed on my mission despite recent poor weather conditions.

Places that do ice coffee decently:

• Fuel - St Paul's Square.
  This is my "regular" and so I'm very glad that they do a great ice coffee. I was even asked if I prefer ice in first or after to which I replied "I can't remember".
• Mojo - Kumutoto.
  The coffee was perfect though they did confuse me by knowing exactly what I wanted when I asked for it. The drink was made perfectly but the coffee roast was a little bitter. Oh well that's what sugar is for.

Places that do good coffee but sadly don't have ice:

• The hole in the wall place on the Terrace between Bowen St and Bolton St that I think is called Tony's.
• Offbeat Originals, though they did try and push ice cream on me

Can anybody help me locate a decent coffee in Newtown during these interminable public holidays? Peoples’ is shut until Monday, as is the café at the Med. The only option I have located thus far is Eva Dixon’s at the Zoo (which was a lovely walk in the sun) but resulted in a small latté in a large takeaway cup topped by prodigious amounts of froth, cost me $5.20 including the surcharge, and tasted like filth.

So, tomorrow I need a better option. Any ideas?

UPDATE: Thanks to the helpful comments I headed north today to find that The Ballroom, The Recovery Room and Pranah are all closed (which I suspected after having the same problems last Easter). And I did feel fairly strange prowling the corridors of the hospital looking for the Fuel kiosk which was also closed.

So, I’m off to the movies at Island Bay where, hopefully, the Empire can serve me up a brew before Alvin and The Chipmunks.

Fairtrade Fortnight started yesterday, so I'm sure you're keen to do your bit to make the world a better place. The Wellingtonista would, therefore, like you to help us do a little research.

There are a lot of coffee companies in Wellington who now offer fairtrade beans. We want you to get drinking and tell us what the best ones are. You can use the fairtrade locator to start your search, but it may be a little out of date - there is no Malo Cafe anymore, for example - so it might be best if you ask your favourite cafes if they have fairtrade beans - and if they don't, ask them why the hell they don't. Go forth and caffinate!

Everyone knows that large corporations eat puppies, but what do the people who work for large corporations eat for lunch?

The Wellingtonista is closing down its Courtenay Place branch on Friday and is opening up in mid Lambton Quay instead. After a year and a half down this way, we'd just finally got the good people at Sahara Kebabs to know that we like just a few onions and garlic yoghurt, tahini and hot chilli on our (mixed vegetarian, mujaver and falafel only) kebabs. Where are we going to eat now?

Hadyn wrote about the National Barista Awards a few days ago.

At the edge of cutting edge blogging is the intrepid moi to report on action at the scene.

It is tense - well, not really, but it seemed an appropriate thing to say.

It is black. Well the people there are all in black, without exception, competitors and spectators alike.

It is free.

So get down there NOW. Have a coffee (free), listen to the DJ (free). Have a ball (priceless).

Level 3, Te Papa

The regional finals of the National Barista Awards are almost upon us.

When: Monday July 10.
Where: Te Papa, Wellington

Finalist will have 15 minutes to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature espresso-based beverages. So if you're the type of person who can't get started in the morning without a doubleshot espresso, this could be your thing. If however, you start the day with a Grande Mocha Latte topped with whipped cream, stay away. Stay far away.

ps. Sorry, this post had nothing to do with the cafe on Courtenay Pl. I just needed a title.

The little side street at the Taranaki Street end of Courtenay Place has been due for big changes for a while, and now it all looks like it's finally happening. In June, work will start on closing the street and turning it into a pocket park: more details will be released by the council in a couple of weeks. Also, the long-abandoned toilet block which has been the subject of various suggestions over the years (including, hilariously, wetarium and sexual health museum), will undergo a more predictable but nonetheless welcome transformation. Ian "Ferg" Ferguson will convert it into a wine bar by doubling the underground space, lining the walls with wine racks and adding an outdoor drinking area on the roof. This work will also start in June and is expected to open by Christmas under the name "Wine Cellar" (WC for short, of course). If only the walls could speak!

But the first change that we'll see here is the opening of the first downtown Wellington branch of Burger Fuel. That explains the loud drooling noises emanating from Wellingtonista towers. There's no official word on the opening date, but construction work looks well advanced, so I'd guess that it's just a few weeks away. Mmm, booze, burgers and a sunny park: that's got to be better than a turning lane and a handful of car parks.

Have you ever wanted to just eat your way around a suburb? No? Well, we here at Wellingtonista have, and we figured it would make sense to start with Hataitai. After all, who doesn't love Hataitai? So here's what you can get to eat: