L'affare Coffee Roasters

Since 1990, L'affare has roasted specialty coffee from a flagship at 27 College Street in Wellington's Te Aro neighborhood, growing into one of the pioneers of New Zealand's café culture. The 145-seat cafe and roastery doubles as an eatery and events venue, but the core of the business remains the beans: single origins and blends roasted on-site and sold through the shop and an online store, alongside grinders and espresso machines for home and commercial use.

Among the rotating lineup, the limited-edition Chocca espresso blend stands out — a pairing of Peruvian and Indian coffees built around notes of dark chocolate, burnt caramel, and mixed spice, released periodically rather than kept in permanent rotation. L'affare also supplies cafes and offices across New Zealand with wholesale beans and equipment servicing, and runs barista training for staff and home enthusiasts alike. More than three decades after opening, the operation still centers on the original Te Aro building, where the roastery, cafe, and retail counter share one address rather than being split across separate sites.