Fat Dog Cafe & Bar

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Address

1161 Arawa St
Rotorua
Region: Central Plateau
Licence: BYO (Wine only)
Cuisine: Café
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Contact

Phone: 0-73477586
Email: service@fatdogcafe.co.nz

Open

8am til late every day

Overall DineOut Score based on 32 reviews

Total		7.0
Food		7.1
Dessert		7.3
Presentation		6.9
Service		6.5
Environment		7.7
Toilets		6.8
Child Friendly	Very

Review by: Steve James (16) on 5th July 2010

Total		7.9
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Kind of

Been here a few times, and never disappointed. My wife ordered eggs benedict with bacon and hash browns, and she enjoyed it, the eggs were runny, the bacon good. I ordered the Fat Dog Workz, and this breakfast was good. Nice sausage, good eggs, a good meal. Coffees were really good, and the juices were ordered were in a large iced glass.
We do like this place, and eat here on most trips to Rotorua.

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Review by: Lynette Wilson (1) on 18th April 2010

Total		3.3
Food		3
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		2
Service		3
Environment		6
Toilets		3
Child Friendly	Kind of

I agree with anyone that has said that this restaurant must've changed hands. Went to Rotorua to find a venue to have my sisters 50th luncheon in and OMG the Fat Dog wasn't it! Having been there in past years and had fantastic food and service, I was very disappointed this time with the staff and the food - kids had wedges and they were very average - how can you sutff up wedges!?! Coffe average. A shame that it has gone down hill as it's funky environment is great but it needs a good cleanout - in more ways than one! Toilets are grungy (sp?). A shame because now I'm on the hunt for another venue!

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Review by: Bruce Wills (1) on 23rd November 2009

Total		2.4
Food		2
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		4
Service		1
Environment		4
Toilets		N/A

Eggs benedict's eggs were overcooked, when complaint was made they were rude and dismissive. Coffee was average. Over-rated cafe in a town notorious for its poor service.

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Review by: Hugh [DineOut VIP] (356) on 13th June 2009

Total		6.8
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		6
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Very

On my latest visit this reliable old favourite - a funky mix of good food, clashing colours, and eccentric counter-culture was its usual fun. Ordering was a muddled experience, so slow in the queue that if I were a first-time eater I would have walked. They seemed to take orders when there was nothing more interesting to do! I suspect it was a cunning plan to pace the pressure on the kitchen, which was clearly working flat out to meet the lunch needs of a nearly-full cafe. The Fat Dog has his own china (with amusing mottos), offers t-shirts and other souvenirs, but has remained non-commercial in the experience. Well done! What cements the success is good food - generous servings - and the table waiting was brisk and efficient. Well worth a visit.

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Review by: janine farquhar (6) on 7th June 2009

Total		4.1
Food		2
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		6
Service		6
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

My two friends and I had a girl's weekend in Rotorua and were excited about finding a nice cafe in the area..The atmosphere looked good and the blackboard menu extensive.. We all ordered the falafel salad and coffee. The orders came out in good time and the coffee was good.. The salads were a huge mass of lettuce and rocket with 4 falafels in amongest them. Long strands of raw beetroot made it very bitter. There were also 3 giant slabs of turkish bread mixed throughout. Strange, unappetising mixture of basically lettuce and raw beetroot.. Disappointing.

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Review by: Corbie (12) on 6th June 2009

Total		4.7
Food		N/A
Dessert		7
Presentation		3
Service		3
Environment		4
Toilets		3

We visited Fat Dog for a hot chocolate and a cake on a long weekend. It was very busy, but it's hard to understand why. The environment is very "eclectic" and funky, but had a rather unclean feel about it. The only table we could find had just been vacated, so we cleared the previous diners' dishes to one side and sat down. We must have been there for 40 minutes or so, and despite the waiting staff passing our table many times, they didn't clear the old dishes away. Our cake was nice, but the hot chocolates were terrible - luke warm and barely tasted of chocolate (and expensive). The hundreds and thousands sprinkled on the top were presumably meant to fit in with the "funky" atmosphere, but just seemed like a try-hard gesture. The toilets were grubby and had no toilet paper. Many of the dishes on the main menu seemed to come with chips, and the deep fryer was obviously working harder than the extractor fan, as our clothes smelled of deep fried fat by the time we left. Most of these faults could be easily rectified, and if they were fixed it would probably be quite good, but based on our experience I won't be rushing back.

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Review by: UberRhys (7) on 20th May 2009

Total		8.2
Food		8
Dessert		8
Presentation		9
Service		8
Environment		9
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Extremely

It was a cold and wet Friday evening and we were looking for something to accompany the belgian ales we had just tasted next door. Rembering what I had heard from others about the Fat Dog we made the decision and, we popped in for supper.
The first thing that stikes you is that the decor is fun. Menus are hand written on chalk boards in bright colors and it has a good feel about it with it's mis-matched tables and chairs. After placing our supper order of hot chocolate, coffee and nachos, we were given instead of a number on a stem, a carved 'idol' of wood and cocktail shaker parts - very different (but nice ;-) ). It was warm inside and there were plenty of families with the same idea as us, keep warm from the winter outside and finish the evening with hot drinks and desserts.
All in all a good cheap meal in quality surroundings, good for all the family. I look forward to coming back for a full meal in the near future to taste some of the goodies that are on offer on the blackboards...

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Review by: Ana Harris Eats (1) on 6th March 2009

Total		8.6
Food		8
Dessert		9
Presentation		9
Service		8
Environment		10
Toilets		8

I'm based in Christchurch, but friends from the UK met us in Rotorua for 4 days. We went to the Fatdog cafe on the recommendation of our friends Lonely Planet guide book & we're really pleased we did as chances are we may not have made it otherwise.
We were in Rotorua for 4 days & dined at the Fat Dog 3 times, we all really loved it, the staff, the outrageous decore, the coffee was really good & the food was brilliant. A special mention goes to their "Dogs Bollox Burger" and their "Doggi Doo Wrap" my husband had the burger twice. they really are crazy big in size, but original
I personally hope the lonely planet keeps the fatdog in their guide book - i understand the cafe may not be to everyone's taste - but most travellers will love it, as our friends did & it has a little bit of NZ in it for everyone

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