8888 Cafe, Gisborne: From Morning Coffee to Long Lunches

8888 Cafe

Location: 88 Grey Street, Gisborne 4010

Website: www.instagram.com/8888_cafe

Hours: Tue - Sun 7:00am - 2:00pm

Closed Mon

Menu/Delivery: Uber Eats.

Every city has that café.

The one locals recommend without hesitation.

The one visitors stumble across, then wonder why nobody told them about it sooner.

In Gisborne, that café is 8888 Cafe; also known as the Four Eight Cafe.

From the first morning coffee through to relaxed afternoon lunches, 8888 has become one of the city’s favourite places to eat, catch up, work remotely, or simply enjoy an hour where nobody is in a rush.

It feels unmistakably Gisborne.

Relaxed, welcoming and quietly confident in what it does well.

Breakfast is where many people first discover the café.

Whether you’re after perfectly poached eggs, a hearty Big Breakfast before a day exploring the coast, or simply one of the best flat whites in town, mornings here have a loyal following.

The coffee is consistently excellent, the cabinet is filled with tempting treats, and the atmosphere makes it very easy to order “just one more”.

By lunchtime, the café takes on a different energy.

Friends gather over burgers and steak sandwiches. Business meetings happen over great coffee. Travellers pause between adventures, while locals settle in for an unhurried meal that often stretches well beyond what they originally planned.

The menu is refreshingly varied.

Alongside classic café favourites you’ll find generously filled burgers, fresh salads, hearty sandwiches, loaded pāua fries, smoothies, cabinet treats and desserts that seem determined to test your self-control.

The famous loaded cookies have developed something of a following of their own, and for good reason.

It isn’t trying to be fashionable.

It isn’t trying to reinvent café food.

Instead, 8888 Cafe focuses on something far more valuable.

Quality ingredients, generous portions, consistently good coffee and genuinely friendly service.

Sometimes that’s exactly what people are looking for.

The dining space reflects that same philosophy. Bright, modern and comfortable, it’s equally suited to a quick coffee, a leisurely brunch, a working lunch or an afternoon catch-up with friends.

Families feel welcome, solo diners feel comfortable, and visitors quickly feel like regulars.

Perhaps that’s why so many people keep coming back.

In a city known for taking life at a more relaxed pace, 8888 Cafe captures that spirit perfectly.

It is somewhere to begin your morning, somewhere to meet for lunch, or somewhere to simply enjoy good food without feeling hurried out the door.

If you’re exploring Gisborne, make time to stop in.

If you live here, you probably already know why everyone keeps recommending it.

Why You’ll Love It

• Excellent coffee from first cup to last.

• One of Gisborne’s favourite breakfast, brunch and lunch destinations.

• Relaxed atmosphere that encourages you to slow down.

• Generous meals with something for every appetite.

• Ideal for everything from business lunches to weekend catch-ups.

• Friendly service that feels authentically local.

Sometimes the best cafés become part of the fabric of a city.

8888 Cafe has already earned that place in Gisborne.