Milford Road Merchant: Is This the Best Café in Te Anau?
- Alice Neilson - Fiordland Enthusiast & Writer
- 16 hours ago
- 6 min read
If you've driven the Milford Road out of Te Anau, you may have noticed the charming building with bright blue signage set back from the road. That's the Milford Road Merchant, a café and general store that opened in 2023 and has quickly become a favourite with both locals and visitors heading to Milford Sound.
In our opinion, it's the best café in Te Anau. Between the excellent coffee, fresh-baked goods, carefully curated local artisan products, and welcoming atmosphere, it has become a place we happily recommend to anyone visiting the area.
This article covers what the Merchant is all about, who's behind it, and why it's worth stopping by, whether you're travelling through on your way to Milford Sound or just after a good coffee in Te Anau.
Key Takeaways
The Milford Road Merchant is a café and general store in Te Anau, located on Milford Road in a lovingly restored 1960s building.
Owners Jen and Fjord opened the Merchant in late 2023 and have grown it into a local favourite.
They serve Hummingbird coffee, fresh cabinet food, ice cream by the scoop, Sanga's of Cromwell pies, and a range of local artisan products.
The Merchant supplies the fresh muffins served on Luxe Tours' Milford Sound day tours.
It's also the main departure point for Luxe's Te Anau to Milford Sound day tour before accommodation pick-ups.
In our view, the Merchant is the best café in Te Anau, thanks to its coffee, food, curated local products, and warm local atmosphere.
Our Partnership with the Merchant
The story behind the Luxe partnership goes back to when the Merchant first opened in 2023. Toby and Katelyn, our Luxe owners, were walking past one day, before Luxe had officially started operating, and noticed the new place.
The spot had a history of businesses that hadn't quite worked out. Over the years, various fish and chip shops and other ventures had come and gone, so a new opening was worth a look, and they decided to stop in for a coffee.
Inside, they found friendly service, great coffee, and a warm local atmosphere. They got chatting with Jen and Fjord, the couple who run the Merchant, and it wasn't long before Toby and Katelyn asked if they'd be interested in helping out Luxe with our tours and supplying our freshly baked muffins we include for morning tea.
Jen and Fjord agreed, and the partnership has been going strong ever since.
The People Behind the Merchant
Jen and Fjord are the couple behind the Merchant, along with their two young daughters. They have deep local connections to Fiordland, having spent time working in and around Milford Sound.
Jen & Fjord took the lead on building the Merchant from the ground up, paving the paths, building the picnic tables, and designing the inside of the space themselves. The transition from full-time parenting to running the store was predominantly Jens project, and the personal touch shows throughout.
The building itself is a beautifully restored 1960s space, which gives the Merchant its distinctive character.
What You'll Find at the Merchant
The Merchant has a bit of everything, blending a modern café with the feel of a classic local general store.
Coffee, Cabinet Food, and Ice Cream
The coffee is Hummingbird, a New Zealand-roasted brand, and the cabinet is filled with a rotating range of fresh food each day, including both hot and cold options.
Ice cream is served in cones, with multiple flavours of premium Kapiti ice cream available. There are also jars of lollies you can choose from, which adds a bit of an old-school general store vibe.
The Pies
The pies are a highlight. They're supplied by Sanga's of Cromwell, and the range includes some interesting flavours, like pork belly and Chinese five-spice pork.
They've become one of the standout items at the Merchant, and reviewers regularly mention them as some of the best pies in the South Island.
Local Art and Products
One of the things that sets the Merchant apart is its careful curation of locally made products. Everything on the shelves comes from the lower South Island, which is a deliberate choice that reflects the store's community-first approach.
You'll find locally made chutneys and relishes, teas, sweets, ceramics, soaps, and artwork, with new products being added regularly, so it's a great place for souvenirs and gifts.
There is also a Mitre Peak art collection that began when Fjord brought home a secondhand painting of Mitre Peak, which sparked the idea of curating a collection of Mitre Peak artwork by different artists. The Merchant now has one of the largest collections of Mitre Peak artwork in New Zealand.
The Merchant and Luxe Tours
The Merchant supplies the fresh muffins that Luxe Tours guests enjoy as part of the tour for morning or afternoon tea. The muffins are baked fresh each morning at the Merchant and packaged up for us to take on the day.
When you book your Luxe tour online, you can choose your muffin type from sweet, savoury, gluten-free, or vegan options.
The muffins get consistent praise on our tours, with guests often noting them as the best they have had in New Zealand.
The Merchant is also the first main departure point for our Milford Sound day tour from Te Anau, before we do accommodation pick-ups. If you're joining the tour from the Merchant, it's a great spot to grab a quick coffee or snack before we hit the road.
Practical Info
Seating and Bathrooms
The Merchant is primarily takeaway, so there's no indoor sit-down dining. There are picnic tables outside for warmer days, and a covered porch area with heat lamps for cooler weather.
One heads-up: there are no bathrooms on-site at the moment, though the team is planning to install them this year.
Dog-Friendly
The Merchant is dog-friendly, so feel free to bring your pups along when you stop by.
Why We Think It's the Best Café in Te Anau
Between the fresh Hummingbird coffee, the freshly-baked cabinet food, the pies from Sanga's of Cromwell, the range of locally made artisan products, and the warm welcome from Jen, Fjord, and the team, we think the Merchant is the best café in Te Anau.
It's not the biggest café in town, but that's part of the charm. The care that has gone into every corner of the space is evident throughout, and the focus on lower South Island products means what you're eating and buying supports the region.
If you're in Te Anau and looking for great coffee, a good pie, or a genuine slice of Fiordland local life, the Merchant is our pick.
There are plenty of good places to grab a coffee in Te Anau, but the Milford Road Merchant stands out for us because of the care that's gone into creating it. From the locally sourced products to the welcoming atmosphere, it feels like a place that's been built with the community in mind.
If you're heading to Milford Sound or simply exploring Te Anau, we'd encourage you to stop in. We think you'll quickly see why it's our favourite café in town.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's Te Anau like as a town to visit?
Te Anau is a small lakeside town on the shores of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland. It serves as the gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. Compared to Queenstown, Te Anau is quieter and more relaxed, with a focus on nature and outdoor activities. It has a good range of cafés and restaurants, along with a scenic lakefront walk that's a highlight for many visitors.
Where can I get good coffee in Te Anau?
Te Anau has a range of cafés serving good coffee. In our opinion, the Milford Road Merchant is the best in town, with Hummingbird coffee and a great atmosphere to match. Sandfly café is another popular local favourite, known for its coffee and breakfast menu.
Are there vegetarian and vegan options at the Merchant in Te Anau?
Yes. The Merchant caters to a range of dietary requirements, with vegetarian and vegan options available in both their cabinet food and their fresh muffins. If you have specific dietary needs, it's worth checking with the team when you order, as the offerings vary from day to day.