Te Aro is serious about their caffeine. It's obvious that all the baristas are super passionate and knowledgeable about coffee. Before Te Aro, I didn't really know what a good shot of espresso was supposed to taste like. Now I know. Not only do they serve a really great cup of coffee, they also offer barista training courses (not just for baristas, wannabe baristas and coffee enthusiasts also welcomed!) as well as public coffee cuppings and brewing method demos.
I recently took the Level 1 barista training out of pure interest, and learned a lot about extraction, grinding, dosing, etc. There's also lots of opportunities for hands-on practice - I made about 5 sad-looking (but delicious!) lattes and drank probably 5 shots of espresso in the course of 2 hours. Needless to say, I was really buzzed that night. Buzzed from caffeine or buzzed from the thrill of learning about coffee? I would say a combination of both.
The cafe can get quite busy during the day, but there's a great vibe about this place. There are also lots of coffee beans and paraphernalia for sale, but I would say get your grinders and presses elsewhere - prices here are a little bit steep. Free wifi always AND free street parking on Queen on Sundays!