If the closest you get to France is pronouncing croissants 'cwassonts' then I think you need to get…read moredown to La Tropezienne ASAP. As my partner works in Takapuna, there's nothing I like better than making my way down to this little French inspired eatery early in the morning and grabbing some delicious noms to takeaway and head down to eat it on Takapuna Beach. I usually get the brioche crunch and end up with the icing sugar absolutely ALL over myself! It's pretty decadent but I tell myself it's fine, for a treat anyway! They have lots of offerings in the cabinet from filled rolls to little tartlets, and offer coffees and things as well. Make sure to grab some plain croissants on your way out, they are awesome as is, and I particularly like to fill them with lots of yummies myself for work lunches.

I do love a good bakery, but they are quite hard to come by. I'm not talking your typical chicken…read moreroll with too much tomato, or soggy mince pies - I'm talking real quality baked goods. La Tropezienne is still relatively new, but it has certainly made a place for itself. It is a lovely little French bakery right in the middle of Takapuna. And with the abundance of Asian food outlets, it is a welcome change. A friend and I popped in here recently after driving past it numerous times and saying 'we should go in there.' It really is very French. With the cute little tables and wooden décor, and not to mention the very French staff, before you even taste the food you feel transported. There are very traditional French cabinet foods, baguette sandwiches, small rolls, sweets, and fresh bread. There is also great coffee. You can sit and eat there or take the food down to the beautiful Takapuna beach just 2 minutes walk away. The baguette rolls that we had were so delicious - just simple ingredients done really well. I will definitely be back.

You can find bakeries all over the show these days. All offering differing baked goods, pastries,…read moresandwiches and the like. I have yet to find one that outshines all others on all fronts and this one is no different. Sandwiches are standard and have slightly more fillings than most other bakeries I have visited. Hot pies and pie warmer foods are ok but far from award winning. Offers your standard array of drinks but they do have a very good line up. More than most so you have a good drink selection to boot. Where this bakery shines however is in its sweet treat lineup. If you have a sweet tooth then this is the place for you. The food is always fresh and well presented. Custard pies, cheesecake slices, pancake and cream wrapped bananas, obligatory cream dounuts, frands, the list goes on. They also rotate out a few from time to time and try new flavors or recipes just to keep things fresh. I return here however over & over just for there sweet pies. Pecan Pie, Apple & Rhubarb, Apple & Blueberry just to name a few. Sooo delish and fresh. Eat them cold or take home, warm up and serve with a scoop of your fave icecream.

I hear that a person's first cronut experience stays with them for a lifetime. If so, then this…read moremodest little bakery is set to linger in my mind. Wandered in here not knowing what I wanted, not even feeling all that hungry but knowing I wouldn't have another chance to eat for many hours. But I was suddenly attentive (and salivating) on glancing down at the middle cabinet and seeing before me, CRONUTS!! I don't know if this counts as a big deal anymore, but to me it was certainly an event. I'd heard a lot about this new pastry invention, and had wondered what the hype is about... basically a croissant with cream, right? Wrong! I bit in and was transported. The texture of the pastry, almost 'teasing' in how it disappears when you bite in... the creamy, custardy filling... and most importantly, the icing on top which lent just the right 'kick' of intense sweetness to balance the pleasant mildness of the filling... it was something else! Don't know how these cronuts compare to other attempts, but in and of themselves they were delicious. Totally an event in my gastronomic existence. Their other offerings are fairly predictable, a range of pies, sandwiches, et cetera... I bought a lamb and 'something' pie, don't recall exactly; it was satisfying but not remarkable.

My mission, first day in this country: Find & consume a good old fashioned, legendary, savory New…read moreZealand pie! Being from the states pie usually means sweet, and serving about 8 people, but these are not like that, they are individual servings that you eat with your hands, like a sandwich. I want to compare it to a chicken pot pie but these are not even in the same league. There were many different types to choose from, I had a hard time deciding! Chose Chicken cranberry Camembert. The pastry that surrounds the hot deductible filling was buttery, flaky, delicious (evil). And the inside, creamy thick gravy, chunks of chicken, oozy cheese and a thin layer of cranberry. So so good. Words can't describe. I tasted my friends chicken cream cheese mushroom, even richer and more delicious. My second day, got the pepper beef, yum! Wished I had catsup for that one! Tasted friends egg and bacon, omg. Why don't we have these in the states? There are multiple bakeries in all these little towns that make them. Even the gas stations have them (it's rumored that they are just as good). Tomorrow the plan is to try chicken curry pie! Can not wait. I'm guessing these things are a zillion calories (don't want to know) but so worth it, ok limiting myself to one a day. This bakery also has prepared sandwiches and sweets that look amazing. Doubt I'll try that stuff...can't take my eye off the pies.

Visited with my gf during our stay in auckland after working out at city kick boxing. cakes were…read moregreat

Here she goes again with another bakery review. We picked up a late lunch here the other day, on…read moreour way out to Beach Haven. The place is unassuming and doesn't leap out at you in a promising or tempting way, in fact we only ended up coming in here because I had to visit the pharmacy next door. So I was surprised to find that their pies are excellent. I'm a stickler for a good pie, so I know my stuff. The butter chicken one was a monster, I was almost intimidated when I took a bite. Creamy filling bursting out of the thing... tastewise, I think I detected chicken stock or some such ingredient that was a bit unexpected, but it was still delicious. My friend had a steak, bacon and cheese, which I took a bite of before he wrestled it back. It was the 'good' kind of steak pie, with dark, thick gravy and succulent bits of meat. And we followed with a piece of ginger crunch each. It looked lacklustre but was actually delicious. The base was super crumbly and buttery, which I love. I couldn't help noticing the big mirror installed at the back of the store, directly opposite where customers stand... and wondering if it doesn't affect their bottom line. I can just imagine customers gazing wistfully from the mirror to the pie cabinet and back again, ultimately settling for a diet coke ;) (jokes, jokes)

Sorry French Bakehouse - I know you bake your own bread on site and I know you sell croissants and…read moreFrench sticks but this doesn't make you any more French than any other average Kiwi bakery I'm afraid. Come here if you are after typical Kiwi luchtime favourites like sandwiches, pies etc but definitely don't come here if you have certain (European) gourmet cravings. To be fair, the brownies I got here were ok and the young guy you served me was very polite but it's unfortunately not worth a trip back. Just don't get it why it's still this hard finding decent bread around here...Sorry, will stop my bloody winging now. Just had to be said.

I'm personally not a fan of Baklava but I like nouget. I went with a bunch of friends that love…read morebaklava and they got their fix. I think its got the biggest selection of giant trays of baklava in one hit that I have seen at any bakery/cafe. Go here for sure if its your thing. You can also get a coffee and sit here and eat. I hear they also make fantastic kebabs.

Recommend by a friend who is from Switzerland so tried this one the first time. Apparently it's…read morebeen there for over 20 years. I bought cookies this time they look very delicious to me. And they tasted even better. It's different from other bakeries. It's not too sweet and looks very artisan. Love it will definitely come back to try other stuffs.

The Swiss Bakery has been a favourite amongst locals for 20 years. Run by a friendly Husband and…read moreWife team it serves an utterly delicious range of sandwiches, breads, cakes and chocolates AND I've been told they do a mean brunch. Being a local myself I have several wonderful food memories from this place. When I was growing up Dad and I used to stop in every Sat morning after netball to devour one (ok sometimes two) of their ham and cheese croissants and on weekdays I would often be late/disorganized just so that we would HAVE TO pick up one of their filled French sticks for school lunch. To this day, I love The Swiss Bakery and if it weren't for my 'real' job and slowing metabolism I'd be here every day of the week. Pop into The Swiss Bakery for afternoon tea and make sure you order a coffee - it comes with a wee heart shaped shortbread on the side...how sweet!

Cute bakery that has made itself a destination nestled into a quiet side street. The large space…read morehas a walk-in counter, a place for seating as well as a large kitchen area. We ordered a cake for my daughter's 5th birthday the same day. Ordered at 8am, was supposed to be ready at 5pm. When I arrived they admitted they had completely forgotten about it! They charged half price and delivered to our house which was appreciated given the circumstances. Not ideal as we weren't able to enjoy the awesome look of cake for that long before doing the candles, cutting and getting to bed. The cake itself was awesome with chocolate ganache and piled high with berries on the top. Would go again as long as forgetting orders isn't a regular thing.

This quaint cafe, located in an otherwise quiet residential street of Takapuna/Belmont, is always…read morebusy and as soon as you see the cabinet it is not hard to see why. Beautifully presented and devilishly decadent cakes, pies, tarts and donuts line the shelves just waiting to be devoured. Order at the counter, grab your plastic zoo animal, which serves as your table number, and pull up a pew at the communal table. Trust me, the food tastes every bit as good as it looks!

Milford, look at you! Yet another city-side eatery has opened up shop on the Shore and I couldn't…read morebe more excited. Bread & Butter are well-known for their authentic European-style breads and drool-worthy cabinet goodies but they also have a full breakfast and lunch menu. I went recently for lunch and was impressed with the diversity, from French toast to salad to fish tacos! I opted for their quinoa and haloumi salad and added chicken. It arrived prompty and was a generous serving. No skimping on the haloumi - BIG tick! As for the rest of the salad it was lovely and fresh but there wasn't much quinoa. I also wish they'd roasted the beetroot rather than boiled it but really, these are minor issues. The service was friendly and efficient, despite how busy they were. It's a big space and I think they're nailing it considering they just opened. Looking forward to heading back and sinking my teeth into some of their baked delights!

Super impressed with yet another quality cafe opening on my side of the bridge. Right in the main…read morestrip of Milford and popular with the locals right from the get go. All their signature loaves for taking home and a tempting array of sweet things to choose from. This Bread and Butter Bakery has that same quirky styling, with oversized eggbeater light shades and an eclectic wall of baking pans, artfully arranged. There's lots of seating inside and a few spots on the footpath outside. I was tempted by the individual beetroot and chocolate cakes in the cabinet, but opted for a menu item instead, settling on the fish tacos. They were freshly prepared and presented in soft homemade tortillas. They were good, but maybe a little pricey at $18.50.