After an easy mid-morning hike around Mount Eden or Maungawhau and drive around its vibrant and…read morehistoric neighborhoods, our NZ local friends (Geoffrey and Margaret) suggested grabbing coffee and snacks at Frasers. Our friends have enjoyed the atmosphere, food, and service at Frasers many times before with their other friends during weekends so they were familiar with the neighborhood. The streets were narrow, so street parking was limited; we opted to park in one of the nearby paid parking lots. This charming neighborhood evolved from its 19th-century European colonial farming and flour mills to today's commercial center on Mt Eden Road. The narrow streets of this area showed its transition from a horse-drawn bus route for business people and residents to the introduction of the electric tramway. Also, the buildings that had been built during the late 19th century now have new businesses in them, which maintain the historical vintage appearance. Walking into Frasers, we were comforted by its retro-modern coffeehouse interior and a host immediately greeted us to seat our group. The host provided us with menus and also encouraged us to take a peek at their freshly made in-house pastries. It was good to see such a varied assortment of savory and sweet products, which we all agreed would complement hot coffee beverages. Our server/host was friendly and quite expressive while describing the menu items. We placed our food and beverage orders with him, and within a few minutes, he brought us perfectly brewed coffee beverages, two at a time, from the barista. Meanwhile, because we had requested that some of our pastries be heated, he delivered them after serving the coffee. The coffee beverages were served at a perfect temperature and complemented our snack selections. We were impressed by the friendly and efficient service, the flavors and textures of the pastries we tried, and the value. However, the noise level in this coffee house seemed a bit loud, especially with the music playing, and there were times during our coffee break when our friends or we couldn't hear the entire conversation at the table without raising our voices. Still, we'd happily return if we come back to Auckland. 4.4-stars

Had an excellent meal with my partner here the quality was great ingredients the presentation was…read moreamazing. Food arrived at the same time for both of us we had ordered differing meals which required different cooking times so well impressed.

Im so lucky to have Crumb as my local! Such a cute setting on the corner of Crummer and Ariki. It…read moreis quite cosy inside but if there isn't room to sit down there are beanbags and a bench seat outside to enjoy those warmer days. I haven't tried the food yet but it looks delish but can definitely recommend the Supreme coffee. The guys who run it are so friendly and have done such a great job. You should definitely make a special effort to pop in on your Sunday walk this weekend!

It's said that oil is Liquid Gold but they…read moreWould be wrong. That Gold lies in this Spot. Crumb. Smelling the Aromatics In the Air and the Coffee Created a Meditative Serenity unparalleled. Yes it is an experience. From the puppies Sleeping, To the 'Woke' Staff I am Falling in like. Fast. And yes the Pastry is 'Perfect'. I'm reading this In my 'Best' NZ accent. And failing miserably. If ever in a Crumby mood, Go for the Gold and 'Get Happy' (shoutout to the Cure). And don't leave a CRUMB behind.

If there were any other cafés between Royal Oaks chip shops and fruit stores, Ristretto wouldn't…read moreeven be getting the begrudging two star score here. Saying the only café in the area has "the best local coffee" is as redundant a title as an Upper Hutt Film Festival award. The café, including the "courtyard" looks like a long prison cell. The only "relaxing" area is in the entrance on ridged stools facing traffic and dirty shops. Two staff members ignored us and relaxed at the tables while a third fluffed about the kitchen before impolitely serving us. Ristretto isn't even on the menu. Affogato, cortardo and doppio are unknown. For a café named after a fancy coffee style, it would be presumed they would know others. Only those in desperate need of a caffeine fix should risk Ristretto.

Located in the shopping centre by the Royal Oak roundabout, Ristretto is a cafe that offers…read morefantastic coffee and wonderful home-style food. Their scones are to die for! The best I've ever had in my life! Crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside - they are perfect. Ristretto boasts a really nice covered outdoor area behind the cafe, which also has great shutters that can be altered to protect you from gusty winds and rain if necessary. This area also offers a small playground for children, so they are entertained while you enjoy a delicious cup of coffee and catch up with friends. Ristretto's menu is also fantastic. A full blackboard menu offering everything from breakfasts, salads and light lunches is available, as well as a great selection of mouth-watering cabinet food can be found at Ristretto. Bonus: Most of the wait-staff are young, and they are very friendly. As a semi-regular customer, I am always pleased to see that they remember me and what I usually order. It's nice to feel like a valued customer and as if you are part of the Ristretto community!

Stumbled upon this and we were SO happy! The food is amazing. The coffee was perfect. The juice was…read moredelicious. The barista/waitress/cook did it all and we felt so taken care of. Will definitely come back! Such a lovely hole in the wall cafe.

Amazing food, coffee, and even better service. Highly recommend for a quick breakfast.read more

I am very glad have this cafe near my home. There are some cafes around Apollo dr in Albany area,…read morebut I can't find good cafe like Black and Gold that can make good coffee and serve nice foods. Black & gold uses coffee bean from Supreme, which has strong flavour and body. that means if good barista makes coffee much better than other coffee but if poor barista makes coffee with that bean, it taste just bitter and worse. Fortunately, you can be served from top baristas in Auckland at Black and Gold. David and Kayoko are very famous baristas in New Zealand and they have worked for many years in coffee industry. David is a judge of National barista competition and also Kayoko is a calibration barista last few years when barista needed to be educated. So busy or not, they always serve the best coffee. That is great benefit to visit this cafe. I have not had many meals but I had porridge before. Even porridge is not a favourite menu to me, but I had that by chance, It was really delicious, so I can recommend without hesitate. Cabinet foods are beautiful, looks nice and taste even better. I like lemon loaf, actually addicted with that. Just one thing, they do not open on weekend, so I hope to spend time on weekend morning at there someday.

It's early days but I honestly believe that Black & Gold and I are going to end up in a serious,…read morelong-term relationship.... What's to love? Well, what's not to love. The coffee (Supreme) is strong & smooth, the space is light and open but what really got me was their cabinet food. So often cabinet food in cafes is disappointing - stale, unimaginative and carb-heavy.... not at Black & Gold. Today I got their mushroom, beetroot & goats cheese pide lightly toasted to takeaway. The flavour combo is already a winner but add in a garlicky aioli and wow... best sandwich I've had in a while. I also couldn't help but notice their glorious array of sweet treats, plenty of which were gluten-free. I didn't indulge this time but I get the feeling that resistance is futile so i'll report back on the sweet department soon! Super excited about this new(ish) addition and it's close proximity to my house!

So looking forward to trying the croissants here. But they looked insipid and barely cooked. Waited…read morea couple of minutes for the 2 staff members to actually notice or acknowledge us, then gave up and walked out. I believe in voting with our feet!

Hollywood Bakery seems to be a star studded place. After all, you're in Auckland, New Zealand and…read morethat's a hip place to be. At least I think so. I found myself here at the Hollywood Bakery starving and looking for a quick meal and needed to find something budget friendly and something appealing that was close enough to my location. Bakeries are often a good choice and ended up supporting this small business with picking up a simple sandwich, a brownie, and a bottle of water. In Auckland, New Zealand, it was anything but budget friendly, but it was an option for a meal and that counted for me. With that said, Hollywood Bakery is one of those places you wouldn't find if you aren't looking for but thankfully it was there. Hunger pangs be gone when you are here! While this is a simple bakery manned by a mom and pop operation in the heat of Auckland, New Zealand, I know the owners take great pride in this enterprise. And I myself for finding this store and filling my stomach with food that tasted so good after arriving from Christchurch, NZ earlier in the day. The overall experience here at the Hollywood Bakery was as good as you can get. A simple stop at a simple bakery reminded me the comforts of home in Honolulu. It was nice and the service was nice too. It was basically a self service deal, like many bakeries anywhere in the world., The bakery is self is quite small, and it definitely is clean and very organized. I enjoyed eating my sandwich, brownie, and drinking my water here. It felt almost like eating at someone's home, but not really. Just the ambiance felt like it at the time. The sandwich that I bought was an egg and cheese sandwich, I believe. It was good enough to where I didn't look at the price at all, since I was just so famished from a morning of traveling from Christchurch. The sandwich was good and satisfied my needs. Just something to quell the stomach rumblings and to be able to get to where I needed to go in Auckland. While this small bakery may not be a grand feast, it sure looked like it for me. It was a definitely a godsend when options for a good decent lunch on the go while in Auckland seemed too far out of reach. Thankful for Hollywood Bakery. Hollywood Bakery is located in the heart of downtown Auckland, New Zealand. It's address is 54 High Street in the urban core. They accept major credit cards, which is always great, including international visa too. For the most part though, it was a feast that was magical and simple. Extravagant but budget friendly. For parking options, there is not much in the way of street parking - as a lot of the parking spaces are occupied by everyone else in the city. Best bet is to take uber or public transportation to get yourself here. Probably cheaper to get around and not use petro yourself when you can get a ride cheaper via uber or even walking! Walking is always pretty good and hope that there are parking garages nearby the bakery, so that everyone can get here to get a soul enriching brownie or any other dessert. Lunch or dinner, and even a snack is a good time to come to Hollywood Bakery to feast on deliciousness at your fingertips. If you are in Auckland New Zealand, come on by and sample the good hearty homespun that is Hollywood Bakery. Recommended if you are on the go and in the city. It's a quick meal option that is affordable and will a nice way to help you on your way. The lady at the counter was nice and friendly. 4.0 stars for the overall experience. 4.0 stars for the service and the food was good. Simple and delicious. Support local! B

Eggs Benedict with bacon on sourdough was amazing. Porridge came with warmed cream and was very…read moretasty. Highly recommend this spot.

This is one of my Newmarket favourites, the coffee is very good, enough said really. Teed St…read moreLarder use Three Beans and which give the coffee a strong almost chocolatey flavour. There aren't many places that make a proper long black but Teedy does, water on the side not in the cup, that is sacrilege, you dilute the caffeine content. The space is cool too, big and airy with plenty of seats and if you don't mind pigeons there is outdoor seating too. Inside the crates for tables are pretty cool and add to the relaxed vibe. Teed Street Larder is one of those places you can stay a while, order a coffee or two and just chill out. Easily also one of the best places to get a double shot of the good stuff.

Little & Friday can do no wrong in my book. Seriously, the pies, the savoury brioches, the…read morefrittata, mini cakes, the doughnuts - all look and taste, heavenly. If I HAD to choose a favourite though, i'd go with mini lemon and coconut cakes - the icing isn't overly sweet and let's be honest, lemon and coconut is a match made in heaven. The coffee here is also brilliant. In fact, one of their baristas was recently named in the finalists for the metro barista of the year competition! I must admit the Takapuna (or is that Belmont?) store is still my fave but at Newmarket you have the added bonus of perusing the adjoining fabric store whilst waiting for your date.

Well put a flavoured condom on your head and get ready to have your mind blown !!…read more These truly are the BEST doughnuts in Auckland . Eating this doughnut kinda reminded me of doughnuts from when I was a kid , filled with a delicately flavoured cremé diplomat and a raspberry coulis this is soo good ! The dough of actual doughnut I could smell the yeast from it and it filled my work truck with the smell ! Heaven ! With the actual cafe slotted in of the side of Martha's Fabrics you could grab a bolt of fabric and a coffee and doughnut to go .