simple casual french foods made well. Their sandwiches run out the fastest... Lunchtime and there's…read moreonly two flavours left. Next would be their desserts and pastries, those babies fly out the door. My favourites so far are the chocolate eclairs and basically all their sandwiches lol... their ficelle are simple ingredients but the bread makes it something else. Their chicken sandwich roll has the yummiest pesto inside and the bread for this was similar to a giant soft pretzel with rock salt on top... made the sandwich THAT much better... pretty much what im saying is, their fresh baked breads/goods are AMAZING. their Baguettes sell out fast so get in quick! That chocolate eclair though.... that chocolaty mousse like texture inside and the glorious puff pastry outside.. wow. i could eat 10 of those... i mean... that's what gym is for, right? Go earlier! like, before 11am to get all the REAL goodies that sell out super fast as these guys are ALWAYS busy no matter what time it is.

These days you can buy croissants and french sticks any old where! But it's not until you devour…read moreone from a genuine French bakery that you realize how unexceptional they are. La Tropezienne is exactly the place that makes you turn your nose up at run of the mill croissants from your average local bakery. My friends and I call it "The French Bakery" simply because we are too lazy to try and pronounce the name properly. Which is a bit sad as we all took French in high school. My first memory of La Tropezienne is actually back in my French class days. As part of our learning we were to venture to Browns Bay to experience food the way the French do it. We were also supposed to be practicing the language but who cares about that when you get to ditch school for a feed!? Anway, this started my addiction and ever since I have been nurturing my weakness for the delicious (and so fatty) pain au chocolat!! To this day that's about the only french that has stuck with me... PAIN AU CHOCOLAT.. YUM!!

I had my first experience at Paper Moon just before Easter weekend and I loved it. We were a little…read moreearly for our reservation so my partner and I made the most of Mairangi Bay Beach being a stone's throw away. We had actually made the reservation while we were on the way there, and luckily we were able to secure a table. The person on the phone did ask if we were okay with being seated at the back of the restaurant, which was fine with us. As it turns out, the back of the restaurant was completely separate from the loud groups drinking at the front of the restaurant- added bonus! It wasn't particularly rowdy but it was nice to have dinner and be able to talk at a conversational volume. Our waitress was so lovely, she took great care of us and is the best waitress we've been served by in a long time (we left a tip, of course!). We were really impressed by her service, and my partner loved that she asked if we wanted a break between out entree and main (we definitely did, and had never been asked that before, at any restaurant). For our entree, we shared the tapas platter. This is seriously ideal if you're wanting to try a few things at a good price. We were treated with risotto balls (the best i've had!), deep fried camembert and other great treats- it was the perfect way to start a meal! The tapas combination changes everyday, which means you can try something a little different each time you visit. Our mains were excellent- the fish of the moment and the chicken burger. Both were excellent and perfectly cooked. Paper Moon provided one of the best meals I've had in a long time, and while it's a bit of a drive for me (living on the other side of Auckland), it's a great spot that's definitely worth the drive.

Went for breakfast and was persuaded to have the special - smashed avocado, which came accompanied…read morewith bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I requested crispy bacon and the hollandaise on the side. When the meal came out it was clear that the smashed avocado was not he star of the meal. Two slices of toast were the central focus with eggs and bacon slapped on the plate. The avocado was more of a blended purée in a small pile to the side of the plate. The bacon was undercooked (relative to my request). When asked how I found my meal I responded "pretty average". The waitress responded with "oh well everyone is different" and walked off. When I went to pay the bill I had the same waitress so said "the thing I didn't like was that the avocado was far from the being the star of the show and was purée baby food, the eggs were barely warm and the bacon wasn't crispy". She stopped me at that point to tell me the bill was $25.90. I paid, walked out and will not go back as they clearly don't care.

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!

This place has trash everything. Terrible food that taste like cardboard. The Service is worse…read morethan shit, and the Ambinace gives me laxative feelings

This is how good Duck, Duck, Goose is. Since one of my besties took me there, I have been three…read moretimes this month for coffee and brunch. I have even made new converts, as I invited my friends to join me. The service is great and the food is delicious - try the Eggs Benedict! It has Kumara Rosti instead of bread. (It's the best swap and I don't even like Kumara!)Their European/Asian fusion dishes are generous and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is inviting, as the sun keeps everything well lit and vibrant. 10/10 recommend.

I used to be a regular here back in 2012 before their renovation which got rid of their cute (and…read morehandy) kids play area. Because of that, I wasn't in a hurry to return since when ever I go to cafes, I always have at least one pre-schooler in tow. I decided to give them a go last week with an Entertainment voucher being part of my motivation. I'm a bit torn as whether to rate them 3 or 4 stars since I had two very different experiences with two different staff. I was barely greeted by the first, whom informed me that yes, they still had highchairs. During my meal this staff member took a seat in the booth next to me to talk for ten minutes to their friend about smoking in cars and how their whole family smokes etc etc. Very unprofessional and off putting. Then when clearing my dishes I thanked them & felt like I shouldn't have with the look I was given. Again, the same happened when paying for my meal & I wasn't even asked how it was. The second staff member when noticing my presence immediately welcomed me to grab a seat & they would bring the highchair over. This person took my order, served my coffee and food & obviously enjoyed their job. I enjoyed a generous sized omelette which was light and fluffy and steaming hot when it arrived on the table. The coffee was very good too. The interior changes have given the café a fresh, contemporary face lift with quirky colored cardboard animal heads (think stag, rhinoceros, etc) adorning the walls and a striking rouge color theme throughout. If one of the above mentioned staff members would have been sick that day it would have been a 5 star review.

I really like this cafe, I have only been during the week so I'm not sure if its busier during the…read moreweekend. However the 2 times I have been here I have received great service. The first time I just had a muffin and coffee with my toddler, and the second time with my husband we had the $25 beer and pizza which is a great deal as you get to choose any beer. What I enjoyed most about this particular cafe and the reason I choose it is that it has really nice views of the water, its one of the only ones that doesn't have something in front ie the skateboard park or playground. So for good service, good beer and pizza deals and unobstructed views this is the cafe in Browns Bay to come to.

Great vegan food. Yes they have other food, but they have a genuine range of vegan and vegetarian…read morefood too. It's the most flexible Cafe in the Browns bay /Torbay/Long Bay area. Polite staff. Fair price

Love this place!! Only wish I lived closer to visit more often…read more I visited on a weekday for lunch with a friend after a sunny beach day at Browns Bay beach. I was in the mood for a smoothie, so I ordered one with a small green salad. There was great seating outside under an awning, so we sat out there. The ambiance was great, relaxing and healthy feeling. I loved the amount of vegan options on the menu, and the whole place is vegetarian. The food came out super quick. My smoothie was a bit watery which wasn't so enjoyable, but the salad was good and I really enjoyed the patio. The total for my smoothie and small salad was $16. I would love to go back and try a heartier meal, but I probably wouldn't go for a smoothie again. It is a great place to go after a day at the beach!

Last few times I had visited the staff and owner acted as if myself and my friend were not welcome…read morewith our small children. Cold & unfriendly and took a long time to get our coffees.

This café has a nice sense of life pumped into it. It's really fresh inside. Cool paintings on the…read morewalls and a really amazing outdoor seating area, which looks right onto the water at Browns Bay Beach. That's obviously where the name comes in... quite fitting. I can remember this cafe before it changed to "beach" and I think this change was definitely for the better. Today the café was pretty busy and the buzz around the place was great. Everyone seemed to be having a rather joyous time, and not just the patrons, the staff too! There was funky music playing just loud enough to really create an atmosphere without becoming too intrusive. I particularly liked the swirly wirly pink straws that came plopped in our cokes. A nice little touch.

We stopped in for a quick lunch after our trans Pacific flight, and our family of 7 loved our…read moremeals. Three of us had the crumbed fish and chips - outstanding! Two had the brisket sandwiches and found them to have a great mix of flavors. The other two had breakfasts - avocado toast and Belgian waffle. Both were top notch. You have to love a place that serves both breakfast and lunch in the middle of the day. The staff was very efficient and friendly. We sat outside and enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon lunch. Georgia was our server and could not be lovelier. We highly recommend this place for a quick bite.

Came for coffee, but ended up ordering iced mochas on my daughter's recommendation. We had a good…read moreseat by the big open window and the mochas hit the spot. Nice surprise to be offered a topup of our drinks. Thought we must have been special but Chelsea, our waitress, said they do it for everybody. Give this place a try, I hear the pizzas are really good too.

The coffee here can be hit or miss but you can't go wrong with their blackboard specials - currenty…read more$9.90 for the 'backpacker's breakfast'. A generous helping of scrambled eggs (order your eggs any way you like them), 2 slices of toast, 2 large crispy hashbrowns, a sausage and tomato relish. Only fault was that the sausage was the cheap 'precooked' type but for the price I can't really complain. Food is always delivered promptly and always with a smile. Staff are quick to clear tables and very welcoming.

Love this cafe it's the best. Used to have the best view in the world before they built houses on…read moreit now you can't see much of anything. I used to enjoy climbing the hill to wail into yonder valley like a banshee, alas no longer, but sentimental to me all the same, as now I may enjoy a beverage with someone special as I reminisce. Convenient and super dog friendly.

We have lived in Torbay for a year and finally got around to going to the Long Bay Cafe for brunch…read more We arrived to a pretty full cafe, no outside tables which was disappointing as the lawn is pretty big so could have accomodated more. There was a bit of a wait on food but we were told this when we ordered so that was ok. The food was actually pretty good which we were really pleased about as it's kind of our local cafe. The prices were a little high would be my only criticism. Great view of Long Bay