I went here for brunch. I ordered a Latte and the French toast. That latte was really good. It was…read morenice and creamy and had a nice foam design on top. The French toast was great. It was soft and fluffy. It came with a whole fried banana and huge bacon slices. There was a couple apple and orange slices on the side. Staff were really friendly. Service was really fast. There was indoor and outdoor seating. They have a small car park in front. The outdoor seating is dog friendly.

A really solid cafe that has good coffee and a large selection of sandwiches and pastries in the…read morecounter. Great for brunches. It does get quite busy and loud with many tables filled with people talking business during the week. Service is good and the menu options are great.

Such a yummy brunch, be sure to get the granola such a cute vibe too would defo reccomend!read more

Totally AWESOME experience at the new cafe - WoW! Off the charts good - ticks all boxes - highly…read morerecommend it. Do yourself a favour and get over to check it out. You will be so glad you did!

I've only just discovered this little cafe but I'll definitely be back, now I know how to find it!…read moreIt's kind of tucked away, in fact, I only came across it because I was visiting Renoir's anyway. The coffee here was amazing - perhaps the best in Howick, perhaps even better than my beloved Apothecary. I think it was stronger, which I can't get enough of, without being in any way bitter. It was quiet here, and on the particular day I visited I was really into it. I'd be rushing and a bit stressed, and it was great to just relax in the pretty interior and not have someone else's taste in music forced upon me. The calm would make it an excellent place to check out if you're into reading while you get your caffeine hit.

Piccolo Café sounds really intriguing, but I don't recall hearing any flutes playing when I walked…read morein. In fact, the cafe was painfully quiet despite a few customers. You could easily eavesdrop to your hearts content in there. The decor is kinda like a 60s house in Italy. Sort of arty and sort of old-fashioned mixed together. It's a reflection of Howick itself really. It has a heavily red theme, which I like, because red is an amazing colour. The seats were very comfortable and inviting. The coffee was good. The food was fine, but not a large variety in the cabinet. Very run-of-the-mill selection: brownie, muffin, salad or caramel slice? Yes, you aren't jumping up and down for joy at their innovation, are you? I decided to go with a menu item: bacon and egg toastie - can't go wrong with that. It was nice, but not mind blowing.

This cafe is so good, I really enjoyed the eggs Benedict and the iced chocolate. Very good…read moreatmosphere and in a great location

Fab food! Fab service! Fab coffee! Tons of GF options. Love this sweet little restaurant. Nothing…read moreis too hard for them :) gotta go!

I always judge a cafe by how well they poach eggs. Not too soft and definitely not too hard. They…read morenailed it. This is a great find. Great assortment of cabinet food and lovely cakes and a pretty standard blackboard menu well executed. You order at the counter and they bring you your meals. We went in July which of course is Winter in NZ. This place would be lovely sitting outside in Summer. I will definitely go again.

Nice coffee and nice people. Also easy to choose the…read morefavorite coffee to take away. Lovely.

I come here all the time because I like the laid-back, friendly service, the good coffee, and the…read moreexcellent food. I'm not much of a tea drinker but that really is the speciality here, and they even offer free sample of different, exotic teas to tempt you. The decor inside is so cute, they have heaps of tea and coffee accessories all over the walls, like stovetop espresso machines, teapots, cups, gorgeous little tins of all sizes and shapes for storing your purchases in, not to mention an impressive range of tea leaves and coffee beans that you can buy in quantities to suit. So it's also an excellent place to buy presents too, because, unlike the odd sauces and endless balsamic vinegars we give and are given and never use, tea and coffee are the kind of presents that will be used and enjoyed. You have to try the cherry pie when you visit, it's incredible. Also, the chef will happily make you up something if none of the counterfood is quite right (I always ask for some thing in a vegetarian version and they never mind).

Good view. Great food. Great Service…read more I often come here in the weekends to just sit and chat with friends and family. The cafe is just big enough to have some privacy yet not so big that it feels like a big empty restaurant. There is semi outdoor seating with protective cover on windy days with a great view overlooking the water. The counter has a huge selection of mouth watering dishes from pastries to salads. It has all the staples of a typical cafe menu to everything in between.

Last Sunday, as I waited in the queue to order my regular iced coffee and fruit salad, I overheard…read morea woman behind me saying "There's so much choice you don't know what to have", and her friend replied "And it all looks so good". And its true. Ara-Tai café has a mouth-watering selection of counter food (try the giant iced cookies or a blueberry bran muffin), as well as breakfast and lunch menus featuring the classics like eggs Benedict and more specialty seafood dishes. I've never had a bad food experience here, and perhaps that's why whenever it's open, it's heaving. Airy, clean and fresh inside, you get a cheerful view of the marina through the big windows, and it's totally family-friendly. They also have a generous amount of outdoor seating if you want to bring you dog. Well worth the wait in the queue.

Sometimes you get chain stores that are consistently all the same, then you get others who…read moretranscend their label. Esquires Howick not only sticks to a consistent extra large coffee (small is really medium), good food and comfy seats of its chain, but they do a lot for the community. Either raising funds, doing fair trade, or allowing people to use the place for big events/meetings in the evenings, these guys aren't just your average money-makers. Talk to the manager about it sometime. Their service is friendly and they have a big TV playing music videos for those on a lunch break with nothing to do. I especially love their toffee nut lattes. Starbucks only has them at Christmas, but what if you crave them in July? Well, go here!

The food is good. The staff are nice. But there is bird poop all over the tables. I think that if…read moreyou would go take some anti-bacterial wipes

Howick Historical Village is a superb family day out. Think of it as education disguised as fun for…read morethe kids, and fun disguised as education for the adults. Go on a 'live day' when people are wandering around in full costume, going about their daily business of spinning, making charcoal, or generally being ye olde villagers. There's a toy shop, a sweet shop, a school, a church, a waterwheel, and more, as well as a traditional Maori hut and lots of little houses filled with beautiful quilts - all of which you're free to explore. Don't miss out on the tea and scones they serve in the cafe, they're scrumptious.