Fact-tree cafe is an unassuming, neighbourhood cafe located in a random block of shops right…read moresmack-bang in the middle of North Shore surburbia. You'd never know it was there unless, well, you knew it was there. Decor-wise it's pretty cute. A big wooden tree that doubles as shelves spans one of the walls, the coffee comes with heart-shaped teaspoons and they've got terrariums with plastic dinosaurs on the tables. The vibe is upbeat and friendly. You get the feeling that it's a favourite amongst locals and given it's size, would be packed on the weekend. As for the food, they've got an extensive brunch & lunch menu handwritten on those cool paper rollers. Unfortunately I was running short on time so I opted for their bacon and vege stack to takeaway. It came heated with a generous pottle of homemade tomato chutney. Flavour-wise, it was nothing new but it was pretty damn tasty. I'm not 100% sold on the location (...yet) but the breakfast menu looks to good not to head back for a lazy weekend brunch!

This is such a cute cafe, in such a random suburban spot!…read more Came here for a weekday brunch has my friend and I happened to both have the same day off. She loved this place as its her local so we headed down around 11am, it was pretty busy for weekday which was good but surprising. We snagged a table inside next to the counter. The decor is cute, fresh and light. Service was really nice and were asked for our coffee orders right away. Looking over the menu was hard as there were so many options that looked amazing. I decided to go for the salmon eggs Benedict on homemade hash brown as that hash brown sounded so good. My friend grabbed the chorizo omelette. The food took its time to arrive, but we were ok to wait as we had nothing planned for the day, maybe just something note! The food was delicious, and huge servings. The hash browns were my favourite part of the dish because they were so crunchy - definitely recommend trying those! The omelette looks massive and also came with some ciabatta bread. Overall the cafe was really good, a little slow. I will definitely be back!

I'm a fussy long black drinker and the coffee here was fantastic. Even though we only stopped in…read morefor a quick coffee and read of the newspaper we were treated well. I can't comment on the menu as I didn't eat but they were having a busy trade in lunches and the service was courteous and prompt. Well worth a visit if you can find parking.

Mink to me is more of a cafe, though like we see in the automobile industry and the large number of…read morecrossover vehicles, Mink sort of ventures into crossover territory. Is it a cafe, restaurant or bar? Mink is trying to capture all the market here and I think they do a pretty good job. Offering a more sophisticated setting, you can come any time of the day and get fantastic food with fantastic service. The staff are really helpful, most accommodating. They do take bookings which is great if you plan on coming with a group and if you have special dietary requirements as I do, you let them know before hand and they will sort something out for you. Being vegan I have tested their patience when it comes to ordering off the menu. They passed. Their pizza is pretty good, they can do a vegan pizza and also risotto and pasta dishes can be made vegetarian and vegan too. The coffee (which is mostly the reason I come here) is very good which is important. Mink is popular for a reason, they do what they do well and people come back for it.

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

This cafe no longer exists. Another cafe, ARUM Restaurant and Cafe, has recently opened at 4038…read moreGreat North Road, Glen Eden. It serves excellent Persian food at reasonable prices.

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!

Recently visited this local gem an awful lot! Used to be my…read moreregular. Nice people but service and food what it used to be.. I will try again this Spring.

Had awesome eggs Benedict here on Friday. Fast and friendly service, and the food was hot, and…read morecoffee tasty (Allpress). Love the new seats they have too, very comfy.

Food is great, the staff is very friendly and helpful. They have few tables outside in the garden.read more

This place is close by where I live so I had high hopes and anticipation early last year when I saw…read morewe were going to finally get something new. Big Beat has been no disappointment. Although the food in the cabinet all looks amazing, it'a also quite expensive. Happily, the menu items are better value for money and we have spent many a post soccer Saturday brunch here. My thing is their Spicy Chai Latte which is so spicy I think it might have chilli in it. The Mince on Toast is also a favourite at our big table out the back and the kids have given the smoothies and muffins the big thumbs up. The people who run this place are really lovely and it has that wonderful neighbourhood cafe feel that this end of Mt Eden/Balmoral has been lacking for so long. Long may it last.

Cute restaurant. Nice food and amazing service!!! Had the salmon eggs Benedict and scrambled eggs…read moreon multigrain bread with fruit. The couple that runs it were friendly and kind. Will be going back!!

Absolutely charming little breakfast nook just south of the main strip. Came here with my husband…read morefor a gluten-free breakfast and was not disappointed. The Mash Mash was delicious, best corned beef ive ever had! Service was great, and the eclectic interior decoration was cute and interesting. They had no problem with catering to our gluten allergy, and the food came out quick and hot prices are reasonable too. Can't wait to go back!