Delightful low-key place. Fabulous baked goods and sandwich bread. Interesting and absolutely fresh…read moreentrees. Attractive beer and wine list. They really care about their ingredients: every piece of my fruit salad with yogurt was perfectly ripe, not 'over' or 'under.' Speedy and attentive service despite a very busy kitchen. Locals know this place;you should too.

The BEST food we've had in the South Pacific thus far! This place is busy but you're able to find a…read moretable, they have a chocolate shop on one side and a cafeteria on the other, and please stop here! We ordered the CB Big Breakfast and it was very country style. The sausage is some of the best I've ever tasted and the bacon had such a great flavor! The vibe is very laid back and the staff is SO polite! What a breath of fresh air!

Excellent coffee and food The coffee at this popular cafe is…read moreexcellent - nice and strong! On Friday nights, Chocolate Brown does the catering at the Warkworth Bowls Club. We had a delicious grilled tarakihi and very good spinach and ricotta cannelloni with a fantastic vegetable buffet! This was a great and reasonably priced Friday night dinner!!

Super delicious. Even more delicious when you've been hiking continuously for about four weeks. You…read morego right by it on the Te Araroa trail and it's an excellent place to stop in even if you are just driving past. I stopped in late one afternoon after hiking all day and downed an amazing milkshake and I had some other tasty snack too. The service was great. I actually stopped in again the next morning before continuing my journey - originally just to get a hot chocolate but I ended up ordering a full breakfast which turned out to be an excellent choice. No doubt my body needed all the calories it could get but it was a good-sized serving, well-cooked and super tasty. I had another milkshake because the last one was so good. Yum. I would totally stop here again on my way through next time I'm heading north.

Absolutely great place to have breakfast. We hat the Omelette and the Plume Big breakfast, both was…read moregreat and tasted well with the Chai Latte and the Flat White. The staff is really helpful and attentively. They also bake themselves bread which is absolutely delicious. I would bet it is the best bread in New Zealand. This place is a must for everyone that drives by closely.

Can not rave about the cafe enough, spacious decor, comfortable inside and garden seating…read more take a trip to the Matakana markets, stock up on treats but brunch at this little gem

Cafe Sandspit is now under relatively new management, meaning there have been quite a few changes…read moresince October last year. The friendly new owner, Justin, excitedly told us about the plans to put a trellis out the front to protect customers from the wind on the sandspit, and also about the cafe's decor, such as the boat out the front with herbs and baby Pohutukawas in it which was an abandoned boat found in the harbor outside. His talkative manner made the experience all the more enjoyable, and we got great table service from our little seat which overlooked the beautiful harbor. The food was great - nice coffee, fresh muffin, and fries cooked perfectly. There are breakfast, lunch and dinner menus available; all mostly the standard kiwi restaurant fare. This is also a kid-friendly joint, as there is a cute little kids corner with seats and a TV inside the restaurant. Definitely will be back for more next time we are up North

Had lunch here the other day. Wet, windy day, but great place. The view is amazing - if you're at…read morethe closest table to the water, you can't see the sand, if the tide's in, I guess! Food was fine, prompt, friendly service.

Very lovely place to go if you're looking for things to do in Auckland. Prices are extremely…read morereasonable and the food was great. If you want a cute rural cafe to visit in the NZ countryside, would highly recommend. They also have very cute handmade bags & jackets--bought some jams as well. I assume he was the owner, but the man serving us was very respectful and kind. Overall very lovely place to check out.

Revisiting this lovely historical tearooms, they are a…read moreTreasure for the quaint village of Puhoi, situated On the main road after You have passed the main part of the village And drive around the corner, and next door to the brand new Puhoi Fire Station. My family and I, consisting of three adults and two children enjoyed amongst us, Devonshire Tea, Cornish Pasties, Toasted Sammie's, and homemade steak Pies, a delicious assortment of food, lovely tea, coffee too. The gardens are my favourite part after the food, having willow trees, old fashioned roses etc are just perfect setting in the countryside you Could Almost be in old time England even.. I found that we were well catered for, having even lots of games available to use For free for the kids and big kids.. Come On a Sunday for a nice chilled Sunday family time. Congratulations to the new English owners

Good coffee. Nice range of counter food and big menu too. Date and orange scone delicious. Great to…read morefind a dog friendly cafe for our pampered pooch

A visit to Matakana Village would not be complete to me, without a stop at Black Dog Cafe for a…read moresilky smooth mocha and a slice. Neatly located on the main strip of town, and with a great sunny deck out the side of the cafe; you can soak up the atmosphere of the street as you watch the community and visitors swirl around you. I like the fact that the owners welcome friendly dogs in, to sit with their owners in the outdoor area while they enjoy a meal. Friendly staff, and clean cut cafe style, makes for a well enjoyed visit every time.

Another excellent family evening at MMK, great food and service, staff are friendly and…read moreaccommodating of our family's various needs. Highly recommend.

The Matakana market is new and quite spiffy looking with restaurants upstairs and downstairs, a…read moremovie theater and other amenities. I was hoping to do better for vegan options than a few sides and salads. They offer a "Vegan Power" salad - which seemed promising. It arrived at my table - nicely shaved carrot, fennel and arugula - drowned in a tasteless, overly oily dressing - the flavor of the carrot and arugula vanished. Only the Granny Smith apples that weren't dressed had any punch. I also had an order of vegetarian spring rolls which were over cooked and flavorless -- the French fries were ok but ... come on: you can do better than a tasteless salad or falafel plate and French fries for vegans, Manakato! There wasn't even a vegan entree.

Potentially nice cafe with a chilled food cabinet as well as menu. I chose the corn fritters from…read morethe breakfast menu. They were under cooked and so crumbled as I ate. Which was a disappointment. The salad and relish were good and fresh and tangy. The service was underwhelming- lacklustre staff with no idea on how to serve. Push a plate onto the table and leave you to figure out who it's for. No smile. And the loo had run out of hand soap.

The menu had a little bit of everything. Homemade Soup, sandwiches, chips and all day breakfast…read more Everything was homemade and delicious. The restaurant was open air and comfortable. Great stop on Rt 1 on the North Island!

Good food with good ambience. Nice size portions and good selection of beers. Outdoor or indoor…read moredining.

ACCOMMODATION REVIEW ONLY…read more Since there's no separate listing for the hostel, I'll review it here. It was a decent dorm room for one night, mainly to snorkel Goat Island early the next morning. Check-in service at the bar / reception was unremarkably adequate. Price point was right. PROs: + reasonable price + Soap and towel provided + heater in room could be positioned near the bed + functional kitchen CONs: - only linens provided are the bottom sheet, pillow, and pillowcase, so bring your own sleeping bag / liner. - only two outlets in the room for six people. - When it gets busy, there's only two showers, two toilets, and three sinks for sixteen people.