Nice setting with large interior, coveted balcony and lovely garden area. Right on the main read…read morenext to Alexandra Hotel and Five Stags restaurant. With the awning around the balcony down it looked closed and sign hard to see. Worth stopping to make sure. Very bubbly friendly staff. Delicious banana and fudge muffin and good coffee, but could have been hotter. Recommend it as a good stop off. Opposite is the small heritage and visitors centre. And just along the road is a walkway down to and looping back along the river (45 mins) taking in the remains of the Redoubt (fort)

On our way from Karuma to Waitomo, we stopped for breakfast in Pirongia on Franklin road…read more We tried the first roadside cafe, we came upon (don't remember the name), but we weren't impressed with the menu or the seating. It was only then that we noticed "the Nest" next door. Not a very attractive building, we would have easily overlooked it and we were hesitating to enter. But once inside, we were pleasantly surprised by the cheerful, slightly hipster vibe. The seating areas with ample room for small and bigger groups, comfy chairs and couches for having espressos and a pleasant sunroom. There even appeared to be some kind of picnic area complete with blankets and so on. We ordered our food at the counter and then seated ourselves in the sunroom. With the decor between antique, vintage and eclectic, the statement piece was definitely the giant antique copper / brass espresso machine by Elektra. A real beauty that I wouldn't mind owning myself. The business owner himself served at the counter and was good for conversation and interested in his customers. My husband ordered the scrambled eggs and I had the poached egg with avocado and the most delicious hashbrowns I have ever had. We both had capucinos too. The only thing I would have liked to see is a little more generous servings of bread. Maybe 2 slices per person instead of one. But, I have to say that when my husband asked for extra bread, the owner didn't charge him for it. The breakfast was served on warm plates (YES!!!!), tastefully plated, capucinos presented with coffee art. Both eggs and bread fresh and flavorful. We wanted to come back here the next morning, before driving back to Auckland to catch our flight, but why oh why weren't you open yet at 8 AM??? I had so much looked forward to a repeat of the day before, but alas, it was not in the cards..... Perfect breakfast place!

Cute little cafe on a blueberry farm. They feature products made with the very same blueberries…read moregrown there such as jams, spreads and even wines. Great spot for tourists too as they have mini containers of jams and wines that are perfect as souvenirs. I only wish that I bought more of everything. As for the service they were very pleasant and helpful. My parents had ordered what appeared to be sort of an eggs Benedict and they were pretty good. Since I had a ton to eat on the plane I decided to hold off eating and instead got one of their signature drinks. It was kind of like a blueberry lemonade with ice cream. Side note they also won the 2024 New Zealand Fruit Wine and Mead Award for the Table Fruit Wine category. I believe they had 2 different kinds; a dry and a semi sweet. I def recommend coming if you're ever in the area.

Had dinner here after we saw the menus online with df options. Had the tandoori chicken & the veg…read morebowl with the blueberry cider & ale. Must say the meals were phenomenal. Particularly the cider and the falafel. Staff was nice. Interior is gorgeous, so is the view. This was my favorite place to eat in NZ. Got the blueberry juices to go. Fair warning the sorbet turns your mouth blue.

Was a bit of a drive (15 minutes) off highway 1 but such a delight! The garden bohemian vibe is…read moredarling and me u varied and delicious!

Love this little detour from the road. We went here btw the Hobbiton tour and on our way to the…read moreGlowworm caves. Loved it. So quaint and shabby chic. Got omelettes all of us because breakfast is served all day and they were hearty with big chunks of filling. Loved being outside and you can walk around their lovely garden or browse the small art gallery. A perfect fit. Added bonus is there are PYO Blueberry or strawberry farms

Disgusting... Do not eat here... All the food is old and been sitting on the rack for hours... What…read morehappened to fresh decent food?

Thanks for letting us use the bathroom love pink. Lava cake could use more lava and less cake…read more Average pies burnt tongue mince and cheese needs more cheese needs to taste more piey. Sausage rolls be lit tho

Beautiful Vegetarian cafe style meals, healthy, hearty and full of ARTY! Retro rustic with…read morecreative vibe. Family Friendly

Great spot on the corner of a Duke and Victoria. Sunny outdoor seating and also screened in area…read more Tiny inside. Broad menu. We had chicken pad Thai which was good, generous scrambled eggs and 7 grain bread. Heard people at next table ordering burgers and a spicy chicken.

We were looking for a place to stop halfway to Waitomo and found Paddock in our search. We decided…read moreto give them a shot for lunch as Cambridge was the perfect pit stop. It's right next door to GelatAmore. The place was packed for a Friday (around noon) but there's plenty of seating inside and outside on their patio. You line up, order and pay at the counter. Then you're given a bottle with a number as your order. There's self serve filtered water in the back. The menu is up on the walls; eggs & brekkie stuff (all day), best ugly bagels, jaffles, Paddock burgers and other stuff. For drinks, there was coffee, iced, freshly squeezed juices and Paddock smoothies. There was a few display cases filled with pastries, fritattas and salads. - Boysenberry doughnut ($4.00 NZD) - we'd read that their doughnuts were "next level". Not the case. The doughnut was nothing special. - Smoked salmon, beetroot, cress, pickled shallots and jalapeño crème fraiche ($18.00 NZD) - eggs were soft and fluffy but for me, it was a lot of egg to eat. The beets were excellent as was the smoked salmon. A little too much crème fraiche but that's nitpicking. Beautiful presentation. - Smashed avocado, fresh basil pesto and poached egg ($14.00 NZD) - I've never understood the hype on smashed avo but I think I might get it now. Terrific! The sesame bagel was a perfect vehicle for the creamy avocado. The basil pesto was an excellent addition. I'll have to try that next time I make my own avocado. Poached egg was oozy. - Bacon buddy - streaky bacon, fried egg, tomato relish and aioli ($14.00 NZD) - my dad ordered this for himself. He combined the two bagel slices to make himself a bagel sandwich. Good place for brunch. Come for the ugly bagels and drinks.

Delightful breakfast. We saw they marked items dairy free and we tried it out…read more Everything was cooked really well. The green dust garnish is green pea power. Coffee was pretty good too!

Atmosphere is friendly, and has relaxing vibe to it. It's a little confined, but there are enough…read moreseats at any one time to spread out a little bit, so I'm not complaining. The price isn't too expensive, but it's not a cheap eat out. Good for a "going-out" breakfast. During very busy days, service is above 7 minutes, but on average, it's a short wait; not too long. Hot chocolate isn't strong, and definitely isn't weak. Perfect milk:chocolate ratio. Coffee is exceptional, creamy and strong. Would definitely recommend for a morning coffee place, and isn't too expensive for drinks. Make sure you arrive before 10 and after 10:45 as the cafe is at its most busiest, and service is slow. 4 stars.

Great food, amazing service & a drive through for a quick coffee stop on the go or to collect an…read moreorder.

I had a lovely lunch. The food was top notch and very fresh and the place is friendly and…read morecomfortable.

Okay not a bad place. Not a huge fan of their coffee, it has been hard finding coffee here in NZ…read more We came in and placed our order, seems normal for two people to pay a little over $30 for each meal total. I ordered their egg meal which I ordered poached eggs (2) served over Vogel with bacon. Well the bacon was long pieces, not so uniform. But they were soft like ham, with a semi sear. Was thinking more of crispy strips. Hubby got the french toast which came with bananas and bacon. He also got a long black, which at one place we were told a long black is like an americano in the USA. It seemed to be espresso served with cream and water. There were sugar pots on the table. We were missing salt and pepper. Staff were friendly enough.

We had the best breakfast here. I ordered the menu special, corn fritters and they were made…read moreperfectly. The coffee (cappuccino) was so nice I ordered two. The staff were very friendly and it had a great atmosphere and you could choose to sit inside or outside on the footpath which was nice. Lots of other people when we were there, it is popular. Will definitely be going back!