This place was incredible! The owner was so sweet and the food was heavenly. The friend we were…read morewith told us about this place and as we kept walking, the more dingy places began to look. I started doubting that my friend knew where this place was, but lo and behold we come across the refinery. This place is tucked away from the street like its own little oasis. The staff was kind and welcoming. I wasn't looking to order a sandwich, but I'm so glad I did. I ordered a special, which I believe is a ham sandwich and it was served on milk bread. This bread was absolutely amazing. I asked the owner if she made this bread because it was so yummy. She said she got it from a bakery, which I then went to a couple days later to get a loaf myself - it was that good! Overall, cute place that is definitely worth checking out!

Great atmosphere and fantastic food. Well worth dropping in here if you're in Paeroa. Good coffee…read moretoo. I really enjoyed the mince on toast - nice chilli kick.

Spending a bit more on a lunch in a small town than I'd hoped to ,I was pleasantly surprised!…read more With a small menu of options, ranging from soft tacos, Bircher muesli ,bagels and freshly made sandwiches. The Courtyard cafe and Deli has looks that are deceiving , I ordered the Balsamic beef with celeriac and spinach and what came out was this huge sandwich! With thick cut lightly toasted bread and pulled beef with fresh celeriac Mayo I said to the server "oops I think my eyes are bigger than my tummy " ! Service was friendly without being pushy and they were very busy on the day I went being Xmas break . I'm going to be back .

Came in here on a busy Saturday for lunch. Excited to see they were serving breakfast still - so…read moreordered the Works Breakfast. Was really underwhelmed. Small serving, stale tasting bread, potato rosti tasted like old oil, and only 2 mushrooms. Eggs were cooked perfectly however. Not sure that we'll give it another go.

I have yet to find a good coffee between Tauranga and Auckland. It's a barren wasteland of…read moresuperettes and truck stops (don't even 'Copper Kettle' me). Today I decided to give Waihi township a quick look through. I have to admit - usually we're making this drive at unusual hours, and we're ready to go full throttle and crank some KFC by the time we hit Waihi. But not today! A) because it was 8:30am and B) because I was driving solo and thus not tormented by peer pressure and my innate weakness for chicken. There weren't many places open this early in the morning (on a public holiday, no less). But a few cars were parked outside an unassuming 'German Bakery' on the main drag. I pulled up, stepped past the quaint round tables with checkered cloth that huddled together outside trying not to fall prey to the torrential downpour. I entered the chain-drop curtain thing to find a tidy, warm and wonderfully aromatic bakery. A quick peek behind the counter revealed - tah dah! - an espresso machine. Golden. I ordered a double shot mocha with soy ($6.50 - they charge for soy), and sat down while the lovely German fellow (who had emerged from a back room somewhere at the 'clink' of the chains) prepared my caffeinated dream. While I waited, I read the brief info sheet that lay on every table - it detailed the process of preparing and baking sourdough, and the nutritional benefits of it versus other breads. Though I only wanted coffee, I was now convinced that I needed some sourdough in my life. There was a huge variety of freshly baked loaves, but I decided to be traditional and bought a classic white ($6). The coffee was lovely. Very much better than I usually get on this drive (although the sugar factor was probably at play in this one - will order a flat white next time to double check). I haven't eaten the sourdough yet - I'm saving it for dinner. But if you're heading through Waihi I'd definitely give the German Bakery a look through - it's a neat little find! P.S. My coffee came with a bite of something delicious. I could not begin to tell you what it was, but it appeared to contain nuts and fruits and was fresh from the oven.

Best coffee I have ever tasted and the sourdough breads best ever - so full of flavour and not full…read moreof air, will last for days in pantry, poppy cake lovely too.

Great food and this has long been a favourite cafe whenever visiting the Mount…read more However the prices have gone crazy $17 for a wrap (and not that big) is too much and getting greedy. So whilst the food looked great as usual, we moved on to a more value offering.

Had the eggs Benedict. Good, but a bit different being that it was on a bagel. Would prefer an…read moreEnglish muffin, but I enjoyed it anyway. Cool rustic sitting area in the back. You pay at the counter when you arrive, like a lot of places in New Zealand. So no real service to speak of, but the staff was friendly.

Food: tasty breakfast fare and inventive cold lunch dishes. Ordered the First Breakfast - standard…read moreEnglish breakfast with sweet sausages. The muesli yoghurt was amazing: sweet with just a hint of tart, excellent fruit preserves, and delightful muesli. Vegan grain mix: great mix of flavor and texture from the rice, nuts, raisin, and vegetables. The Chorizo + sweet potatoes: delicious, esp the NZ sweet potatoes. Service: excellent and prompt. The proprietress was great at suggesting options among her menu based on your activities. Atmosphere: cheerful little shop with different rooms flowing into each other: quaint cafe, small hobbit-themed backdrop, and the general store.

The nice place for quick lunch! Definitely play into the Lord of the Rings zeal in Matamata, but as…read morea fan myself I didn't mind it ;) Had a really good BLTA and would definitely recommend the blueberry smoothie!

Great setting in this cute town of Thames. Fresh food, baked goods and pressed juice. We split…read morethe Turkish chicken sandwich, side salad and brownie - we felt plenty satisfied all for $25NZ. Friendly service with both indoor and outdoor seating. A perfect stop for a bite or drink while staying near by or on your way thru.

Delicious. Can be a bit of a wait when busy, and limited hours. Pastry items all tried have been…read moreexcellent.

We stopped by for breakfast before heading back to Auckland. It's a cute little cafe in Whitianga…read morenear the coast with a small parking lot in front and street parking. The staff here are friendly and nice and the menu made it hard to decide what to order since I wanted to try everything. Along with a breakfast/brunch menu, they also have some strong coffee and other baked goods to check out. The food portion was generous and the food was delicious. We actually had to pack some to go since we couldn't finish everything. Also, it was awesome that they had wifi because our service wasn't very great since we were from a different country. Overall, good food and friendly service.

Stopped by here for Brunch before heading back up to Auckland. I ordered the Smoked Kingfish with…read moreKumara and Potato rosti. The smoked fish had a nice woody flavour but to me it was still rather moist - unlike the smoke fish you get at the fish monger. The rosti itself was well seasoned but I think it could be a little more crispy..

I stayed 3 nights in Matamata while visiting various parts of the North Island and stopped here for…read morecoffee every morning. They had a great selection of pastries and the coffee was always on point. This is clearly a business that is run with passion and I highly recommend stopping here for your morning caffeine dose if you find yourself in Matamata.

From the owner: We make exceptional coffees and delicious Fresh fruit smoothies. All go well with our muffins,…read moreslices and biscuits.

Pauanui is not the most lively place in the world, it's a sleepy holiday town and the chocolate…read morepretzel is open on a Sunday .. This, in itself, recommends it to half-brained vacationers like us .. Staff were laid back kiwis, this is not somewhere to expect deference, it's more of a 'sounds good mate' service, which I enjoy .. The place is cute and little, the tables are inside and outside, with sun umbrellas already up and inviting. The food came out, and there was a LOT, way too much for us to eat and it was delicious, the wedges were crispy and the beef burger with bacon was amazing, it was practically a skyscraper burger with all the fillings. One problem was that I actually ordered a steak burger. But Meh .. I enjoyed the beef anyway.

I am stunned that no one has reviewed this place yet. Then again, everyone has probably heard about…read morehow horrific The Chocolate Pretzel is by now. I have just experienced the most aggressive and insulting customer service from the owner/manager. Our meals were anything but - with small portions and everything tasting like mild play dough - not even the salty kind you eat as a kid. Coffee was a complete joke, don't waste your time and money. You'd be better off re-using your coffee grounds from yesterday at home. Don't lose your hope for humanity - AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

The staff are very nice, the coffee was really good and the banana bread was the best I've ever had!read more

Great food and service. We had the omelet and all day breakfast pie…read moreAll very good Prices seemed a bit high but idk as a foreigner.