We came here the other day for a down a dirty takeaway kind of meal. Just something that was quick…read moreand easy. Located in the corner shops of Claude Road and Alfriston Road, it's quite easy to find if you know the area, or even if you don't know the area you can't miss the little block of shops where it's located. They have a large selection of your traditional sweets you would find in a bakery, the likes of lolly cake and custard squares, also homemade pies and fresh filled roles and sandwiches. We ended up getting the chicken avocado filled roles. You can't really go past a good old chicken and avo role. This meal was enjoyable and I would go back if I needed something quick and easy when in the area. However as mentioned above, this is your standard bakery. I personally didn't think there was anything unique that stood them apart from other bakeries.

The Alfriston Road Bakery is just awesome. It's very small so if its busy when you're there it gets…read morecrowded wen theres five customers there. However, that's just a minor detail- this is an excellent local bakery. They do tasty ham and cheese pizza buns that are always a must when I go there and their lamingtons are quality. Their pies are the icing on top though. I don't have pies often but if i do this is one place I'd try and get to. Whether its mince and cheese (my favourite) or bacon and egg, the pastry is always great and the filling is even better! Their pies run out fast during weekdays so expect disappointment if you're heading there in the afternoon! The bread they do here is well-priced and they do your usual french sticks and bread loaves. The family that runs this place is always friendly and its always good to see smiling faces when picking up a sweet snack or a quick breakfast bite here.

I went here on a weekday morning and figured it would be empty but it was full and made me wonder…read moreif these people work or they just here on a work break or they just enjoying their day like I was. I ended up getting a blueberry scone and an iced cafe latte. I think each one was like NZ$7. The scone itself was a big size with lots of berries inside. I like that it came with some butter on the side. They warmed it up and so I used some of the butter and it was delish. It had a slight crust and was chewy on the inside. My iced latte was okay as I wish it had a stronger coffee flavor. They do offer a bunch of baked goods that look scrumptious and wanted to try more.

3 words. Beef Cheek…read morePie It was orgasmic. Get it.

Deli Bake is the best little bakery on Ponsonby Road. With a huge variety of fresh food made daily,…read moreit has become a favourite among Ponsonby locals and my friends. Tarts, cakes, brownies, custard pies, jam donuts, savoury pies, sausage rolls, baps, wraps, fresh baguettes - Deli Bake makes everything you could ever want from a bakery, while also offering both hot and cold beverages. It's also incredibly cheap, which is a huge bonus! Last time I was there I bought a mini ham and egg wrap which was the perfect size when coupled with the incredible indulgent white chocolate raspberry cheesecake brownie I also purchased, and the whole meal only cost me $8.00. There aren't many places around Auckland, particularly central Auckland, where you could get a deal like that! Definitely a great place to keep in mind next time you're peckish in Ponsonby!

It is a cruel bakery that places a handful of chocolate chips on the top of their cookie, but none…read morein the middle. It is crueler still when the 'white chocolate and cranberry cookie' has three dried cranberries on the top, but neither of the aforementioned ingredients anywhere else. It was a rainy day (I should have foreseen this as a bad open and not left the office) when I made the 15 min walk up to Deli Bake. That is 12 mins longer than the walk to the closest bakery, but I was willing to make it owning to Deli Bake's reputation for awesome baked stuff. I made my selection from the cabinet - the two cookies mentioned above - and it was only when I got back to the office and began to divide them up with a knife (for who can eat a whole cookie when her neighbour has none?) when I realised that I had been duped. Like many of my prettiest friends, they were all style and no substance. Never had I been more disappointed than when I cut into the crumbly, flavourless body of these two cookies. No, I take that back - I was even more disappointed when I ate them.

It reminded me a lot of my local Belmont Little & Friday before it got really popular. A local cafe…read morein the middle of a residential suburb. If you drive past, you wouldn't think twice about it - there's no prominent sign and it's not accompanied by a line of shops either. It was hard to narrow down to ordering one thing on the menu - everything seemed so appealing from baked ricotta to three cheese macaroni. It isn't your typical eggs benny type brunch menu. We ordered three items on the menu with a promise to share (secretly as a backup plan if it didn't hit the spot). Luckily my fish cakes was my favourite. The fish cakes were so full of flavour and spices, and went well along with the different textures of sauteed silverbeet and fried potato - which was not chunky potato as expected but literally pieces of potato chips. Yum! The salmon was too salty on its own and should have been eaten with the rice and pickled vegetables. A simple and clean dish that could be good if you didn't want anything heavy for brunch. The skirt steak with tortillas were ahh-mazing and I like that you make your own tortillas so you can stuff as much or as little. I wish it came with more wraps though! I'm so happy I found this gem of a cafe in Ellerslie. I was expecting good food but it was even better than what I had hoped for. Unlike other trendy cafes which are experimental with their flavour combinations, you'll understand everything on the menu. Extra points for having Little Island ice cream to finish with. In love with the coconut flavour!

My sister and I came here for lunch one day because she had heard good things, and we agreed with…read moreeverything she had heard! Had a bit of trouble finding it beause it's slightly tucked away, but once we did, we found ourselves at a very cute little cafe. Love the interior, a very nice space! Smashed avo on toast is usually the same everywhere you go, but not here! The smashed avo here comes with lime, coconut and macadamia nuts on grainy bread and is truly a taste sensation, especially for an avocado enthusiast like myself. Great coffee too!

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.

I've been contemplating giving it a 5 star review. You see, when I love the particular food I had…read morethat day I seem to ignore everything else, then a few more visits later my enthusiasm subsides and I found myself often disappointed. So for some of my past reviews I've even considered to deduct stars off. Now that is not to say I didn't enjoy my meal here, I've loved the food every single time, it's just that there are a few bits and pieces that made me reluctant to give a full 5 stars. I've always enjoyed their sandwiches. While they come in quite on the expensive side, I find them worth the price. My French toast this morning was $19.50 (or $19), probably not for the faint of heart. The raspberry/custard was gorgeous, which to me more than justifies the price, it is winter after all. Here's why there's no five stars. First off, please please please get your cutleries sorted!!! I think I can cut my French toast better if I used the handle of the knife. The first knife I got was super obviously bent at the tip, about 45 degrees bent! Service, just as others pointed out, needs some quality control. I can try to justify your price as much as I can but dining in just isn't that great, and while your food is great, everything else is, well, meh. So on the basis of "I value good food more than anything", it's a 4 stars UPDATE: Service has improved since my last visit. It was a busy lunch but we still got taken care of :)

For a Gluten Free Gal such as myself it's a strange kind of torture as you smell the bread baking…read moreknowing you'll never have so much as a kibble. But I keep a tight rein on the will to live enjoying the homemade hot chocolate. They don't have a lot in the huge range of goodie for my tummy but the bunt cake with raspberries and the chocolate and beetroot cake are rather delightful. I here the coffee is great too. Not cheap but great quality and I know what I prefer.

It's a grocery store, convenience store size but has some decent pastries, tasty hot chocolate and…read moresome noodles with veggies and peanuts. Not something I would have expected at a convenience store, the options were impressive to say the least. The hot chocolate wasn't, pain au chocolate and the veggie with noodles wasn't too bad.

Delicious lunch! Perfect presentation! Brilliant location!…read more If you work in the Viaduct area, why would you go anywhere else for a fresh lunch? Jones has a perfect menu selection with everything from toast & preserves, soups & salads to savory pies all the way down to chocolate cake. If you can get past the lofty prices ($8.50 for toast & preserves), I promise you the meal will be worth it's weight in gold. I ordered the B.L.A.T, bacon. lettuce, avocado and tomato for those not in the know. Served on fresh Focaccia it was paired with small potato wedges, that had such a delightful crunch to them I wish I had an extra bowl on the side. A small ramekin of ketchup and house made aioli complimented the meal. Now if you are like me, your worst nightmare is ordering a BLT and there being only two pieces of bacon inside. Can I tell you how over the moon with joy I was that my B.L.A.T not only had ample amounts of juicy, crunchy bacon, it also had plump tomato's and crisp lettuce all set in a mouthwatering aioli. Delicious!! Located right on the Viaduct waterfront, every seat inside or out of this cafe is a winner.

This place has just opened and as I've just moved into the neighbourhood I thought it a good choice…read morefor my first weekend breakfast. Greeted at the door with menus and shown to the last table free in the place (at around 8.30 on a Sunday morning) things started off well. Great vibe from the place (it got so busy by the time we left there was a queue out the door for a table), nicely varied menu (black pudding features in a few places), coffee was pretty good, food turned up quickly and efficiently. Hotcakes were lovely if slightly overdone, eggs were perfectly fine. Good spot - bit of a standout around kingsland so far. Will definitely be back.

Headed into Peel to Pip for a cruisy Sunday brunch and we weren't disappointed!…read more The food was incredible: delicious, fast and the menu made you want to try everything. We arrived at middayish for brunch and ev Every single table was a family affair with young kids. Leaving at 1:15pm and no kids at all so timing is everything :) The blood sausage is an absolute must - we'll be back :) P.s do the salted caramel chocolate slice too