Today is a beautiful Friday and might have been balmy enough to sit outside – two spaces – front on footpath, back in courtyard. Both proved rather chilly though despite the sun with a cool breeze footpath side and shaded courtyard until later in the day. Inside it was then and lucky to get a table. This place is busy.

The environment is ‘nice’ – interesting art work, mirrors, comfy seats and nice butcher-tiled bathroom. Ambience would have been improved with the exit of a real estate agent who sat at the prime table inside along with her office essentials. She took phone calls in a voice loud enough to be heard by people in the next street. Stylish not. However, not the cafe’s fault so we won’t hold it against them. Probably one of the perils of cafe-ing in Ponsonby.

Menu is good, interesting offerings and not too many which suggests a few dishes well executed, which proved to be the case. Maggie had ‘breakfast salad’ which is lentils, leaf, tomatoes, two poached eggs, bacon. Looked the business and she loved it. I had bircher muesli which was very well presented, tasty and the perfect amount. Coffee is l’affare, lovely and smooth and again, not quite strong enough.

Table service is good. Chap at counter who takes money is a little brusque – possibly the owner? who knows except those in the know. He gives off a too-cool-to-be-here vibe but that’s a minor irritation.

Overall, we liked. Enough to give 8.5. Given that 10 is unattainable according to Maggie, then this place scores highly in our books.

Next Friday – Bambina.

Cezanne – the first cafe one happens upon once the corner has been turned from the rarified and gentrified air of Jervois Road. The first phrase that came to both of us was ‘it is what it is’. Hard on the heels of that was ‘and it is so much more interesting to be on Ponsonby Road’. The people are noticeably different; hard to believe from simply turning a corner but there it is.

Cezanne is an Auckland institution and has had its share of ups and downs over the years. It now sports an ‘A’ rating for hygiene you’ll be pleased to know. For all that, it feels a little ‘down at heel’ and sitting outside, as we did this morning, is a very un-pretentious experience. Interesting folk abound.

We both ordered the muesli which was terrific value – the cheapest breakfast so far and the most plentiful. The accompanying fruit was reflective of winter rather than the tropical offerings we had been used to around the corner. It was perhaps a little boring, but possibly because there was so much to chew through. Oats become boring after a while.

Coffee is Roasted Addiqtion – and could have been stronger for both of us. The flavour is smooth but lacks the hit. Back in the day, Roasted’s coffee beans were renowned for their strength so not sure what has happened there. perhaps coffee goers are now spoiled for choice and brews have become progressively stronger over the years as cafes spring up randomly and everywhere.

Bathroom is very close to the kitchen – almost uncomfortably so – and the word that comes to mind is ‘grunge’, but then that is the general vibe that Cezanne gives off either intentionally or not.

Service is average…

Today’s excursion was to the venerable institution that is Fusion; this place has been serving coffee to the good folk of Herne Bay for longer than most. Located just around the corner from Ponsonby Road it’s a place worth seeking out. There are multiple seating options from pavement to inside – front of fireplace and behind – and a courtyard on two levels.

Aesthetically, it’s a curious mix of paint – panels of different hues adorn the ceiling and the walls. The flooring is that wonderful old timber mellowed to a richness and influencing the various heights of the tables – idiosyncratic or annoying depending on your mood.

The menu is interesting with the usual suspects but full of options for bagels and the like. The counter food looked great – from delicious looking mini orange cakes to sticky date cake to wonderful looking poppy seed/orange muffins and fresh cinnamon brioche. Coffee is Allpress and is good and hot although a little lacking in body perhaps although that might have been due to the size of mine (I felt like imbibing a bowl today).

Maggie ordered their muesli with fruit. I ordered bruschetta with tomato, garlic, olive oil and sardines. The presentation for both was good. Mine was a perfect size – thin slices of bruschetta and a goodly amount of the filling. The muesli likewise. Maggie thought her homemade muesli was as good however, citing the fruit accompanying Fusion’s example as a little too sweet. Perhaps it was poached in sugar syrup but the fruit looked good – pineapple, rhubarb, berries.

Bathrooms are OK – at least there are two toilets and eco-soap.

Overall we thought 7.5 to 8 and we want to return to try the courtyard which would be an inviting space in the sun.

Next week an even more venerable institution: Cezanne. Yes, that’s right, we turn the corner.

No, not the Muriwai version but the Jervois Road cafe version…

To be frank, I had misgivings about this place even going as far as to say to my companion ‘do we HAVE to try here?’. what she replied with doesn’t bear repeating here. Despite all this, I was pleasantly surprised; I think we both were. The decor is not to my liking – dated, in a trying-to-be-industrial way which doesn’t quite work. The red walls are off-putting also but the food is good. Cabinet food looks inviting, they even have those flash custard squares that are made in the South Island (Dunheath? those of you in the know, you know what I mean). We bypassed the cabinet to peruse the menu. It’s testament to the ordinary-ness of the menu offerings that we deliberated at the counter for almost an embarrassing amount of time – there was nothing that immediately grabbed either of us. In the end we both settled for pancakes – there is a choice of two – we both chose the fruit/yoghurt/maple syrup version sans maple.

Coffee is Karajoz and is hot, strong, slightly bitter and actually very good. The pancakes when they arrived had us both proclaiming – wow! there was an absolute orchard of tropical fruit underpinning two fluffy just-the-right-size pancakes, with yoghurt drizzled on top. The fruit servings were very generous. The pancakes were pretty much perfection and several people coming into the cafe commented on how good they looked.

I have had to revise my misgivings, at least in coffee and food terms. Would we go back? Despite the great food, I’m unsure, mainly because of the ambience (or lack thereof) however writing and even thinking that feels a little precious.

Bathroom facilities about average.

Coffee and food we rated about 8.5 – the highest on the strip so far. I imagine however that the people/’ladies’ who lunch/yummy mummies wouldn’t be drawn to this cafe because it is hardly the place to ‘see and be seen’. For everyone else (that’s most of us) we recommend the food and coffee. Oh, and the place is fairly consistently busy which is testament to something on this piece of road where choice is rampant.

Next week: Fusion.

Last week was Rabbit Hole; this week Didas. Or should that be Dida’s. Never mind.

Rabbit Hole is a small funky-ish space with a courtyard out the back offering somewhat of a sea view. The menu is a blend of usual suspects/some with a twist such as the egg scramble with chilli and broad beans. Both of us were taken with that so duly ordered – Maggie’s with extra chilli and no beans.

Mine were good; the helping not too large and the chilli subtle. I enjoyed the unusual bean addition (shelled yay). Companion’s extra chilli was notably absent – this dame likes things hot – and we let the wait staff know. The coffee was hot (Velvet so organic) but could have been stronger. Service was great and the bathrooms wonderful – black chalkboard paint and luxe lighting.

Didas is a mash up of deli/to go items and eat in. The menu competes with the good-looking counter food. I went for the porridge, advertised on the menu as ‘apricot porridge with raspberry coulis’. What I expected was apricots in the porridge – perhaps even dried apricots given the time of year and raspberry swirled on top. What I had placed in front of me was a bowl of thick porridge with a swirl of apricot puree on the top and a small dish of the raspberry. The porridge was too thick for me but may have suited a person with Scottish tendencies – porridge is stand-your-spoon-in-thick there. Companion Mags opted out of menu – which is fairly standard – and enjoyed a great savory muffin with the necessary chilli factor. Coffee is Atlas and smooth and hot, stronger than Rabbit’s but again not quite that caffeine hit needed for the start of a Friday.

We thought Didas probably a 6 or 7 out of 10 – the service is good – bathrooms not so. Rabbit probably similar although of the two I would return to Rabbit first.

We’ve been busy checking out three cafes over the last couple of weeks…Zus and Zo, Dellows and Five Loaves along the famed Herne Bay strip that is Jervois Road (Quay if you’re in Wellington).

OK – for smooth, hot Java the three cafes are all on one page. For strength though, all three are also on the same page – none strong enough unfortunately even though we request double shots each time. For a caffeine hit, go elsewhere!

Zus and Zo beats the others on environment hands down. If you want to feel part of the ‘in-crowd’ – whatever that or they are – this is the place, as they say. It’s on trend in terms of what cuts it in cafe decor these days and the menu is different enough to be interesting and away from bog-standard cafe fare. The other two – well Dellows is just tired, although their food presentation is good. Five Loaves primarily caters for deli takeout items and the clientele appear to be mummies meeting early before yoga/beauty therapy/shopping. No indoor tables either so only go to Five Loaves if you want al fresco.

The bathroom at Dellows requires cramp-ons to get there. The stairs are the steepest I’ve ever negotiated ruling out the older/infirm/very young. Hygiene here is a little lacking.

Overall, it has to be Zus and Zo. Downside is maybe having to wait for a table – it’s clearly the ‘cafe-du-jour in these parts.

Next time it’ll be the Rabbit Hole (yes, really) and Didas.

Sayonara

We are. So we have taken it upon ourselves to do the hard yards and try every single cafe starting Jervois Road then Ponsonby Road. Criteria you ask? To qualify as a cafe the place mustn’t offer dinner. That rules you out, Andiamo.

Who are we? Clementine and Ngaio. Intrepid coffee-lovers who have been disappointed too many times by high prices and inferior java.

Watch this space! Entries coming up for Zus and Zo, Dellows and Five Loaves.