Top Cafes: Waitakere
When West is Best
As well as great wine, amazing scenery and some of Auckland's most loved restaurants, Waitakere City is home to some fantastic cafes that are well worth a day trip or longer. Here's our pick and we'd love your feedback too!
Blossoms Licensed Espresso Café
The place where every commuting local can be found picking up a coffee and a cake prior to the hitting the motorway most mornings, Blossoms comes highly recommended. BYO wine as well as having an extensive wine list of the local tipples on offer, Blossoms is also a great choice for a leisurely weekend lunch or brunch, although the relaxing orchard setting may just make it difficult to leave.
Soljans Estate Winery
Family owned for three generations, Soljan's is located at the gateway to Auckland's heritage wine region. Since opening in 2002, their café has been a popular choice for Aucklanders as well as tourists, serving Mediterranean-style food with a New Zealand twist using fresh seasonal produce from around the region. It also has the honour of being the only Auckland winery café recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide. They also offer a specially designed kid's menu and a fantastic play area incorporating a children's playhouse and a large expanse of grass for the kids to run around safely on.
Caffe Massimo
One of a chain that has branches in Albany, Newmarket, New Lynn and Takapuna - Caffé Massimo serves up coffee roasted fresh every day for its locals. The New Lynn branch has a great children's playground and an adjoining limitless car park, plus an area of outdoor seating under a large awning with clear pull-down windows which allows for al fresco dining whatever the weather.
Piha Beach Cafe
Offering scrummy comfort food and beautiful views to boot, unwind with a relaxing breakfast or lunch right near the beach. Perfect for a spontaneous day trip and stroll along the beach afterwards.
Hidden Secret:
Packing Shed Gallery & Café
Housed in a building that is over 100 years old, the Packing Shed Gallery & Cafe is a fascinating part of West Auckland's history. Renowned for it's mouth watering Devonshire Teas, ground coffee and delicious home-made local cuisine made from local suppliers wherever possible, the Packing Shed also serves a huge 'Westie' breakfast which has to be tried to be believed.