Brunch: The Parlour, Howick

The Parlour Cafe, 137 Picton Street in Howick. Photo / Greg Bowker

Address: 137 Picton St, Howick
Herald rating:

The menu is pretty standard but covers everything you'd want. There's savoury mince with poached egg ($13), sweet crepes ($10-$13), Best Ugly Bagels with various toppings, bubble and squeak ($15) and much more.

The look is small and cute and "shabby chic", with vintage decorations and seating inside and out.

The food is good standard fare, well cooked. We ordered the vegetarian hash stack ($13.50), which was fresh and tasty and nicely presented; eggs benedict on a bagel with bacon ($15), again perfectly cooked and received extra marks for the plentiful and top-notch bacon; and the bacon butty (bacon, hash brown, onion jam and barbecue sauce in a buttered bun, $10) - absolutely delicious.

The coffee was okay but we stopped at one. The berry smoothie was thick, refreshing and lovely.

The service was mixed. The young waitstaff seemed a bit unsure about taking orders when we approached the counter but were very nice. The chef later came out to make sure we'd enjoyed our meals, which was a nice touch.

Overall, if you're in this part of town and feeling peckish, The Parlour is worth a visit. On a sunny day, grab a table outside and watch the hustle and bustle of Picton St.

- Canvas