Down to Earth Cafe

By ELEANOR BLACK for canvas

You've got to appreciate a cafe where the staff are willing to wear silly metallic headbands covered in stars just to keep the children happy. When we visited Down to Earth on a recent Saturday, the semi-organic, semi-vegetarian cafe was groaning with the strain of serving fairies and wizards of all ages during the Ellerslie Spring Fairy Festival.

The avuncular guy behind the counter waved a gold wand over any children who came his way, many of the smaller fairies wearing special floaty skirts and glitter in their hair. Oh so cute.

But on to the food. I toyed with ordering something out of the ordinary (as you can at this cafe), but fell back on habit. And while that could have made for a boring review, my eggs benedict ($16) was among the best I've had in months. The eggs - which came balanced on a split bagel, a heap of silverbeet and more bacon than I could eat - were well done and by the brightness of the yolk must have been free-range. I could have ordered a cheaper vegetarian version, with carrot standing in for the bacon, one of many healthy options on the menu.

Tim's crispy waffles with bacon and maple syrup ($12.50) were just as good. The waffles managed the trick of being light, yet filling, and came with an appropriately large dosing of maple syrup, but the best part of the meal was the hashbrowns ($2) he ordered on the side. We were deeply impressed with the two fat, garlicky potato cakes which arrived. They were obviously made on site, not unpacked from a box, and were creamy on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside. Delicious, and a bargain to boot.

Parking: Plentiful street parking

Ambience: Cheerful and child-friendly

Open: Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 3.30pm; weekends, 8am to 3pm.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.