The Dish: Towering example

We love this place. Lobby Espresso in the PriceWaterhouseCooper building on Quay St is the perfect place to head if you want to take in one of the best views in the city while supping terrific coffee. Great counter food, including salads, slices and rustic sandwiches, plus a stylish decor - love those white leather scoop chairs.

Owned by Chris Upton (O'Connell St Bistro) and his former head chef Sean Armstrong, the place is extremely popular - they make 700 plus coffees a day.

Tower cafes are a new trend in Auckland - there are just four so far - but if they were all as good as this one we're sure they'd catch on faster.

French connection

Peta Mathias' passion for food began in France where she spent 10 years. Now the chef and television personality is offering food enthusiasts the chance to join her on a series of week-long sojourns in the South of France.

The tour, called Fete Accomplie: Escapes in Southern French Cuisine, includes spending the week at a 17th-century French farmhouse and getting familiar with the flavours and lifestyles of the southern Mediterranean.

Places remain on the June 14 and September 26 courses and the price is around $4400 each, twin-share, excluding airfares. For more info visit Mathias' website.

Beaut barby, mates

Fair suck of the sav mate, this is one not to be missed. The Australian Longest Lunch will be held at the Viaduct next Friday to celebrate the inaugural Gday NZ Australia Week.

The lunch, from noon-2.30pm, will be set on a large table for more than 500 guests in the Auckland Viaduct, providing gourmet food, wine and beer from Australia.

"We thought this would be a great way for Australians and New Zealanders to celebrate our spirit of mateship while indulging in a uniquely Australian gourmet experience," says Tourism Australia's Vito Anzelmi.

Tickets are $75 and available through Ticketek.