KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * * * * *
We came here because it had been years since my last visit and Bill had never been. Parking was easy at this end of Mt Eden Rd. There are plenty of side streets if things do get a bit crowded.
We walked in and immediately thought (well, I did), it's still the lovely big room I remember. And surprisingly quiet, given the wooden floors and the crowd.
The most unusual thing on the menu doesn't exist. It's all pretty standard fare, but none the worse for that.
We ordered Spanish omelette with roasted tomato, potato chunks, mozzarella, caramelised onion and bacon ($16.50), and eggs benedict with spinach and bacon ($14.50). The omelette came with toasted bread that we couldn't identify, but that didn't matter - it looked solid, even stodgy, but was light and delicious. Just like the omelette, really. Extra butter for the toast wasn't a problem either. The eggs came on a muffin, the hollandaise was excellent, but there was rather too much spinach.
The service was warm and friendly and very prompt. We were poring over papers and the waitress noticed, so our plates were cleared quickly to give us more room.
The coffee was hot and strong.
We recommend if you come here bring the dog and sit outside. Even on a crummy morning it's a nice spot to watch Mt Eden's finest.
Overall, we thought they've been doing this stuff well for a while now, and it shows. Long may it continue.
* Orvieto Cafe, 935 Mt Eden Rd.
