The dish: Designed to a T

Tea has gone upmarket. Dilmah has issued a range of designer gourmet teas in stylish tin caddies.

There are 24 leaf blends in the "t" series which Dilmah says offers a "tea for every mood, for every moment". There are standard blends or you can try something special, such as No 1 hand-rolled, white dragon eyeball, jade butterfly handmade, rose with French vanilla, and Ming Mei famous plum green tea. The bright caddies will look great on display in your kitchen - and keep your tea much fresher than would an ordinary paper package.

They're available by the cup or in a take-home tin ($12.95) at selected cafes, hotels and restaurants. Or phone 0800 DILMAH (345624) for stockists.

Break the journey

Bring back the Sunday drive. Heading west to Helensville we discovered the Art Stop Cafe nestled in the historic village. It has a relaxed, homey feel and a super collection of second-hand chairs, tables and sofas to go with the eclectic range of artwork.

The coffee and food are superb. We recommend the ginger cake with lemon icing and the lemon and pistachio nut slice.

Art Stop Cafe is at 5 Commercial Rd, Helensville.

More room at Occam

We love Occam's menu, coffee and the roaring fire. The one thing we have never loved about the Grey Lynn cafe is the difficulty finding a seat.

Some days it's so busy you almost need to put your name on a waiting list. And on a fine day all the sunny spots outside are quickly snapped up.

Good news though - Occam has put up windbreaks on the Williamson Ave side to allow for several more outside tables.