Kings Garden Cafe, St Lukes

By GRAHAM REID for canvas

It being one of those crisp and clear winter mornings, we did what many do on such bracing days - we went to a garden centre.

Being a bit on the chill side, even at noon when we arrived, Kings Plant Barn was quiet so we ambled among the herbs and cacti, did some window shopping as it were, and seemed to naturally gravitate to the cafe where we have been a couple of times previously.

It's never a hardship to go to Kings Garden Cafe, the atmosphere is very much on the casual side. This isn't for you if you fancy a chardonnay and posing for motorists at an outdoor table in one of the posher suburbs. Kings is warm inside, customers' clothing dressed down as befits those who will later lug some pot plants and peat moss to the car, and the staff is often young and a little inexperienced. They are, however, always pleasant and helpful (as you should be to them), and the food is excellent.

There's a display case of tempting things like panini, but for this brunch on a nippy day we went to the blackboard menu. It has all the usual things - a Big Breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon and so forth ($15), eggs benedict ($13 with salmon), bagels, BLAT and much more. Mushrooms are all over the menu, which is hardly surprising given it's in a plant centre. The roasted version topped with grilled tomatoes and creamed spinach ($10) sounded very tempting, but I thought I'd try the Black Mac braised beef with a filo crust and salad ($12) which was thick, hearty, filling and generally excellent.

My partner had the Big Breakfast which was, we agreed, the biggest we'd ever seen. Lovely bread the size of railway sleepers, two generously sized eggs, rich fat mushrooms, crisp bacon ... Delish, and I got the sausage.

With a fortifying latte and a tasty chai we were set up to amble among the arbours, potter among the potted plants, and pick up some peat moss. The perfect start to a crisp day in the garden.

Parking: In Kings Plant Centre, usually plenty if it isn't a big planting season.

Ambience: Cheerful, casual, warm inside, open-air dining also

Open: Seven days, 8.30am-5pm, licensed.

* 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.