The Best Brunch Spots In Auckland

So, you feel like going out for breakfast, but it has to be a guaranteed good time, the coffee needs to be top notch and the eggs need to be better than any you can cook at home. We’ve got you covered.

Duo Eatery

Helmed by Sarah and Jordan McDonald (Culprit, Little Culprit, Lowbrow, Nook, Double Double), this Birkenhead cafe is a busy all-day affair with a classic brunch menu of smashed avo, mushrooms on toast and Eggs benedict. While those options might sound pedestrian, what sets it apart is the passion for food evident in every dish, and the service, which Viva dining out editor Jesse Mulligan describes as close and confident, “giving you as much information as you need to make a choice but revealing a great depth of knowledge when required.” The coffee here is Supreme and there are boozy cocktails if you’re in that kind of mood, from a vodka yuzu fizz to a cappelletti spritz. At night Duo transforms into a buzzy restaurant with a menu that changes every few weeks, and which would make top billing in a roundup called ‘So You Want a Reliable Neighbourhood Restaurant’. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 7am to 9pm. 138 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead.

Ampersand

A gem of an all-day eatery in Orakei, Ampersand is the ideal drop-in point for a leisurely breakfast. It’s located in Orakei Bay Village with views over Hobson Bay, and minutes from Orakei Basin, making it the ideal spot to while away an hour or two, and then get your shopping or a walk done afterwards. Inside the expansive industrial space, the walls are painted green, the shelves are made of plywood and there are festive string lights and lush greenery everywhere. Chef and owner Mikey Newlands has crafted a comprehensive brunch menu with something to suit everyone, from a full English to a warm halloumi salad. The coffee is Espresso Workshop, with single-origin filter coffee and cold brew available. Open 7 days from 8am. 228 Orakei Road, Orakei.

Honey Bones

If you can get a table at Grey Lynn cafe Honey Bones, congratulations, you’re in for a treat. Locals love it here, but people come from all over Auckland for its bacon butties and vaguely Middle Eastern-inspired menu. Favourites include the Cilbir eggs (poached eggs atop yoghurt and drizzled with chilli butter), merguez sausage with tzatziki, potato, eggplant, dukkah and a fried egg, and the ‘Bones’ granola with seasonal fruit. To drink, there’s Supreme coffee, smoothies and soda. Everything looks good here, from the crockery to the tabletops to the sikly finish on all those flat whites. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2.30pm, Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 2.30pm. 480 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn.

Williams Eatery

Located in Wynyard Quarter, Williams Eatery is a family-owned daytime eatery that’s always bustling, always reliable and always a good time, especially if you score a table outside in the sun. The ever-changing menu is definitely not your usual breakfast fare of Eggs benedict and French toast, but rather interesting dishes with a Filipino twist using seasonal produce. Expect to find your eggs served with a smear of aquachile and nduja, and your toast to be topped with baby carrots and ricotta. Coffee is Flight and you can order natural wine, Sawmill and Garage Project beers and Forage and Bloom teas. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2.30pm. Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 2.30pm. G03/85 Daldy St, Wynyard Quarter

Ozone

New Plymouth-based specialist coffee roasters Ozone Coffee were warmly welcomed by Grey Lynn locals when the team opened a stylish cafe in Westmoreland St, serving an excellent breakfast and lunch menu and a long list of coffee options, from batch filtered to cold brew, AeroPress to piccolos. The menu features creative takes on classic dishes, like an omelette with Mangawhai mushrooms, greens and turmeric lemon yoghurt, and smoked fish kedgeree with labneh, poached eggs and salsa verde. The space melds the best aspects of industrial design with warm natural touches like green leather booths and rough-hewn wood tables, which surround an impressive central open kitchen. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 3.30pm, and Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 3.30pm. 18 Westmoreland St West, Grey Lynn.

Orphans Kitchen

You still won’t do better for brunch on Ponsonby Rd than at Orphans Kitchen, which was opened by friends Tom Hishon and Josh Helm in 2013 (who went on to launch Daily Bread), and still possesses the same charm and delicious menu, which aims to highlight local flavours and reflect New Zealand’s unique food identity. There are some brunch favourites that never seem to leave the menu, like the fried halloumi with hazelnut, broccoli and date, the brisket with kūmara mash and the slow-cooked eggs. Anything on toast here is great, since it’ll be served atop a slice of Daily Bread sourdough, but we’d argue the best thing on the menu is the bellini made with prosecco and tangelo juice. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2.30pm, Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 2pm. 118 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby.

Westmere cafe Seabreeze is a hit with locals and its tables are consistently full, as people enjoy plates of blueberry hotcakes, Bharta eggs (poached eggs with aubergine, whipped yoghurt and chilli butter) and ham hock hash. With views of the water just down the road, it’s hard not to embrace that weekend feeling at Seabreeze, with its sleek fit out of teal-painted walls, warm wood accents and Turkish pillows, housed in an art deco building on the corner of Garnet Rd. To drink, there’s Supreme coffee and breakfasty options like tea, juice and smoothies. Open 7 days, 7am to 2.30pm. 184 Garnet Rd, Westmere.

Catroux

Catroux is a popular spot for breakfast, coffee and take-home treats, with an impressive cabinet filled with salads, sandwiches, scones (they say they make the best), slices and cakes that we dare you to leave without ordering. Its also known for its excellent catering and cakes, available to order online. Located in the Westmere shops, this petite, all-white space is the ideal spot to spend a morning ordering from a brunch menu that heroes classic and clean flavours like green eggs and ham (served with gruyere, smashed pea, scrambled eggs, truffle and sourdough toast); kūmara rosti with baba ghanoush topped with a poached egg, rocket and prosciutto; or banana bread French toast with raspberry mascarpone. To drink, there’s Allpress coffee, fresh juices and smoothies. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 2pm, Saturday to Sunday, 7.30am to 3pm. 129 West End Rd, Westmere.

Paname Social

Paname Social is a newcomer to central city’s Lorne St, an all-day restaurant in the style of a Parisian bistro, from the team that brought us Atelier, Wander and Ambler. Owner Matt Gosset says he and the team wanted to bring Parisian flair and European style to Paname Social, which means the brunch menu is available all day, and yes, it features some French favourites. Opt for crepes with brown butter, apple tatin and creme fraiche, or oeufs cocotte with champagne ham, gruyere and soldiers — or keep it simple with a croissant and jam. To drink, if you’re after more than coffee, there’s a wine list of over 50 New Zealand and international drops by the glass, as well as Champagne and cocktails. “Our aim is to showcase French hospitality, and bring a real French bistro to Aucklanders,” says Matt, “whether it’s for a croissant and coffee on the sidewalk tables or a quick business lunch with colleagues.” Open Monday to Tuesday, 7am to 3pm, Wednesday to Friday, 7am to late, Saturday, 8am to late, Sunday, 8am to 3pm. 3 Lorne St, Auckland City.

Amano

A Viva Top 50 Auckland Restaurant by night and a bustling brunch spot by day, Amano is the kind of reliable all-day eatery that has something to suit every mood. It even offers brunch on the run, if you’d rather grab a pastry and coffee from its onsite bakery. For breakfast you can order dishes like avocado on sourdough toast with poached eggs; a tomato, mozzarella and basil frittata; and granola with fruit, pannacotta and herbs. Located in an impressive space in the historic Altrans and Quay building on Tyler St in Britomart, brunch here is the ideal start to your day. Open Monday to Sunday, 7am until late. 68 Tyler St, Britomart.

The Candy Shop

Part of the vibey brick-covered laneway that makes up Osborne Lane, Candy Shop is located in the historic Kent Flour Mills building in a beautiful space crafted by Cheshire Architects, with handsome bench seating along one wall, pink and green paint and Formica-topped tables. Just like a candy shop, the food is on the indulgent side in what the team describes as “brunch with a Korean twist”. Combining croissants with waffles, which should be illegal, Candy Shop’s croffles are loaded with candied bacon, caramelised banana, espresso mascarpone AND vanilla ice cream for good measure. Or eat a burger for breakfast, with bacon, egg, potato rosti and hollandaise. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm, Saturday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm. 2/8 Osborne St, Newmarket.

Previously: So you want a pizza place that does good things other than pizza