Eighthirty

Nice little hidden gem. Like — really hidden. You can barely see it from the street, but walk down the tidy corridor and ta-​da! Heavenly.
Atmosphere: Bright, open space with tons of natural light. This is my favourite style for a coffee bar; kind of an industrial meets modern minimalism. Loved it! The accent wall was super unique — pink mountain peaks against the stark white washed walls.
Coffee: So on point. Wholesale wise — they roast their own beans, and each bag I picked up smelled amazing. They had a selection of single origin beans, and two bags of blends. From what I’ve seen on Unilocal it looks like the location in ponsonby had a bigger selection than the High street location. But still yum.
Our table ordered two flat whites, two cold brews (adorable little glass jars that reminded me of stumptown) and a coffee and tonic. One person loved their flat white, and the second didn’t like the flavour of the espresso roast. EVERYONE loved the cold brews — deliciously light flavour with caramel and fruit notes. The coffee and tonic was my beverage of choice and I’m pretty sure I was the only one who liked it, haha. Everyone tried it and decided it was too weird, but that’s exactly what I loved about it. The tonic water brought out the flavour profile of the coffee, and was a unique way to a) feel refreshed and b) get my caffeine kick. To be honest, the reason I ordered it was that I had something similar at Good One a couple years ago that blew my mind. This was definitely different to it, but still delicious.
Service: Everyone who walked in was greeted by the staff by name. You could tell this is a spot that knows their regulars, and I love that for such a gorgeous hidden gem! Staff were super friendly, attentive without being overbearing and very knowledgable about their coffee and products.
Food: I didn’t eat but daaaaamn. The salad selection was pretty unreal — they looked so healthy and fresh. One was a broccoli green bean salad and the second was quinoa. The lady next to us ordered a salad that seemed to incorporate both and was topped off with the most perfectly cooked piece of grilled salmon. If you’re looking for something fresh and healthy you should definitely stop in here and see what they have.

Walking up High Street, you probably wouldn’t see it, but Eighthirty has just opened up a new café, in the space underneath where Rakinos previously resided. What used to look like a long and dark corridor now has a shining white and pink light at the end of it.
I loved everything about this Eighthirty branch. Specifically the service and design. The two guys working were friendly and welcoming, which was nice on this wet and wintery day. I also liked the interiors — different to their K’Rd and Ponsonby cafes, but more stylish. It has a very fresh look, with white being the predominant colour — the coffee machine, the coffee cups (aside from the red writing), the walls, the tables and chairs, plus the funky lights above. But the standout feature is definitely the light pink feature wall in one of the corners — I couldn’t stop staring at it! This place is very trendy chic.
I ordered my usual — trim mocha, extra hot. It was creamy, delicious and had a pretty fern/​heart design on top. I didn’t have to wait long for my coffee, but I think as the word gets out, I may have to opt for takeaway.
They also have cake! Yes cake! And other delectable delights including cupcakes and rolls, all provided by Catroux and Cool Foods. Today they had a red velvet cake — a slice of this with my coffee made for a very lovely morning tea. Another great thing is their vases of sparkling water infused with mint and lemon — delicious!
Overall, I had a great morning at Eighthirty and I am super excited that they have opened up in the CBD as it is just up the street from my work!