Viks

Never thought I’d come across a variation of a Best Ugly Bagel that I didn’t care for, but I guess there’s a first for everything. Unfortunately this bagel belonged to Vik’s café on O’Connell street, which I visited yesterday afternoon for a quick lunch. The café itself is very small, but wonderfully bright and vibrant, with pops of colour all over the walls and the (limited) seating within. The menu on offer sounded promising, with all the café du jour staples you would expect, a raw juice bar and a selection of bagels with all the conventional toppings we know and love so well. Pictured below are the Manuka Smoked Chicken Bagel and the Vine Tomato, Avocado and Basil Bagel, served on sesame Best Ugly Bagel. The chicken bagel, unfortunately, was a major let down. The chicken was super cold (think fridge cold) on top of my warm bagel, which I wasn’t a fan off. Room temp chicken in a salad is understandable, but nobody wants frosty chicken on their hot lunch. Needless to say, I left the café feeling underwhelmed by the experience. All in all, great hidden little coffee spot, I’m sure, but not sure whether I’ll return to eat.

Incredibly friendly staff who seem to always be smiling, Vik’s is such a lovely little place. Some people just love the juices and smoothies but I come here for the bagels. He seems to prepare best ugly bagels better than Brown himself — the avocado, tomato, and basil is definitely a must try.
Whether you want to sit down for a bit or take and go I highly recommend this great little place.

Looking for the best freshly made juices in Auckland CBD? Well I think I’ve found just the place — Viks on O’Connell Street!
Viks serves a selection of juices, smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, sweet treats and Best Ugly bagels. The store is very easy to spot because of the bright yellow décor. The space inside is quite small, offering only a few seats, so it is really ideal for takeaway.
So far, I have only tried their fresh juices, but they are seriously amazing! Highly recommend the beetroot and celery or pineapple, mango and passionfruit. They usually have a ‘juice of the week’ and I have been loving their creations so far! Each juice also comes with a nice decoration on top depending on what flavours you order — it could be a slice of ginger, a celery stick or a slice of pineapple!
I have not tried their coffee yet, but one of my work colleagues goes there every morning and she says it is fantastic, plus the coffee is fair trade and organic.
The service is great. Roger aka the barista is always welcoming and friendly when you walk in. He is great to chat to while they prepare your order. He really brightens up my day and for this reason, I love going back to Viks!