Antidote

Very different to my first visit. No other patrons, coffee was OK, Décor is run down, sofa covers split with un-​clean tables and cigarette buts in ashtray on one table. On the up side plenty of space. I saw two children about 10 – 14 years working in the kitchen.

A spacious café near the Takapuna shopping centre that offers a standard selection of cabinet fare and average coffee. I believe the space doubles up as an arts and craft venue and it would certainly be nicer if it were more filled with interesting things. A bit cold in winter due to the large open frontage, awnings and all. But at least the welcome and service are warm.

Came here the other day with my mum, and I love it. It’s really eclectic, some would probably say it’s a little ‘cheap’ and shabby, but for some reason the air of the place really appealed to me. No question, the furniture is run-​down and whoever took this site over wanted to turn it into a café with minimum possible expenditure, hence why the layout strongly resembles the veggie shop that used to be here, right down to the corrugated iron sliding doors that’re still in place. And that would probably be a turnoff to the ‘posher’ among us, but I loved how spacious the layout was — it’s a really huge floor area for a café.
I love their resourcefulness and creativity in how they’ve dressed the place up with foliage: the ‘pot trees’ (for want of knowing the technical term) outside are really awesome. We sat on the couches out front, and while the furniture is tatty, the atmosphere out there is awesome I thought. Again, it’s done on the cheap and the ‘effect’ is probably largely accidental, but it agrees with me all the same. Looking at the ashtray on our table, quarter-​filled with cigarette butts, mum and I wondered if they’re hoping to make something of an ‘unofficial drawcard’ of the fact that they allow smoking (going by the ashtray) in the courtyard area??? That would indeed be a point of difference in this day and age, and we wondered if the idea is to encourage smokers in the area to make this their regular haunt of a lunchtime.
We ended up sitting there for something like 2 hours, and we were quite literally the only customers the entire time. I felt a bit sorry for the staffers on this account ~ who’re eclectic in their own right: one fellow had a demeanour that looked like he was under duress, though the effect was rather amusing and sweet. We had a giggle about it. The other lady was super friendly.
The coffee was great, I thought. I had 2 long blacks, they were strong but not bitter. My mum had a cappuccino, which she said was very good. We split a spinach and feta muffin, both thought it was delicious.
I would definitely come back here, again certainly not because it’s posh or even because of any one specific thing, but rather because the spacious layout and low-​key but pleasant atmosphere appeal to me. This place has an ‘x-​factor,’ if of an unlikely kind. It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t seem more popular, as I can’t imagine they’re turning much of a profit at the moment, going by how it was completely empty except for us.

Great coffee and smiling staff. Lovely relaxed arty atmosphere. Will definitely head back.

This new kid on the block is not just a café but gift store and art studio as well!
Filling the large space that used to be occupied by a produce store, Antidote has plenty of seating, both indoor and out. Although I haven’t ventured into their art studios (yet) i’ve heard they are beautiful with loads of natural light. Classes range from sewing and knitting to life drawing — to enquire send an email to
Food-​wise, focus seems to be on fresh, healthy and wholesome! There’s plenty of savoury and sweet cabinet food including a number of gluten-​free and dairy-​free options. Although I have only tried their coffee so far it was pretty darn good. Neither bitter, nor weak and served at just the right temp.
So why only 3 stars? Well, when I visited (a couple of weeks after opening) they seemed to still be getting the place in order — there were empty fridges and unfilled shelfs. The space just seemed too big for them to fill, which killed the atmosphere a touch. That being said, i’m looking forward to heading back when they are more established and maybe even getting creative at an art class or two!