Takapuna Beach Cafe

Food is ok. Coffee is great but I feel like it’s a bit over priced and all about the reputation and not so much the food. Plenty of other amazing cafes in the area with a less pretentious vibe.

So good, best place for weekend brunch. Food is super good and the almond milk coffees are a nice option to have. Always so many dogs around which is fun for animal lovers!

Consistently excellent food with a menu that is refreshed constantly and seasonally. Outstanding location and great service top it off. As they’re based on a public reserve they are unable to hold a liquor license which is a shame (their fish dishes would pair brilliantly with a nice sav) but the coffee does make for a good alternative. Highly recommend — I don’t feel it’s unusually expensive for this level of quality either, as some reviewers have expressed.
The lemon curd ice cream is a great way to finish off with a walk down the beach after lunch too.

Well what beautiful place to have lunch. Great panoramic views wherever you sit! I must say the pasta we ordered was delicious but the portion was not very big. In saying that for the price of the meal versus the view … you are paying for the view.
My husband was near to finishing his pasta dish & said to me I’m stopping at Macdonalds after this!
Service was good. When you’re seated your served with sparkling mineral water which my husband & I are not a fan but if you are then you’d appreciate it.
Although the tables are a nice design feature they weren’t very practical. They have a large base which restricts your seating. When you’re sitting at a table you don’t want to be restricted by where you can place your feet.
I’ve rated this place a 3 star because it was over-​priced for the portion & that I’ll most likely not bother going back. The place is beautiful to sit & relax though!

Good view on a sunny day, the place is usually full but it’s nice to just take a coffee or an ice cream and go out for a walk on the beach! Staff are friendly, been there several times.

Expect to pay about a third of your meal for the location/​view.
I had high expectations. In the café, complimentary sparkling water, the service is professional, and did all the right things.
Disappointed in the eggs bene, I’ve had it on a bagel before, but a mini bagel? Eggs and sauce were good, kale was kale. Allpress coffee, which I am not a fan of anyway, hardly anyone can seem to get a good extract.
Went next door for a takeaway cherry yoghurt, and glad I did. It is probably the saving grace of the place.

This place is growing on me; I’ve been for coffee thrice in the past week, twice with various people and once on my own. Such a beautiful spot! Really conducive to a long chat or some quiet time alone (esp. if you sit outside). Love the vibrancy of the place, and the fact that there’s always something exciting going on nearby, whether on the water or along the beach.
They do an awesome iced mocha… I’m not usually a fan of pretentious gimmicks, but I must sheepishly admit the whole deconstructed/​build-​your-​own thing tickled my fancy in a childish way… Plus their coffee (i.e. the actual black stuff) is delicious in its own right also. Only minor disappointment this arvo was the menu… I had a real hankering for eggs bene, yet they only had a very limited and somewhat pretentious menu… nothing that really called out to me: no simple, hearty soul-​food. The staff are A+ every time. Super friendly and helpful.

Outstanding location. Staff are attentive and friendly. Great menu to tempt the tastebuds. Coffee delivered quickly and food well prepared. Liked the touch of sparkling water offered (no cost) rather than tap water. Clearly a popular place and turn over tables quickly. Very professional operation. Small store next door for pastries and gelato. Would recommend especially on a day when the sun is shining. Views are superb.

This place is an institution — a little pricey, but the location, stellar service and amazingly consistent food — oh and they serve Allpress coffee — makes up for it.
Noisy but a great spot!!!

This has to be one of my favourite cafes in Auckland. The location doesn’t get any better — right on Takapuna beach. The food is excellent with a great selection of breakfast and lunch dishes. The coffee is fantastic (I’ve never had a bad one) and the service is faultless. The wait staff are constantly topping up water glasses and checking if you need anything else — which is a rarity in Auckland these days.
I’d recommend the burger, any of the salads and the eggs benedict as some classic good meals. They have specials as well which are great — if they are ever serving an oyster burger then get it, it’s to die for.
Next door they have an ice cream and takeaway coffee and bakery area. The ice cream is the best I’ve had in a long time and its won numerous national awards.

You know what they say in the real-​estate world… location, location, locationnnn.
If we’re talking area, Takapuna Beach Café is SORTED. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house — the indoor seating even overlooks the sea.
In typical Hipgroup fashion, they provide complimentary sparkling water, the service is professional & attentive, and the supreme award-​winning gelato makes you swooooon. Unfortunately, however, part of this package is also, the $$. Be prepared to drop some dollars here.
I indulged in a large afternoon snack of the market fish, served with barley, radish & an avocado dressing. The dish was beautifully presented and (almost) as beautifully delicious. The ingredients were unquestionably fresh, but I thought the flavours didn’t quite warrant 5 stars.
The gelato, however… (insert: swoon). I went for the chocolate coconut and bayberry sorbet which were nothing short of perfect. Get a double cone and then take a stroll along the beach for savouring.
You’re welcome.
An observation: find it a bit strange that you have to use the public toilets while dining here. For such a fancy spot, the bathroom definitely leaves something to be desired. There wasn’t even anything to dry your hands!
Tip: They are open 7 days a week (until 8PM no less!)

I’ve been here lots of times, but recently there’s been a dip in the quality of the menu food. The counter food remains fabulous, coffee good, it’s the meals that are a bit underwhelming. Had the beetroot salad recently, nicely presented but not a generous portion. Fish and chips was huge. Have had juices (good), lemon curd cronut (good, but still want an injection of crème patisserie like the ones from Loaf). Have had pancakes too, but finally ordered something savoury on the stern advice of my brunch companion. I’ve posted the pic — parsley hash cake, mushrooms (I don’t like eggs, so that’s missing and replaced by a slice of pancetta). Looks disappointing, tasted the same. Hmmmm, really want to give a 2 rating, but this café has such a good position right by the beach with views out to Rangitoto and on a sunny day it’s a great place to be.

This place gets 4 stars for its location alone. On a sunny day, sitting either inside behind the large windows or outside on the deck provides stunning views out to Rangitoto and over Taka beach.
Food wise, this café has a selection of cabinet food (baps, pies, buns etc) and a big range of breakfast/​lunch stuff on their a la carte menu.
The bacon and egg bap is really good, as are the quiches they have in the cabinet too. I got the roast chicken salad with goddess dressing which was a bit boring and was only made up of a few ingredients. However, my mum got the line caught fish (which was hapuka on the day we went) and she raved on about how tasty it was. I had a nibble and I had to agree it’s one of the stand outs on the menu.
The staff are attentive and will explain some of the more confusing words on the menu that you may not have heard of. The coffee is great but the drinks they make on site (teas, spritzers etc) are definitely worth their hefty price tag. The tamarillo lime tea is divine.

Since my usual coffee group was not meeting on a weekend, I decided to set up my own brunch with a coffee mate. Might as well cross the bridge and give North Shore a whirl.
Mind you, going here for brunch on a Sunday is asking for trouble, but if you plan ahead (i.e., get there 15 – 20 minutes before you actually want to eat brunch), you should be okay.
The setup of the café could be a bit better, there wasn’t much room between our table and the next. While white wicker screams summer, the glass table-​tops seemed a bit out of place, if not a bit of a hazard when small spaces and small people are involved.
I ordered a beet, carrot, and ginger juice to get started while we waited for our actual orders to come in (my order was the scallop omelette whilst my coffee mate ordered the pancakes). Once the dishes arrived, we glanced at the presentation briefly then ate. My omelette left something to be desired, and while my pancake eating friend was still working on her dish, I was already perusing the menu for something else to eat. The smashed eggs were recommended by a fellow Unilocaler, but as I had already tried a breakfast platter, I didn’t want to appear gluttonous, and settled on having a mocha.
Granted that the view is nice from this café, given if people aren’t crowded about in front of the windows outside. We were unfortunately seated next to a family with a very loud child, so that took away from the experience a bit. Their little dairy on the side had a consistent line, as they had plenty of goodies and gelato and even cronuts (don’t worry, even a struggling Paleo can resist these things). I might return to try eating some of the other dishes when it’s warmer, other than that, I’ve given it a go.

This café is basically the café that sets the high standards for others. This café was once a small take away shop with a dairy attached to the other side and perched right next to Takapuna Beach. It’s one of those places that you can’t compare to others. Lots of seating inside and out. If you’re going on a Sunday then good luck getting a seat as this place gets packed out. The food is second to none and the coffee is always «just right» (nice Goldilocks reference there). Always busy but food and coffee comes out promptly. They move tables quite well. So even if you have to wait to be seated it won’t be too long. One of those places you need to try at least once.

One of my favourites on the Shore!
Have come here multiple times– dine in at the beach café (breakfast/​brunch and lunch time) as well as takeaway in the next door The Store. Both are great.
Really liked the Melon, passion fruit, blueberries, labneh which was a beautifully fresh summer yogurt brunch item!
Their spirulina, banana, apple, greens smoothie is great and in store, they have amazing cronuts– with lots of awesome flavours and toppings. Delicious sugar coated, deep fried layers in a donut shape!
They also have wonderful award winning gelato– Salted caramel particularly is wonderful and they also have a neat range of sorbet too! Perfect for summer!
Must come back to sample their sweet menu which is on display inside and looks delectable!
Must check it out, especially while near Takapuna beach.

Love this place! Always so busy so that’s a sure sign it’s a great establishment. Excellent for brunch (and beautiful presentation) with a wide range of options including fresh juices, smoothies and fruit frappes. A friend had the carrot and passionfruit frappé and it was so yummy. Friendly and efficient staff too which makes your experience that much better. Right on the water with big windows and doors that open out onto the deck so a perfect sunny day café. Great for groups and can bring the dog! Worth the trip over the bridge if you don’t already live shore side.

Any place that has a rest stop for dogs, will always receive high marks from me. While I did not have lunch, I did have some of their amazing ice cream. I dare say this is the best ice cream I have had yet in Auckland! Pricing is a bit on the high end at $ 4.50 for a single scoop, but if you need your fix this is the place to get it. I have still yet to figure out why Strawberry is not an option in New Zealand — nevertheless there are many flavors to choose from. I opted for the Espresso. Having a creamy, buttery, nutty flavor it was the quintessential Espresso ice cream. Even the sugar cone was perfectly crunchy.
Floor to ceiling windows make every seat in this café a perfect one. Too bad the parking lot is right in front. Even still, I would bring a friend here to have an ice cream. Next time I will sample one of their meals.

I might get kicked by a few people for giving this place a three star rating. I didn’t have a terrible experience; it just wasn’t as great as I had expected it to be (with all the buzz there was around this place).
Came in for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon and I suppose we were lucky enough to get a table as soon as we came in. I had the chicken salad myself and can’t say I was overwhelmed. It was simple. Nice. But not exactly what I expected for what I was paying.
I ordered an iced americano and was offered what they called a «shakerano» or something I can’t really remember the name of (I assumed it was their version of an iced americano), so I thought I’d give it a try. I would have liked it if the waitress had told me that it was extremely sweet compared to your standard black coffee.
Service wasn’t too over the top. But other than that, the setting is great. It’s pretty much on the beach. Outdoor seating was great. Would probably come back here and chill for an afternoon coffee once in a while I suppose.

Well my wife and I went here expecting a fine meal, excellent service and unsurpassed views. It’s her birthday so a little breakfast seemed right. I had previously received letters from the war crimes tribunal declaring my cooking illegal under international law so we took in the Takapuna Beach Café.
«Back in my day»™ the spot was occupied by a trailer park and camper home, I delivered papers along the street and so I knew the area reasonably well, I was still surprised to see dozens of jeeps and SUv’s with boat trailers taking most of the parking. But it WAS a beautiful sunny Saturday, so it was just annoying. Tip: parking can be a problem but that’s not the café’s fault, there is a major boat ramp next to it.
Settling in, we were served quickly and efficiently. I had previous ate cronuts from Nosh and was unimpressed, so I gave these ones a try. I think I found why they are a craze, when made well they are delicious!
If you know me, you know there has to be Chicken, Bacon or Steak on the menu or I’m walking, again I was pretty happy with the selections. Next was the egg Benedict (with bacon) and Classic OJ, the presentation was superb, the taste was amazing and the service during it was quick and pleasant.
Breakfast for two was pricey but I especially liked the pet friendly deck and we got to see the lovely mix of dogs being walked along the beach.