17 of the Best Cafés in Auckland, New Zealand (2023)
Looking for the best cafes in Auckland, New Zealand? Look no further than this guide to the best cafes in the city, featuring everything from cozy brunch spots to trendy coffee shops.
As someone who has lived, traveled, and studied in New Zealand for over a decade, you can trust me when I tell you the coffee culture here is elite. Which is why I’ve put my year of knowledge to use by creating this list detailing 17 of the best cafés and coffee spots in Auckland.
Coffee dates marked my time in Auckland. There wasn’t a day I lived there that I didn’t stumble upon a beautiful café in search of the perfect flat white. As a brunch-obsessed traveler, I am always keen to scoop out the
Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, has a wealth of brunch spots, coffee shops, and casual dining cafés that offer delicious food, unique interiors, and perfect flat whites. In this post, I’ve rounded up 17 of my favorite cafés for your Auckland caffeine fix.
coffee culture in New Zealand ↴
New Zealand takes its coffee seriously. Coffee has been in New Zealand since European colonizers arrived. Because New Zealand is so far away from the rest of the world, however, it had to get a little more creative, which is why rather than jumping on the espresso machine trend right away, a man from Invercargill invented instant coffee in 1890.
In the 1980s, Kiwis adopted the classic Italian espresso machine and the coffee scene throughout New Zealand boomed. Today, New Zealand has a thriving coffee culture. Its capital city, Wellington, has more cafés per capita than New York City, so you are guaranteed to find precisely what you are looking for. The country’s focus on sustainability is reflected in its coffee culture, with most cafés serving fair trade coffee beans and encouraging reusable to-go cups.
17 of the best cafés in Auckland ↴
Bestie Café
Millennial pink walls plastered with polaroids of friends and surrounded by potted plants in the center of the city— could there be anything more well-suited for brunch in Auckland? The smashed avo on toast with chili flakes is a winner to me. Bestie has plenty of options for all dietary needs, including dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free options. There is plenty of seating near large windows letting glorious light pour in. Throw in the fact that I got to visit Bestie Café with my real-life actual bestie, Tash, and you have the makings of one of my favorite cafès in Auckland.
📍179/183 Karangahape Road, Auckland CBD
Kind Café + Eatery
The name says it all: Kind. Dripping in greenery, this Morningside café has some of the friendliest service staff you’ll find anywhere. Food is served on beautiful ceramic tableware, like art.
📍16 McDonald Street, Morningside
Dizengoff
Dizengoff is a proper Auckland establishment. It’s a café I’ve now enjoyed a few different times while visiting Auckland, but never while I was living there. Dizengoff, which is opened 364 days a year, has some of the very best breakfast in the city— you heard it here. The coffee is great, the food is superb, and the staff are constantly friendly/happy to be there. There are actually a group of semi-famous Aucklanders who regular this joint {I’m not gonna name drop, but think New Zealand’s top comedians, IGers, and fashion designers}.
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Postal Service Café
Postal Service Café has earned a reputation for being Auckland’s “it” spot for coffee and breakfast— and for good reason.
📍537 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
Little Bird Kitchen
Auckland’s raw, plant-based food obsession started with Little Bird Kitchen, a Ponsonby favorite amongst health-obsessed residents. Luckily, at Little Bird, health doesn’t mean the compromise of taste.
📍Summer Street &, Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Kokako Organic Coffee Roaster
Kokako isn’t alone as an option in Grey Lynn, an area of Auckland riddled with cafés. However, it is one of my favorites thanks to its delicious food. Kokako, like Federal and Wolfe Café, is a great place to get a coffee and some work done. There are plug sockets here to charge your laptop, and the playlist is perfectly relaxing so you can quietly work away.
📍9 Charles Street, Mount Eden
Orphan’s Kitchen
The first thing you’ll notice about Orphan’s Kitchen is, almost inarguably, the light of the place. The big front window lets in all the sun’s warmth and goodness. The few times I’ve had brunch here, it’s always been delicious, though it’s rarely been what I expected. The menu is constantly rotating to provide visitors with a creative menu full of fresh produce and innovative food concepts.
📍118 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn
Good Day
Good Day is void of the pretense that can often be found in many of the cafés and eateries around Orakei. In its place, you’ll find great coffee and friendly service. The best part is, the food doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be hip and trendy despite the gorgeous setting of the café. Genuinely, if you’re an au pair in Orakei who feels fully out of her element and nowhere near the elite status of the area, Good Day is the perfect spot to feel like you’re allowed to take up space.
📍3/78 Coates Avenue, Orakei
Harlan Pepper Food Co.
Tacos for breakfast? Say less. The jackfruit tacos at Harlan Pepper Food Co. will make your mouth water. But, on the off-chance that tacos aren’t your thing, you can salivate over the numerous other brunch options, including bagels stacked with halloumi or Harlan’s potato rosti. Located in Kingsland, this Auckland café feels a bit like a hidden gem.
📍317 New North Road, Kingsland
Café @ Vicky One
Café @ Vicky One used to be my Reumera local. I had a coffee almost every morning for my first few months living in Auckland. Long chats about life were had over ciabatta bread, poached eggs, and a flat white. The café doesn’t scream for its photo to be taken, but when did that become a real requirement for a quality cafe anyway? I love a good aesthetic— I live for a space that’s beautifully designed with details that are well thought out. The flowered wallpaper, lack of wireless internet connection, and the lovely staff set the tone for a device-free morning brunch filled with conversation and caffeine.
📍1 Victoria Avenue, Remuera
Chuffed
Chuffed is a favorite amongst Auckland locals. The breakfast menu is pretty standard: eggs on toast, omelets, muesli, porridge, and a variety of coffee. There is also a lunch menu here and plenty of vegetarian options that are marked clearly on the menu. Hidden away on High Street, this is a good spot to sneak off to as it’s quiet despite the central location. The little back room is extra warm in the winter, and the Edison light fixtures strung throughout the café make it feel extra intimate. It’s an ideal place for a pre-shop coffee with a friend.
📍43 High Street, Auckland CBD
Red Rabbit Coffee
Red Rabbit Coffee is where entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in Parnell for espresso and money chats. As you round the corner towards the sleek concrete facade of the café, the powerful aroma of roasted coffee beans wafts out of the entrance. Red Rabbit’s industrial interiors give it a workspace atmosphere reinforced by the number of people typing away on their laptops.
📍Shed 3/7 Faraday Street, Parnell
Odette’s Eatery
When Auckland’s city buzz gets to be too much, head to the sanctuary that is Odette’s Eatery. While Odette’s is technically in Auckland’s CBD (central business district), its green interiors give it a relaxed ambiance.
📍90 Wellesley Street West, Auckland CBD
Dear Jervois
If you’re in Herne Bay, Dear Jervois is a top choice for seasonal food and fair trade coffee selection. Owned by a Swedish couple, this café has a thoughtfully designed menu that mirrors the thoughtfully designed interior. The vegan tacos and zucchini fritters are two dishes I personally vouch for {so yum.
📍234 Jervois Road, Herne Bay
Winona Forever
Named in reference to Johnny Depp’s infamous arm tattoo, this café in Parnell is pretty under the radar. It sits along a road without a notable view, but the café itself makes up for it with art-like cake and Edison lightbulbs. I recommend the carrot cake, though it looks so stunning with its floral and fruit decorations that you might not want to eat it. The black currant kombucha is pretty tops too.
📍100 Parnell Road, Parnell
Williams Eatery
Williams Eatery in Wynyard Quarter has a super Scandinavian feel to it. The filter coffee at Williams is worth the trip there alone. However, like a true millennial, my favorite bit was the smashed avocado on toast. There is a little space in the café to read a book or have a chat. This is also a café frequented by the who’s who of Auckland hipsters.
📍g03/85 Daldy Street, Auckland CBD
Ortolana
Britomart is home to plenty of boutiques, sea views, and cafés. This place would be great for a first date, because you won’t feel bad dressing up to meet someone in this beautiful place with its posh menu. It’s also ideal for people watching in Britomart and fancier food than your typical café fare.
📍33 Tyler Street, Auckland CBD
map ↴
Find all the best cafes in Auckland, New Zealand on the map below.
