Cafe Melba, Ellerslie

Café Melba

135 Main Highway,

Ellerslie 1051

Auckland

Medium Flat White: $4.50

This café was recommended to me by a Facebook friend, and is incidentally the site of where I sold my first house by auction (nervous bloody night, I tell you). I walk in at 10:30 on a Thursday before Christmas and the place is packed with suits on their phones and casuals… on their phones.

Coffee: Much like the Café on Kohi yesterday, the coffee is almost perfect but it doesn’t have the legs to hang on for the long term.  (4.5/5)

Milk: This one fooled me – I took off the lid and saw some bubbles, but after a few sips, the velvety stuff came through. Pleasant surprise. (5/5)

Presentation: An interesting cup. The lid is of a different design and doesn’t fit into the mouth as pleasantly and easily as the vast majority. It was flatter than normal? But not as comfortable. (2.5/3)

Verdict: A nice coffee and if I were passing through Ellerslie, would come in again. But I wouldn’t drive across town for it.

Overall rating: 12/13. It lacks perfection but it’s damn close.

Cafe on Kohi, Kohimarama

Café on Kohi

2/237 Kohimarama Road

Auckland 1071

Large Flat White: $5

This café has a massive reputation among the nouveau riche for having good service and being very popular that they don’t take reservations. It certainly has a lot of people in it most times, so I go in during an awful Auckland summer’s day. The service is evident when I walk in as I’m offered a table and even a glass of water while I wait for my takeaway coffee to be made

Coffee: This is really good. It starts off with a slight kick that then fades. It’s a shame as it’s not a bad coffee at all, but just lacks the knock out only slightly. (4.5/5)

Milk: It looks a bit too stuff – foamy rather than velvety. It doesn’t take away from the coffee flavour however. (4.5/5)

Presentation: Another day, another Allpress cup. I expected a little more. (3/3)

Verdict: The service well and truly lived up to its reputation and it is a nice spot, but a bit sandblown today. A good coffee but still not perfect.

Overall rating: 12/13. A really good coffee, but it lacks the refinement needed for a 13. Definitely worth a drink.

Eve's Pantry, Botany Downs

Eve’s Pantry Botany Downs

309 Botany Road

Botany Downs

Auckland

Large Flat White: $4.60

Eve’s has a great reputation for cakes and sweet things from its Epsom days. This is an off-shoot of it set in Botany Downs. Is their coffee as well regarded as their cakes?

Coffee: My God, I’m drinking a fluffy. It was a double shot too, I’d hate to think what a single shot is. This is coffee for old people. I actually get a slight citrus hint in here. Not at all what I’d hope for. (1/5)

Milk: It looks OK, but is way too creamy and doesn’t let the meager coffee do any work. (2/5)

Presentation: This is really the only positive – it didn’t leak on me. (3/3)

Verdict: This didn’t taste like coffee at all. A rubbish cup of coffee. Another place who thinks their reputation means they can make rubbish product.

Overall rating: 7/13. Crap coffee. Don’t bother with it. You dearly hope they put more effort into their cakes.

Alisha's, East Tamaki

Alisha’s

165 Harris Road
East Tamaki

Auckland

Large Flat White: $4.90

This place is on the very industrial Harris Road, just after the intersection with Ti Rakau Drive, but stepping inside, you’d forget you’re on a heavy industrial road with the ambience inside. The food in here looks great. It is well patronised by tradie types, and with opening hours of 6am-4pm, works well for them, but not for people like me who want to go to weekend breakfast.

Coffee: It’s reasonable, but it doesn’t punch out past the milk. A lot of people would like it and drink it though. (4/5)

Milk: This is really outstanding. You open up the lid and could stand a marshmallow on it without sinking. (5/5)

Presentation: Another day, anoher Allpress espresso cup. While these are as boring as batshit, they are solid and nothing wrong with them. (3/3)

Verdict: A bit pricey for what it is. Nearing $5 for a “large” (medium) coffee is nearing the steep side (I normally expect around $4.50). It’s good enough, but I’m going to break a five, I expect a little more.

Overall rating: 12/13. A good coffee for East Auckland, and a great coffee for an industrial area. It’s got potential but I think it needs new beans.

Grind On Cafe, Ellerslie

Grind On Ellerslie
6 / 101 Main Highway
Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand

Large Flat White: $4.40

Grind on Takapuna - no pictures of Ellerslie sorry!

I’m starting the Ellerslie run on cafes, due in part to a recommendation for a different place from a friend. Starting from top to bottom is this place that’s nestled in and under a building near the ‘bend’ in the main Ellerslie shops.

Coffee: It’s OK, I can taste some coffee there but it doesn’t fulfill the classic “knock my socks off” test. (4/5)

Milk: Really good – great texture and foaming. The coffee may not be 100% but this young man knows how to do his milk. (5/5)

Presentation: The Toasted Espresso cup is solid to the touch, and the lid is very robust. No spillages here. (3/3)

Verdict: It’s a really good coffee for the price. Not a perfect coffee for the price, but pretty darn good.  

Overall rating: 12/13. A good coffee at a good price. While it doesn’t make me shake and shiver yet, it’s a good price for a cup that isn’t at all bad.

The Flat White Review Season 2

Like a good TV series, if you’re any good, you get another season. Then again, you could be like Two and a Half Men and get renewed anyway. This summer sees the start of season 2 of the Flat White Review and I need YOUR help!

As per usual, I will be going to cafes and getting a medium/large flat white, but I need from you guys some cafes to go to! I have pretty much tapped out most of Pakuranga, Howick and Botany Downs, any suggestions from there or surrounding will be welcome. I may start to spread my search further afield, so anything you like in Auckland coffee wise, let me know!

A reminder of the rules: I will endeavor to have it in a takeaway cup. It will be a medium sized flat white, or as close to it as possible. And there will be no sugar, or sweetener.

Also, your café being open over the xmas period will be helpful too!

Circus Circus, Mt Eden

Circus Circus Cafe
447 Mt Eden Road
Auckland, New Zealand

Large Flat White: $4.80

This café, on Mount Eden Road, is VERY popular and almost has the NZ celebrity market sorted. I was a little apprehensive coming in here before uni for a coffee. I felt underdressed.

Coffee: It’s not too bad, but it’s got a funny taste to it. It’s kind of like meat fat, or creamy, or it could be me mouthwashing before I left home. Though it shouldn’t be colouring the taste the whole way through. (4/5)

Milk: It’s fine, but not as velvety as I’d like. Perhaps they were in a rush and the milk was not given the care it deserves? (4/5)

Presentation: The cup has its own branding, which is a first for a non-franchise café in this blog. Solid presentation. (3/3)

Verdict: I expected a lot better from here. Maybe my expectations were too high.  

Overall rating: 11/13. It’s reasonably good, but I wonder if I would get a better one if the place weren’t so busy? Or, should I have to wait for a place to get quiet before I get a good coffee? Not in Mt Eden, I think…