Cafe Reka – http://dowse.org.nz/visit/cafe-reka

Reviewed by Karen and Fi Fi – November 2015

The Place:

Serving everything from burgers to smoothies, Café Reka caters for a broad range of diners wanting to get a caffeine injection, a mountainous gluten-free or vegetarian meal or something simple, yet tasty.  There is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, a kids menu and counter food (that changes daily).  There is a large deck for outdoor seating as well as ample seating inside the cafe. This large, spacious cafe is within the same complex as the Dowse Art Museum.  The cafe has a great vibe and engaging staff.

The Service:

The service was fast and friendly.

The presentation:

The meals were plated up well, nothing overly fancy, yet appealing to the eye. The slight tinge of green (avocado) and tiny sprig of parsley added much needed colour to the dish.

• The Benedict and Montreal – Both dishes were very generous servings with loads of flavour.  They came out hot and were very tasty.
• The eggs – the free-range eggs were tasty, slightly overdone though.
• The bacon – was more like ham than bacon.  Nonetheless, still satisfying.
• The salmon – there was plenty of salmon, tasty, but nothing special about it.
• The mushrooms – were slightly herbed, and were delicious.
• The hollandaise – was homemade, tangy and flavoursome.
• The hash browns – were hot and crunchy.  The only thing I would say is that the portion is too large and two would be ample.
• The bread – was okay, nothing memorable.

Would we go again?

Yes, the coffee was great, and the food was very satisfying.  One of our party got her meal ages after us.  They apologised and gave us a free round of coffees.

Scorecard:

Style: Classic 6/10.

Taste: 7/10. With the extras of avocado, hash browns and mushrooms – the meals were varied ans

Originality: 5/10 – Nothing original about the offerings.

Value: 8/10. The Benedict, Montreal and Florentine are all $16.50.  Sides range from $3 to $5 which is about average fro sides.

Eggs: (how good they were): 7/10.

Overall score: 7/10

45 Laings Road, Lower Hutt