Arrosta – http://arrostacoffee.co.nz/Cafe/

Reviewed by Karen – February 2018

The Place:

Arrosta cafe is modern, fresh and new and aimed at a corporate market due to its location and potential clientele.  This makes it not the cheapest but but no means the most expensive Bene.  They have gluten-free, free-range and vegetarian options.  They offer three bene options.  The Benedict (bacon); Florentine (wilted spinach greens); and the Montreal (salmon).  The sides are really reasonably priced and range from $2 to $4.

The Service:

The service was okay.

The Presentation:

The plate was elegantly presented with greenery and a flower garnish.

• The Benedict  – overall the flavour, design and presentation of this dish ticked all the boxes for me.
• The Eggs – the free-range eggs were runny and warm.
• The Bacon – the crispy bacon was smokey and cooked perfectly.
• The Hash nuggets – the delicate wee home made nuggets were crunchy and to die for!
• The Spinach – was okay and for $2 extra it seemed quite a reasonable extra.
• The Hollandaise – was home-made with its own unique herb flavour (dill and chive).
• The Bread – the ciabatta was not hard or crunchy.

 Would We Go Again?

I would come back just to taste those decadent wee hash nuggets.  Additionally the Arosta coffee is great so I would definitely return here.

Scorecard

Style: 7/10 – Classic

Taste: 9/10 – the combination of flavours and textures were spot on.

Originality: 5/10 – nothing out of the ordinary except for the herby tones in the hollandaise.

Value: 4/10 – The benes start at $18 and go through to $24.50.  To substitute for gluten-free costs $5 more.

Eggs: 7/10 – they were good.

Overall score: 8/10

FMG building at 292 Church St, Palmerston North,