Reviewed by FiFi, October 2019
The Place:
There was seating galore inside and out. There was a wide variety of cabinet on offer but I was here for the bene. There is a kids menu, salads, soups, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and a massive blackboard menu. There are three Bene options to chose from. The Benedict (with heritage ham or with Bacon and Avocado); or the the Florentine (with spinach and Portobello mushrooms). or the Montreal (with salmon). Sides range from US $2.50/ NZ $4.15 to US $5.25 / NZ $8.72. The atmosphere is busy, vibrant and funky.
The Service:
The service far outweighed the food. Whilst the food was okay the staff certainly made up for it. They were friendly and welcoming. Our coffees came out at lightening speed closely followed by our food. It was great to see the kids meal come out before ours.
The Presentation:
There was an obvious attempt of layering the food to maximize the appeal of the various ingredients on offer. However the ‘hash’, was exactly that – a hash which lacked any resemblance of appeal. Even the sprinkle of freshly chopped chives missed the boat. Overall, it looked okay, but nothing special.
- The Benedict – the meal was okay, nothing fancy. There was plenty of hash.
- The Eggs – the eggs were runny and warm, just as they should be.
- The Bacon – the applewood smoked bacon was crispy, salty and went down a treat.
- The avocado – there was only a teeny tiny serving but it was buttery.
- The Hash browns – the crispy golden rosemary hash browns were more like grated potato hash, fried and served. It was plentiful in volume but lacked substance.
- The Hollandaise – the sauce was the highlight of the dish. The lemon flavour matched the colour – light and creamy.
- The Muffins – the toasted english muffins were just okay.
Would We Go Again?
The atmosphere was great but I would look to try the many other eateries on offer before going back here.
Scorecard
Style: 5/10 – Classic.
Taste: 5/10 – the meals tasted quite nice.
Originality: 5/10 – I was disappointed that there was not a salmon option.
Value: 7/10 – the Benes were US $15.25 / NZ $25.32 for the Benedict (ham), US $15.50 / NZ $25.73 for the Florentine (spinach and mushies), US $16.50 / NZ $27.39 for the other Benedict (bacon and avocado) so in NZ standards – these prices are really expensive. .Sides range from US $2.50/ NZ $4.15 to US $5.25 / NZ $8.72.
Eggs: 5/10
Overall score: 5/10