Serendipity Cafe — Restaurant in Hawke's Bay

Dropped into this cafe while on holiday with my family, and it was fantastic. Not only was there plenty of parking and seating, the tables were spaced out well, and there are indoor and outdoor seating areas. We were a group of 6 adults and 3 under 5s, and they had no trouble seating us for lunch on a Thursday. They also had a highchair for the baby.

Food and drink had plenty of variety. We all ordered different food, and everyone loved what they got. I had a banana berry smoothie with yoghurt and icecream and it was delicious. I also had a bagel with cream cheese and jam, which was also very good. Afterwards, I split a custard square with my mum and it was by far the best I've ever had.

Other specific details are that the cafe doesn't do table service, you order at the counter, and they bring the food over. There were various foods for different dietary requirements in the cabinet, from gluten free to keto friendly. And the people were friendly 😊

All in all, 10/10 (definitely recommend the...

Been here a couple of times now, and not been disappointed. There is plenty of indoor seating, and a decent amount of outdoor seating too.

The menu is pretty much a standard all day breakfast / lunch style menu, but cooked beautifully. There is also a good kids menu, but with having toddlers who change what they like day to day we find it easiest just to get them chips, and have them eat off our plate.

You have to order from the counter, which is standard of a cafe, but their table service is efficient and friendly. Last time we went we were expecting a far longer wait than we had for our food due to the amount of people there, and also we had been told to expect a long wait.

There's also a great selection of sweets items for those with a sweet tooth, and the custard squares are a must. They're the best in NZ!

This is a must do when in the...

Hearing about the popularity of this cafe, and being regular weekend breakfast people, we came in on a quiet Sunday morning. Food looks great in cabinets, but felt let down by a few things. Asked Carla at the counter for a big breakfast and an extra plate for sharing. She promptly gave me a cold plate and told me where to collect cutlery I asked about price for an extra egg - $2.50, when our regular Hastings cafe charges $1, and splits our breakfast onto two hot plates. Was quizzed after asking for latte in a cup instead of bowl. I guess it's not a lot, but that extra little service of split plates, well they didn't go out of their way to win us back. Didn't wow with size of breakfast either. Think restaurants need to wow the customer to come back. First timers...