Ara-Tai Cafe — Restaurant in Howick

A friend recently recommended this cafe to me so I decided give it a visit with my wife today driving 30 minutes from central Auckland to Half Moon Bay, long story short it was worth every minute of the drive and I will definitely come back again.

We ordered 2 flat whites, a salmon benedict and a chicken medley (fried chicken, rice cakes and chips). The coffee was rich and aromatic that instantly awakened my sense.

The paoched eggs were cooked to perfection with runny yolk that oozed over the delicate slices of smoked salmon. The hollandaise sauce was heavenly, adding a luscious and creamy texture that complemented the dish beautifully.

But the surprises didnt end there. Chicken medley was a revelation. Crispy, succulent chicken paired with perfectly seasoned chips and rice cakes. The combination of crunch and tenderness was exceptional, and the dish showcased the chef's expertise in creating comfort food with a twist.

The service was also impeccable, with friendly and attentive staff who added to the overall positive experience. The attention to detail, both in presentation and taste, demonstrated a commitment to quality that is truly commendable.

I did not take any photos unfortunately as I only just decided to write this review, but I will definitely be back for more, cannot wait to try their other dishes.

Thank you, Ara-tai Cafe for a memorable...

Came for lunch on a weekday and it was busy enough to have a buzz but not packed. Service was quick and attentive. My flat white was really good and I'm quite picky with my coffees. I ordered the chicken burger with fries. The fries were crunchy and tasty and came with tomato sauce. The chicken burger was generous with a whole chicken thigh and fresh salad. My only suggestion for the chef is to replace the pickles (which in my opinion are more suited to beef burgers) with something with some sweetness like cranberry sauce or a tomato relish. The oiliness of the chicken and aioli had nothing to balance it out so the burger didn't have a lot of flavour. Also as the chicken is grilled the outside was a bit tough - not terribly but as the bun was a very soft brioche bun, everything was easy to bite except the chicken so with each bite the burger was falling apart as I had to tear the chicken with my teeth. I would recommend either making the chicken softer on the outside (it was actually juicy and delicious in the middle) or using a more structured bun. Overall I enjoyed my visit and think they deserve 4 stars - I'm sad to see they got so many bad reviews recently, I think they are working on it. Hopefully constructive reviews are helpful for them in...

RUDE CUSTOMER INTERACTION:

I took my Mother-in-law into this cafe. She has coeliac disease. As there were no gluten free options (only low gluten options displayed), my mother-in-law proceeded to eat her own gluten free small savoury. She was told rather aggressively that she could not consume outside food. We appreciate that this is common practice in most restaurants and cafes and don’t usually do this. We explained her condition and because there were no gluten free options we couldn’t purchase food for her. The rest of us had all purchased food and drink.

The lady who rudely addressed this with us stated that the food in the cabinet was actually gluten free but they must label it low gluten because it may be ‘contaminated’ by non gluten free food in the same cabinet. Had it been labelled appropriately, we would’ve purchased it. We were not prepared to take the risk.

It is the only cafe I’ve ever been into where gluten free food is marked ‘low gluten’ because of possible cross contamination. LOW GLUTEN DOES NOT = GLUTEN FREE. Low gluten has serious repercussions for those with coeliac disease and was an immediate deterrent.

On the upside, the hot drinks were...