Tay Street Beach Cafe, Mt Maunganui

5:30 AM Thursday Sep 9, 2010

We came here because it's the local cafe of friends who live down here, and they were keen to show it off - despite the weekend being one of the wettest all winter, which made it hard to go out.

Parking was not really a problem with plenty of space on and around Marine Pde - though this, of course, would be a different story over the summer.

We walked in and immediately thought this is obviously one of the more popular spots in the area. Lots of people were sheltering from the elements so we had to sit in the outdoor area, which proved watertight and cosy with gas heaters.

The most unusual thing on the menu was savoury mince on toast with a poached egg ($16).

We ordered creamy portobello mushrooms with toasted five grain sourdough and shaved parmesan ($15), New York bagel with Aoraki salmon, toasted with cream cheese, capers and avocado ($15) and the Tay grill - fried eggs with potato hash brown, bacon, tomato and venison sausages ($19). The mushrooms were perfect - just the right amount of cheesy creaminess with a hint of garlic, while the hash browns in the Tay grill were the size of mini muffins and absolutely delish. The bagel was standard - so perhaps a little on the pricey side for what it was.

The coffee was hot and creamy. The tea was made from teabags, much to the chagrin of the resident tea freak.

The service was attentive and efficient - even providing water, cutlery and toasty blankets before we'd even taken off our coats.

We recommend if you come here you try for a sunny day so you can really make the most of that outdoor space and breathe in the sea air.

Overall we thought it was a great spot for locals and tourists alike, with excellent food and very good service. Would trade again.