Brunch: Little 107, Ponsonby

5:30 AM Thursday Dec 8, 2011

We came here because it is the new local of friends who live nearby and one of the newest additions to Ponsonby's cafe strip.

Parking was easy enough on the side streets on this sunny Sunday morning.

We walked in and immediately thought we love all the attention to detail that has gone into the decor of Little 107. It has a definite school theme - old desks for tables, re-padded school bench seats, blackboards, lockers, and clipboards with the menus typed on refill paper. There is also a touch of kiwiana throughout, including the wide use of beer crates, and old glass cream bottles housing fresh flowers.

The most unusual thing on the menu was the homemade crumpets ($11) with whipped butter, golden syrup, berry compote and homemade jam.

We ordered the mixed grill big breakfast - a huge meal of streaky bacon, roasted vine tomatoes, herb-roasted mushrooms, home-made baked beans, eggs, a venison sausage, a hash brown and ciabatta ($20) and the open omelette ($16.50) with semi-dried tomato, spinach, mozzarella, red onion and feta. The basil-flavoured mushrooms were particularly tasty in the big brekky. The omelette was not very flavoursome, but was saved by the feta.

The service was friendly and attentive.

The coffee was Wellington's Caffe L'affare blend. The tea was made from real leaves - always a bonus - and our favourite, the yummy iced coffee, came out in a small jam jar with a blob of prettily whipped cream and an extra long pink bendy straw.

We recommend if you come here you take away some of the counter food - like the pink marshmallow slice covered in hundreds and thousands, or the scones, stuffed with cream and jam.

Overall we thought Little 107 is a cute and cheerful cafe with great staff and adequate brunch fodder - but be prepared to pay Ponsonby prices.