Clear Water Peak Cafe in Ponsonby, Auckland. Photo / Richard Robinson
Address: 272 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
Herald Rating:
The menu is an all-day assortment of substantial sounding meals. Beyond the handful of lighter breakfast picks was a rich list featuring things like Dedwood fry (oysters, bacon, black pud, scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes - $19.50), Orvieto hash with chicken breast, chicken livers and a fried egg ($20.50) and
salt beef toastie with sauerkraut, gherkin and gruyere cheese ($16.50).
The look is best if you step away from the bustle of Ponsonby Rd, weave through the cafe and follow the signs to the paved courtyard out the back. You might remember this place - formerly known as Landreth & Co, the cute cafe, has undergone a rebrand which seems to have done the trick, keeping busy on this Sunday morning.
The food was okay, but I felt my paddle crab omelette ($18.50) was under-seasoned and watery, gathering a puddle as it sat on the giant plate alongside a small salad of cucumber and coconut. My companion's dill potatoes ($18.50) with a poached egg, garlic yoghurt and burnt sage butter were a better pick. We also shared a fresh fruit salad ($14.50) - it was refreshing, but nothing special, and a little light on the pistachio dukkah and yoghurt.
The coffee is apparently "not as important as the barista", or so I was told when I asked about the beans. On leaving I found out they're by Cafe L'Affare. It's a fine latte ($4.50 or $5 for a bowl - something I'm not a fan of in cafes, slurping coffee from bowls). I preferred sucking my thick, fruity banana smoothie with added blueberries ($7).
