Mottletop Cafe. Photo / Greg Bowker
Address: 293 Great South Rd, Papakura
Herald rating:
The menu is small but almost perfectly formed and varies because it's premised around seasonally available ingredients and presented, on a blackboard, as daily specials. There are no prices written on anything so you have to ask but we thought $35 was pretty reasonable for what we had.
The look
is like a much-loved and well-travelled great-aunt's place. The exposed brick walls are peppered with art, some of it by local artists and for sale; knick-knacks like china tea cups and saucers, books - even a library corner - musical paraphernalia, as well as potted plants and flowers in a space that is warm and inviting.
The food is tasty and hearty. We ordered a tomato, roast capsicum and cumin soup, which was accompanied by two decent slabs of butter cut from a block and wrapped in paper and two pieces of fresh bread; a scrumptious chicken and mushroom pot pie with a fresh green salad and tangy dressing. The range of cakes made it difficult to choose, but a rather plain-looking piece of spicy carrot loaf won out. It was flavoursome and shows you should never judge a cake by its icing - or lack of.
The coffee is Coffee Supreme and very good too. My friend ordered a half-strength cappuccino and was impressed they got it right; she says "so many" places don't listen.
