The half and half eggs and mushrooms dish at Dizengoff, 256 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland. Photo/Fiona Goodall.
Dizengoff
Score: 4.5 stars
Phone: 09 360 0108
We paid: $68 for three people
We arrived
Dizengoff has been an institution on Auckland's cafe scene for an age. It opened back in 1994, which also happens to be the year I was born. It's my first visit, but I'm told by my fellow diners
that the menu rarely changes. All of the classics feature - eggs benedict, muesli - alongside a selection of dishes that point to the cafe's Jewish influence. There's chopped liver ($15) roughly chopped and paired with pickle and French bread, and for those wanting something a little heartier, there's also a selection of linguine dishes ($17.50-$19). Our Sunday morning is moving at a snail's rate, so by the time we make it to Ponsonby we're all after something substantial.
We ate
I go for scrambled eggs, with diced smoked salmon, sourdough bread, pesto and avocado ($23). The bread's fresh, eggs perfectly cooked and the pesto adds a nice bite. It's also very rich - even with help I don't quite polish off the eggs. It could be the aftermath of a big Saturday night, but we all agree that no improvements could have been made to Toby's chicken linguine ($19). It comes with a generous dose of chicken, doused in cream and white sauce, garlic and spring onions. Becky branches out and orders the Israeli plate ($17) which comes with hummus, chopped liver pate, labneh and French bread. The dips are gorgeous, both in texture and taste. There's a slow-cooked egg perched atop the meal, still shelled, which is pretty, but hard to attack.
We observed
Service is quick and friendly. Our coffees (Allpress) come piping hot, and pleasingly fast considering how busy it is. The decor, the service and the menu are all fairly simple - you won't find any unicorn white hot chocolates here (looking at you, Dear Jervois) - but sometimes, simple is just what you need.
