Perhaps "Meh"-tropolis would be a better name for this place? It's dreary and a little "emo" inside; think black walls and furniture, tiny windows, dim lighting. The barista's face matches the decor.
I order the potato scone with cannellini beans in tomato sauce topped with a poached egg ($15). Thescone is nice, a bit like a fluffy English muffin, but the beans and tomato sauce taste canned.
Maybe they are, and maybe they aren't, but they are boring none the less. The egg is a teensy bit undercooked, with a bit of white still runny.
My mate has already had breakfast, so she opts for the tiramisu. It looks lovely, but tastes a little stale.
The cakey part is dry - tiramisu is supposed to be almost soggy with coffee and liqueur, and the coffee flavour doesn't really stand out at all. In the end, it's bit like eating sweet, chocolate-flavoured Styrofoam with whipped cream.
The coffee is nice, and my friend's latte comes to a very reasonable $3.50 (as does my long black).
Beans are provided by Roasted Addiqtion, an Auckland-based coffee house which air-roasts its high quality product, and the barista here handles them with finesse.
The waitress was nervous. She took twenty minutes to come to the table, and by the time she did I was already heading up to the counter to order.
