Groove Kitchen Espresso was recently awarded the 2009 New Zealand Best Cafe Award, by Cafe Magazine! Set up by former New Zealand barista champion Ben Simcox, this cafe is an absolute delight! It has wonderful minimalistic design, managing to retain Art Deco charm, in combination with a real modernism. It is a great venue for both work and pleasure. If you have not been to Groove Kitchen Espresso yet, make sure it is on your to-do-list (even guest Aucklanders rave about it). It is great that our region is famous for more than it’s wine!
It is also worth mentioning some of the other great cafes that we have in our region, which include Opera Kitchen, Bay Espresso (all of them), Fuse, Ujazi & others. In fact, you can pick up a pretty great coffee (and food) all across the Bay.
What has been your experience of local cafes?

16:41, 21.09.2009
That’s so cool! Well done Ben and team.
We are def spoiled for choice when it comes to great cafes – and many of them consistently win national coffee awards. Lucky us!
16:51, 21.09.2009
Aurum has the best coffee around – and best of all they are super quick – in and out!
All mentioned above are also very good esp Opera Kitchen & Fuse.
23:39, 21.09.2009
Raffles Street is my favorite cafe in the Bay and the first place I head to kill time between meetings and catch up on email (no CafeNet though). Great eats and lots of love from the team there.
Waimarama Beach Store now has CafeNet by the way. (Thanks Airnet)
14:02, 23.09.2009
Madelines in the Centre of Hastings has great grub and super staff.