There are many unexpected places in New Zealand and this was one of them, literally tucked in the middle of nowhere, located in Glenbrook this restaurant is surrounded by farms on every side. An oasis in the middle of lush farm greeneries this place surprised me. I dined in here on a Saturday lunch and was never expecting it to be packed with diners specially in a far-away place like this, a place that is really nice for families where there are countless picnic tables and gazebo dining area as well as the main restaurant. With a nice garden feel, you are shaded from the sun by trees regardless what time of the day you dine in. To simply put it in words, they have a lovely setting, a cool little spot out of nowhere.
Great Cafe with out door setting located in a semi rural setting. Great environment to relax with friends and family. Went on a weekend of a long holiday. Was super busy but the staff and service was fantastic and very efficient. Ordered fries, scones and coffee, was surprised to find the low coffee price. All other items on the menu was priced as expected. The wedges were outstanding, service super efficient and super fast(infact pleasantly surprised to find the quick turn-around)
Highly recommended for a relaxing visit
Stoked I finally got around to coming here and already looking forward to my next visit. Such a cool little spot, quite small tho especially inside so pays to go on a sunny day so you can sit in the garden.
Service was a little stand offish and impatient when ordering but the staff who were clearing tables and who brought food out were better.
The cabinet food selection looked amazing and the cakes all so generous!!!
Food is fantastic, well priced and awesome presentation.
Amazing food, very friendly staff and the ice coffees are soo good! Will be going back!!.......................................................
Food was yum, coffee and chai latte was great too. Homemade brownie was Divine 😍 Great atmosphere, great service, great people around and the gardens are beautiful 😍
Had a wonderful afternoon tea here with the family before my sister headed back to the UK. We chose to sit under cover but I love the little cosy nooks outside too :-) food was nice, service was good
Very popular cafe - great destination after a drive in the country. It pays to book, particularly on the weekends. There can be up to a 45 min wait for meals on busy days too, but they are upfront about this. They have indoor & outdoor seating available including in some gazebos which are quite cute.
Menu is varied from a range of breakfast options through to salads, & burgers.
We had the BLAT, beetroot salad with chicken & beef burger. All we enjoyed.
Coffee is Bach Espresso & was well made. No room for sweets today but they looked impressive.
Service was good.
Please do not be put off by the negative reviews! Most of them are from the days of previous management. I live here and have been many times over the last 2 years. It has never disappointed.
The garden is beautiful, food is really tasty with lots of different options and service is absolutely fine! Staff are always really friendly.
One of the best cafe's in the area. Pizza nights are totally rad as well, great overall experience.
Well worth a visit if you ever find yourself out this way. I'm sad that the old reviews drag the rating down so much, it is NOT an accurate reflection.
Delicious food and a wonderful selection to choose from, friendly welcoming staff, stunning environment, surrounded by the beautiful sound of birds and local animals .. It was a perfect Saturday getaway
We had a family celebration lunch here on Sunday with a group of 9. We had reserved a table which was just as well as the place was very busy. We were warned there was a 45 minute wait for food when we were seated. They were right! The food was nicely presented and very tasty. It did come out from the kitchen not altogether with the Caesar salad, steak sandwiches and burgers first, and potato hash dishes about 5 minutes later. We didn't try any of the sweet slices that were in the cabinet but they were very tempting to look at whilst we were waiting for our meals!
Awesome friendly service!! signs out on main roads make it easier to find! great food and very nice setting! pizza nights are awesome and it being licensed alcohol cafe makes it even better!
Best.Wedding. Ever.
We chose Calendula Cafe for our recent wedding. Gareth, Paul, Noleen, Lizzie and the whole team worked with us from the beginning of our planning (on a cold and wet wintery day!) to the warm and sunny spring day that we had for our wedding – but they did provide a ‘wet day Plan B’!
Everything was perfect; The catering, the service, the attention to detail and above all, having us always feel welcome, worked with our ideas, had some fantastic suggestions of their own and guided us with the whole process. On our wedding day itself, it was like spending the day in a good friend’s garden (that also had the benefit of a commercial kitchen and fantastic staff and excellent setting for photo’s!)
I can’t recommend the cafe enough if you’re thinking of a garden wedding. All of our guests were very impressed – and we were able to enjoy the best wedding ever.
With much thanks, Andrew and Chris
New owners have taken over and opened this week. Not sure what the old Calendula Cottage was like but the new generation is doing a GREAT job!!
The place is beautifully set up, comfy and cosy and the staff are friendly.
The owners are on site - Gareth is the full time chef and Paul makes kick ass coffee.
The food..... superb!! If you're a fan of good old fashioned home cooking and baking, hit this place up.
Gorgeous cheesecake with an after dinner mint surprise, mouthwatering quiche and heaps of other scrummy options in the cabinet and on the menu.
Can't wait to go back - their panko crumbed mac and cheese sounds delicious!!!
Popped in at the end of an unexpected drive to Waiuku, arrived about 45 mins before closing time. Very helpful people, great that they had gluten free bread for a toasted sandwich option also. Lovely slices, etc and beautiful coffee. What a gorgeous pocket of paradise!
Just had a fantastic looking and tasting brunch here this morning. Well priced, with a good range in the cabinet. Nice to sit outside in the sunny gardens and enjoy our coffees. Well done to the team on today. We will be back!
Just a quick thank you to the staff at Calendula for another delightful morning in the gorgeous cafe gardens. This is a very special cafe, and an amazing place to be able to take young children to. Comfy couches outside with blankets, lots of toys and room on the lawn to play, and even a dedicated children's area with more toys, a sandpit and seating. Its great to have somewhere local to go where the food is freshly made on site, and the service is always exceptionally friendly. For anyone keen on getting out of the city this cafe is well worth the drive from central Auckland.
Went to Calendula Cottage for Mother's Day which we had pre-booked. There was a sign at the gate way as fully booked and only open to people who had reservation. We were advised when placing our order that there was a 20 minute delay in getting our meals. Which as it was lovely sunny day and our coffee's came out quickly was not a problem. Our meals were lovely, enjoyed my Moroccan salad and my Mother enjoy her chicken and bacon burger. Asked for something that wasn't on the menu for my daughter and they happily added to our order. The Mother's day carrot cake muffins which were given to all tables as a treat were lovely. The staff were efficient given the number of people they had, they had timed the table reservations so that the meals came in a timely manner and we weren't rushed to eat. There was plenty of things to do for younger children. Will definitely go back again.
Calendula Cafe is a treat! We had a wonderful, friendly experience. The food was tops and coffee great! Best coffee ive had in a long time and there is a fully qualified barista who is lovely with a great smile! They were all friendly. The owner came out to see if we were ok and made sure everybody had a nice bottle of water which is something important to me. The gardens are looking so much better than before. I've been round the world at cafes and this one is just a great local country cafe with a smile and plenty of laughter. Good on you girls and boys. Don't worry about what other people say. Keep on improving, I'll be there, so will my friends.
Had an awesome lunch today made up of a Cajun Chicken Salad. It was value for money and bigger then expected the coffee tasted great also. The atmosphere and garden surroundings are just tranquil. Staff were lovely, obliging and friendly. Would definitely go back again.
Reopened in November with new owners - Coffee is EXCELLENT - just would love to see some more in house baking and some more on the menu in terms of breakfasts - possibly some Eggs Benedict or something of that nature?? Great atmosphere, just food letting them down a bit...
Beautiful spot for a lovely Sunday afternoon. Coffee and food delicious with generous helpings. Loved the garden setting, just superb. Thanks for a lovely afternoon.
Very serene rural garden setting. Great food, good pricing, good huge portions. Friendly fast service. Highly recommended!!!
Such a lovely setting. Friendly staff and delicious food!!! Super fast cook! The menu was varied for everyone (including kiddies) and there's a great choice of goodies in cabinet too... which we couldn't resist choosing from and took home :D
Loved it here. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was brilliant. Lovely garden setting. Highly recommended but it does get busy.
This cafe has the most beautiful garden and the food and coffee is fantastic. The portion sizes are huge and the Banoffee pie is the best that I have ever had. It really was mouth watering! The weather wasn’t great when I was here and the garden still looked amazing. On a beautiful day this place would be well worth a drive from the city.
Their coffees are excellent:). And the gardens settings are so lovely and beautiful 😍
Best iced coffee I've had in years. Such friendly staff. Loved the outside atmosphere with all the gardens around. Not bad pricing for how incredible the food was too.
Great food and drink with reasonable Auckland prices, beautiful scenery and tidy staff. Great little place to stop by if you are ever in the area. Seats may be hard for the elderly and prams could get stuck in the path during winter rain seasons. Worth it though as the garden is perfect for children to play in while mum/dad sits down for a cuppa.
I think this is my all time favorite cafe now. Sitting outside and eating food is definitely best in my books. I had the mushroom chicken fettuccine. Delicious 😋 I have a feeling weddings would be awesome here. Go for a little drive and you'll find a peaceful retreat. Five stars for this hidden 💎 gem 😁😁😁💯
Noticed the cafe sign while out on a drive to Glenbrook. Decided to stop and glad we did. Beautiful garden setting and delicious food
Nice cafe, service was fast and enjoyed our meal
Great selection of your normal run of the mill food but all looks lovely. I had to sit in the little cabin in the lovely garden which was delightful. Food n coffee arrived very quickly . Coffee hot but I spilt it as table was wobbly . Room for the kids to run around, will definitely come again when out this way.
Nice day, meal portions could’ve been a bit more generous but perfect if you plan for a sweet treat afterwards.
Lovely little garden cafe. Apple and boysonberry pie was warm and delicious with fresh cream. Fresh flowers on the tables :)
Note: Only one toilet + one portaloo at the bathroom here.
Love coming here for lunch. Sometimes its busy other times not, so hard to predict. Nice to get a table outside. Kids love it here too. Good, extensive menu and amazing cabinet foods and desserts. Think between hubby and I we have almost tried everything on the menu. Highly recommend the banoffee pie!
Beautiful environment and location. Excellent service. Yummy food and competitive prices
We had some lovely food and service was good too. I can imagine the gardens are lovely in summer
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes