Cafe Adventures: Atomic Roastery Kingsland

 Another weekend, another excursion to yet another one of Auckland’s many beautiful coffee roasteries.

Looking back at the number of cafes I have gone to in the past year, I’m sure that I come across as quite the caffeine addict. However after a while I had to question the undeniable appeal to frequent such top-notch roasteries given the fact that quite honestly, I don’t really love coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I will most certainly appreciate and savor a deliciously creamy hot cup of liquid caffeine but it would never be my first choice. As a person who orders extra hot ‘soy’ flat whites, I’m sure that the baristas of Auckland are glad.

So remained the question, what was my addiction? I guess as a creative and dedicated foodie, I appreciate the artistic process of coffee making that seems to have become strongly embedded into New Zealand’s culture. The gastronomic art relying on the perfect combination of complex elements from milk temperature, bean quality, roast and ratio. And on frosted mornings, a hot cup of anything is never half bad.

Not only that but its the atmosphere that seems to occupy the truly successful faces, an ambience that one can feel when you walk in almost indicating whether or not its going to be good. The warm sense of content as quiet conversation mingles with the rich scent of rich roasted beans. The wanderer part of me simply loves sitting in cafes with a drink and paper, soaking in these atmospheres as I watch peoples worlds go by. Coffee connesuours peering judgingly at the quality of their latte art, gossiping mothers whose continual visits allow them to order their ‘regular’, university students staring exasperatedly at glaring mac screens, and old friends attempting to catch one another up on their lives, cold coffee giving way to rapid conversations. Unified by their love of a decent coffee.

Wandering into Atomic Roastery Kingsland, escaping the rainy cold tantrum Auckland had been throwing, I was more than open to the idea of a hot drink. When my cup arrived I lifted it to my lips and braced myself for that first sip. See it’s all about the first sip, the moment that will tell you if the $5 was worth it and the baristas have their shit together. Unfortunately that soy latte was the best I’ve had in a long time, meaning that I will forever try to find reasons to make the 15-minute drive over to Kingsland. 

So if you want to experience that wonderfully beautiful first sip of a coffee made by baristas who know their espresso from their ristreto, put on your raincoat and head on over to Atomic Roastery Kingsland. Serving coffee so good, who knows, it may even convert a few sworn tea drinkers…

Cafe Adventures: Good One

 Large, naturally lit space, coffee brewers who know their stuff, beautifully designed branding, Little & Friday baking and damn good coffee. 

Based in a refurbished old manufacturing building hidden in the skinny backstreets of Ponsonby, Good One has been serving up Supreme Coffee (and filter) since 2008. With Ample seating, high open ceilings, chill tunes, simple yet delicious food menu and over 45000, Good One attracts a diverse crowd. Expect to see friends catching up, students finishing caffeine fuelled essays, work colleges reading the paper, and the token hipsters bringing their tongues drinking coffee before its cool.

A flat white for me, a mocha and chocolate caramel slice for Craig. 

Will definitely be back soon, if not for the coffee then to try and sneak out some 1990 National Geographics. 

Good One

42 Douglas St

Ponsonby

Auckland

09 376 2784

Monday – Friday 7am – 3pm

Saturday 8am – 3pm

Sunday 9am – 3pm

let it be autumn.

 “The earth has music for those who listen” – William Shakespeare

I love autumn. I love the colours, leaves painted red, orange, yellow, brown, shades of nature fluttering through the streets. I love the autumn cold, different from the harsh cold of winter, which makes your bones brittle and your skin white. It’s a cosy cold, a tights and skirt kind of cold.

I love autumn skies, clouds gathering in thick grey crowds that allow you to feel comfortable spending an entire day inside reading books and watching television. I’m not coerced out by the guilt of hot summer sun, or trapped by winter rains. Autumn is nonchalant, laid-back, leisurely.

I love the the foods; soups that billow hot steam, freshly baked bread and porridge oats spiced with cinnamon, honey ginger tea and roasted pumpkin. The tender wrapping of frozen fingers around hot bowls and mugs.

Autumn is early darkness and early light, gently frosted mornings that taste crisp in your lungs. It’s sun filtering through morning curtains, dark chocolate and movies in bed. Vibrant colours, leisure and hot earl grey, piles of leaves and grey skies, which are the beautiful kind of grey. Autumn is brown leather boots, red flushed cheeks, brightly coloured socks, and days where it’s cold and sunny at the same time. It’s duvets and coffee and well-worn books and comforts.