Nov 11, 2015 Cafes
Presenting the best six brunch dishes in Auckland, as chosen by the Metro food judges.
Photos by Ken Downie.
Read more: The Top 50 Cafes in Auckland 2015.
Freekeh at Beirut
It’s harder than it should be to find a decent porridge in a cafe. I like it hot, mouthfilling and also full of flavoursome surprises. I’m also happy when it’s good to look at, but irritated when the appearance is achieved at the expense of the food itself (one cafe I know serves about 5mm of porridge in the bottom of a wide bowl covered in flowers — which tells me the chef looks at but does not eat his own food). At Beirut, they get it completely right. The freekeh (toasted wheat) is caramelised and lavender flavoured, with bits of plum and, the masterstroke, flakes of baklava on top. – Simon Wilson.
Metro N°448 is Out Now
In the Spring 2025 issue of Metro: Find out where to eat now in Tāmaki Makaurau with our top 50 restaurants, plus all the winners from Metro Restaurant of the Year. Henry Oliver picks at the seams of the remaking of the New Zealand fashion scene. Matthew Hooton puts the exceptional talent for Kiwi whinging on blast and Tess Nichol recounts her ongoing efforts not to pay attention to everything. Plus Anna Rankin pens a love letter to the 20th Century, a short story from Saraid de Silva and Bob Harvey assists the walls of Hotel DeBrett in talking. Oh, and last, but not least, it’s the end of an era.
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