Cafe Botannix - Hillcrest New Zealand

I went for a late afternoon coffee with a friend and was impressed by the selection of cabinet food and cakes. They had a great variety, offering more than just the usual cakes and slices. We shared a delicious slice of ginger, caramel, and macadamia—it was fantastic! The coffee was decent, though I wished it had been hotter since I had requested it extra hot, but it was well-made nonetheless. The setting was lovely, situated outdoors in the garden center, complete with a fire to keep things cozy.

Our hot chocolates were enjoyable, but they could have been hotter. I ordered the big breakfast, which included nearly everything, and it was the best breakfast I've ever had at any café or restaurant. Everything was cooked to perfection, and the flavors were delightful! I would give my meal a full five stars. My friend chose the salmon and really loved it. We joked about wanting to turn back time just to have it again, although that’s obviously not realistic! The service we received was lovely. We felt well taken care of and not rushed, and everyone was polite—exactly what you hope for when dining out. We also ordered crepes, but this was a bit disappointing for my friend; she thought the mascarpone tasted off, while I found it acceptable. I guess it’s just a matter of different taste buds. We informed our waiter, who spoke to the chefs and came back to assure us that it wasn’t spoiled. We likely wouldn’t have visited this restaurant without the Grab One vouchers, as it’s not within our usual budget—perhaps a place for a special occasion. My breakfast cost $20, my friend's was $18, the crepes were $17, and the hot chocolates were $4.40 each, which meant I ended up covering the difference as our total exceeded $60. If I were to rate just the breakfast (excluding the crepes), it would definitely be a five-star experience. However, other factors like the cost, the hot chocolates, and my friend’s feedback influenced my overall score.

Great food and amazing coffee! This is definitely a place worth visiting. I noticed some fantastic improvements since my last visit. I highly recommend checking it out!

We will definitely return again. Good atmosphere. And family friendly as we have a young boy. High chair was reasonably clean. I ordered their pasta salad and it was good. My husband ordered from the menu (I can't remember exactly what) it was good too. If we have to pick, the only thing would be the serving size seems to be quite small but to be fair we were quite hungry today, so could be that too. In saying that we would still go back again.

Celia is an amazing host, I had a wonderful time there.