Review Willow Cafe & Eatery - Albany

Amazing Cafe and super service. Highly recommend. We had the French toast and smash avocado. With a bottled juice and oat milk caramel latte. Our order came out super quick even though it was quite busy. Delicious French toast with a good selection of fruits and extras. The smash avo’s toast wasn’t too hard either. Special thanks to Connor for his great waiting. Good atmosphere with nice clean tables and cool styled utensils and dishes. Will definitely be back again to explore the menu.

Nice cafe, a bit of a challenge to find parking but is well worth the it. Surrounded by businesses how they have set it up you do notice them & not noisy. Food & staff were wonderful & made sure we were well looked after.

The breakfast was wonderful and the staff were kind. I had the French toast and it was excellent. Fruits with it were delightful.

We attended today for a staff lunch as my managers father passed away. We wanted to cheer her up. The food was lovely. I asked our waitress for aioli for the curly fries. I waited 10 Mins and looked around for some assistance. She finally brought the aioli and I thanked her. I assumed she would walk away but she told me “sorry for the wait but If you see that I’m busy you should ask someone else”. I said “I didn’t realise I was supposed to ask someone else”. She gave me a dirty look and stormed off. I’m appalled that she started an argument about aioli on such a sensitive occasion. It was embarrassing and totally unprofessional. I’d think twice about coming back. Photo attached of the busy cafe.. 🙄

What a fantastic cafe with delicious food and super friendly service. I had the chicken satay salad which was yummy and a really good coffee.

Lovely brunch here today. They were super busy but nice vibe. Coffee came out before the food, which was great, and it was great coffee. Food was nice and also quick to come out, and all meals came out together, which was fab.

The kindest and most attentive staff I have experienced thus far. Had a tall young gentleman waiter, lower themselves to match the eye level with a customer. Great to see such care and service. Thank you staff 🙏🙏

This place is quite popular. Had their pork belly Benedict bao, unfortunately the pork was dry. Would be nice to have some greens beside it to cut down the richness and sweetness. Smoothie was pretty good. The big breakfast really loaded up the bacon, but some beans would have helped tie the dish together as it was overall quite dry. Good and friendly service.

Stopped here for a business meeting where we ended up eating. Sorry no photos but I had the open omelet with Salmon which was delicious and rather large - I needed a takeaway dish. The convenience of stopping here coming from North was easy but finding the Cafe was a little more tricky as it is hidden away and has limited parking. The outside area would be lovely in the sun. The staff were helpful and the owners lovely.

What a great local cafe - this is a well oiled machine. Willow ticks all the boxes - friendly and efficient staff, great coffee, great selection of cabinet food and lovely indoor-outdoor flow. We ended up just people-watching for a while because I couldn’t get over how well run the place was. I don’t think the waitresses ever stopped, they always had their eyes on the floor to make sure everyone was being looked after. Kudos to the owners.

It was very busy when we arrived (as per typical brunch hours) but we were greeted and seated very quickly. The staff were all so pleasant and lovely; the food was fast, hot and delicious; overall such a great experience. Highly recommend for brunch!

Had a lovely breakfast and coffee. The service is great. Despite being quite busy it was only a short wait for our meals and everything on the plate was generous and delicious. We had creamy mushrooms.s and the big breakfast. Very enjoyable.

Saturday brunch at Willow Cafe. Lovely food and even lovelier staff. Cabinet food - Chicken Panini, Butter Chicken Pie and Blueberry Cheesecake for dessert. Drinks - Ice Coffee Keen to go back to try the main menus

I love their kimchi fried rice, hands down one of the best ones I've had. Whenever I go there, I intend to get a different meal but I always end up getting their kimchi fried rice. The place is clean and tidy Price is alright for the portions Customer service is great

My first impression was that this is nothing more than a office lunch cafe, but I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious quality food served here! The best Eggs Bennie I have had in a long time, and beautifully presented. The juice was freshly squeezed and delicious. Highly recommended.

Very nice. Staff friendly and great atmosphere. Diverse menu. Had to wait awhile for a milkshake but when it came it was so worth the wait-you gotta try one. Will go back. Very popular.

Visit for lunch with a group of 12 - service was really good from the ladies. Various food & beverage selection - had a mango smoothie & thai beef salad. Both presented well and taste good. Overall cosy restaurant tucked away from the busy main road.

This cafe is one of my top cafes because there are a variety of menus and great service. <br/>Thanks for such a lovely brunch 🥰 <br/>We always enjoy the kimchi fried rice!

We came for brunch on a cold wet Saturday. Very cosy spot and welcoming staff. We had the Braised Pork Benedict Buns....omg I am hooked!! This is the best brunch meal I have ever had. The combination of the pork, eggs, siracha hollandaise and the bao bun has me salivating. Will definitely be back, very soon.

We came for lunch and were not disappointed. We were quickly seated and given menus. The vegetarian (salad) meal we both ordered was excellent (the dressing excellent and apparently homemade) the coffee lovely and the place lovely and clean. Parking was a breeze too, will definitely be back

All I can say is average. 2 stars is based solely on the food. The food just wasn’t nice. I could’ve made my dish better at home. The mushrooms clearly were cooked without any flavouring, they tasted like plastic. The egg just had such an odd taste, I couldn’t even finish it. At the end of the meal I felt sick. The customer service was fine, all the employees were nice! I just can’t get past how average the food was, especially for the price (higher than the average cafe). I appreciated all the workers though, they gave a nice energy to the place. Won’t be back.

Absolutely delightful little tucked away cafe on the way to Albany mall. The prices are comparable to, say, Coffee Club, but the food is so superior. I had the Thai Beef Salad which was super delicious, and a Strawberry smoothie which was presented beautifully. All the food was really good and the staff were on the ball. Will definitely be coming back

The best Bao on the north shore “pulled Pork on Chinese style sweat white bun”.<br/><br/>I’ve tried several Bao style pork bun dishes on the North Shore, Willow does the best. A Must try. Coffee and setting and other dishes are also great.<br/>A regular returning customer

Cute cafe in an unexpected location, with lots of nice semi-outdoor seating. A bit hard to find if you don't know abouts it's existent as it's in the middle of the carpark of a big office area. Service was pretty good, they were happy for us to seat ourselves and bring over menus. We got enough time to look through the menu and then order without feeling rushed. I got the shittake mushrooms which was beautifully presented but quite disappointed with the portion size. 3 broccolini and 3 Carrots on a bed of beans and mushrooms with a small poached egg for almost $20? Certainly more healthy than I was intending. Flavours on the mushrooms were nice but the other veges were all a little bland. Also got a choc chip cookie to go but could taste it was made with cheap chocolate and also found a long piece of fluff mixed in the cookie after breaking a piece off.

Lovely food and friendly staffs. My son liked the chicken and mushroom pasta very much. There aren't many places have decent kids meal, this is definitely a plus for us to visit again. The butter chicken is also very testy.

Great little spot I'm Albany. Went there for breakfast on a Sunday and had a great time. Ordered the big breakfast style dish. Would recommend coming down for breakfast/brunch.

Great coffee but lacklustre food. Had to wait for 30 minures to get our food. Ordered the sweetcorn fritters. Was way too doughy with zero seasoning. Looking at all the other reviews, hoping that i ordered the wrong thing or maybe it was a one off. But too pricey to gamble and visit this place again.

Lovely cafe. Service was great. Food was great too, we ordered eggs bene and pork bun but wait time was little longer than expected as it was not that crowded. Overall, quite pleased though. Highly recommend this place :)

The staff were absolutely lovely, very prompt service and ensuring we were enjoying our time in the cute cafe. I got a coffee and the lemongrass tacos. The coffee was good! The tacos were great! The only slight catch is they can be a little messy as there was ALOT of dressing on the salad, unsure if maybe they accidentally put too much. None the less I enjoyed my meal at this cafe and woile recommended ☺️

Me and the missus popped in for a late brekkie lunch after a spring clean up at our home so we were both ready to eat. Now I don't normally leave reviews BUT this is the exception to that rule.  <br/><br/>The burger I had was the best I have had in "Donkey Years" , coffee was creamie, service was great, lemonese/mint drink I ordered got necked by the missus (she literally stole it) and the bao bun pork belly eggs benedict she had was very yummy. I would have given this cafe a 10 out of 5 if I could have. <br/><br/>Very happy consumer!

We went to the Willow cafe for lunch last week. The cafe is situated in a semi industrial area in Albany and parking was freely available as most offices are closed Sunday (actual cafe dedicated parking would be limited during the week). The cafe offers a reasonable amount of inside seating and a limited number outside. The steak lover of us went for the rib eye steak accompanied by beans, carrots and mashed potato, and the other went for coconut satay chicken. The steak was cooked to perfection (blue) and the amount of vegetables generous for a lunch. The satay chicken looked a picture on the plate and tasted as good as it looked. A very good cafe with interesting options on the menu.

Really good service, even better food. Food took awhile to get to the table but everyone was real friendly. Really cute spot with indoor and outdoor seating options.

Best cafe food in Auckland. Incredible pies/cabinet food, well worth the price tag, you can tell food is all made from scratch with lots of love. Service is always really awesome and fast and staff are all really onto it. 10/10

Nice cosy cafe. Great coffe and I Very impressed on it’s eggs Benedict provides by Cornfritters.feeling healthy and yum.<br/>But just little bit not convenience for the car park. Looks just fits for the officers who work around.

I've just been to this place for lunch with my family. We ordered lunch menus, coffees and drinks for the kids. My daughter found some kind of broken plastic piece in her drink and she almost swallowed it. I've asked the owner about the incident and his reaction was replying "what is it?" and he walked away with the piece as he seems like investigating with his staff but without any expressions of appologies nor explanation of how the piece got into the drinks at all and that was our last chance to talk to him. He wasn't even there maybe hiding back at his kitchen when we pay. Very dissapointed and clearly shows the owner's attitude toward the unhappy customers. Never go there again.

I went here today with my partner for brunch, it's a really cute little cafe surrounded by office buildings.<br/><br/>Service was amazing! We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in the door which was great! They were super busy but the waitress took no time in getting us water and menus. She even took our order before a big table so we wouldn't have to eat.<br/><br/>I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice and the brioche French toast. My partner had a flat white and the Willow Breakfast. It was all so amazing, all the flavors of the French toast were spot on. My partner said his coffee was the best he had in a very long time!<br/><br/>We will definitely be back! Might even become our new Sunday brunch spot!

Willow has super fresh, flavoursome food at a really decent price! The meal sizes were decent and came out pretty fast, the service was fast too; but you didn’t feel pressured to order like some places. The only reason I wouldn’t rate Willow a 5 is because the glasses still had lipstick marks and while I know these are hard to get off and it might be a minor detail to others, where I work we suffer with the same issue with glasses and we wouldn’t ever serve a glass with lipstick marks. Aside from that I would reccomend Willow as a cute little cafe with fresh flavoursome food.

Located in a quiet commercial area nestled a busy café with calm staffs and environment. I used to come for takeaway coffee and cabinet food. They’re lovely!

This is a true hidden gem in Albany, found nestled in the business district. I loved the name, and the simple charm of the place. Their french toast was one of the best I’ve ever had and the iced chocolate was amazing!

Great coffee and food!<br/>Hidden in Albany but a gem<br/>Had french toast (amazing) and chilli scrambled eggs (avg)<br/>Would def come back to try more<br/>Prices reasonable too!

Been here multiple times over the past two years. Staffs here are always lovely with their big bright smile :) Not a bad place for a quick brunch/lunch. Coffee could be stronger and more smooth, but overall one of cafes in Albany that serves decent food and coffee!

Willow Cafe is tucked away near corporate offices, and despite being so close to busy motorway thoroughfare, it is not noisy or unpleasant. In fact, as you approach the cafe itself, the facade looks lovely and welcoming with about 50/50 indoor and outdoor seating. Of course, all once you've secured a car park!! If you're meeting someone I would advise to turn up early.... Service was quite quick considering the number of customers. Pleasant food, we got the only vegan option on the menu - Wild rice on firm tofu with a cauliflower puree base and pesto. Good flavours however we expected a slightly larger portion for the price. I would have loved to have seen a simple avocado bagel on the menu, but a lot of their dishes are far more elaborate. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your taste. We will likely return. With Matt Knott

Decent food but way too overpriced. Everything seems expensive and portions just aren't up there. For a small breakfast it costs quite a bit. It'd photo worthy, but that's really all there is to justify the price even slightly. Cute place but needs some work.

Came with friends for a girls lunch - a cute little cafe situated in a largely office block area. We were greeted and served by very friendly staff and ordered a kimchi pot, pancakes and a (?tofu) salad. We were served within 20 minutes or so and presentation and taste were both so on point! The dishes on this menu have somewhat of an Asian twist which makes them unique, and gives familiar dishes a new (and delicious) flavour! Next time I'm in Auckland I will be back with family to try out the rest of their menu. Also of note is that they have a very good tea menu ;)

So so good, everything on the menu is delicious. Chunky monkey milkshake is all time. Random location but well worth coming out of your way and very well priced! Love this place

Beauriful food, especially like fact that they use free range and some organic produce. Always very well presented by friendly, helpful staff who go out of their way to accomodate you. Willow cafe has become a family favourite with us and I would highly recommend it to all.

Interesting place I didn't even realise existed! Good atmosphere with nice outdoor seating. I got a salad and made it vegan and it was very fresh and tasty. Also got a juice which was very healthy tasting, too much so for my boyfriend but I enjoyed it. Overall, nice place!

My local cafe on the way to work. This place is great. Organic and free range which always is a positive. Service is excellent. Great fresh cabinet food and also the food on menu is beautiful. I'm a huge coffee lover and this has to be one of the best places on the North Shore

Hidden away beside the northern motorway sits a nice little cosy cafe off rosedale road. We have always drove past and wanted to come in and try. There was a storm so we couldn't enjoy the garden seating s like we originally planned. The staff were attentive and friendly making sure the menu was in our hands straight away. The menu was precisely written and packed with lots of healthy goodies. It was good to know most ingredients were free range, organic and gluten free. The food came out nicely presented and of generous portions. We enjoyed all of our dishes although the beef salad could do wit a little less salt. Coffee and drinks were great however there weren't many cabinet options but this could be because we went in quite late. Overall great experience and will be back :)

Well well Willow. There has never been a dull moment at this trendy little hub nestled amongst plain office buildings. I've been here for brunch during the week and Saturday (they are closed Sunday) and it is obvious this cafe is a delightful break away from the dreary Auckland grind for many people. Speaking of grind; Omg THE COFFEE- my soy mocha with half the chocolate (I'm sweet enough thank you). I will never find a smoother cup anywhere. The couple that run the place have sparked an absolute gem here. Fabulously fresh food, friendly, very prompt service, and did I mention the coffee? I can honestly say this place is my favourite cafe by far on the north shore. Thank you Willow, keep up the fantastic work!

Great little cafe! The staff are prompt and friendly.. We both have eggs benedict with bacon/spinach! Bacon was the nice kind..one of my eggs was alittle too cooked but overall the meal looked and tasted great! Definitely will come here again!

A gem of a place, tucked away amongst some office buildings. This compact cafe has a great layout and decor. The cafe opens out on one side to a delightful sunny garden area. <br/>I had a great latte here and sat in the sun for a short while. The ginger crunch slice was rather mild in flavour and didn't have much crunch, next time I'll probably order something more substantial.

Friendly service // not very loud // hidden location // nice food and drinks // great selection of food and drinks <br/><br/>I discovered this place on zomato and I thought I would check it out for brunch on a Saturday morning, seeing as it's quite local to me. It definitely is situated in a very strange location, it is placed in the middle of 3 or 4 office blocks in Tawa Drive. Regardless of the location, they have done well to make the cafe feel pleasant and welcoming. <br/><br/>I ordered a smoothie, can't quite remember what it's called, but it's basically banana chocolate and peanut butter. It was sooo good!! ❤️ the coffee is quite good, I think I might just not be used to the beans they use, which is gravity. <br/><br/>For the food, I ordered a salmon bagel. They got their bagels from best ugly. Their portions were big for the price. My bagel came with 3 big pieces of smoked salmon, caper berries, pickled onion, a big slice of lemon and cream cheese. It wasn't put together which I thought would have been nice if it was put together. I thought it would also have been nice if they made a lemon sauce as opposed to a wedge of lemon. The pickled onion was nice, just thought it needed a bit mor flavour. <br/>My partner ordered the eggs benedict with bacon, the hollandaise isn't the best we've had, however the bacon has a really nice flavour to it. They spinach was nice and wilted. <br/><br/>Overall I gave this place a 4, because it's such a hidden treasure, with a good selection of cabinet food, drinks and breakfast and lunch food. The menu on zomato has not been updated. I recommend going on a weekend day when all the offices surrounding it are closed so it's not as busy. Good and friendly service, and good attention to detail. I will be back 😊

My best and favourite cafe! Love the owners. They are always kind and so so so nice. Their foods are amazing and good price with right portion. Love the atmosphere of the cafe. It is truly hidden treasure for me!!

Fantastic cafe! Delicious food and the staff are so friendly and helpful! Coffee is also amazing. Bagels and scones are so tasty and so is the banana coconut loaf. A must visit!

Love their coffee and food. Very friendly owners. Great setting. Their green chilli scrambled eggs are divine and the cheese scones are yummy served on a wooden chopping board.

Tried this today, easy parking and nice to sit outside on sunny lunchtime. Spotlessly clean. I had the french toast and partner had full breakfast which looked perfect. Yum Yum going back for more...coffee ok ,will ask for a double shot next time as could be a little stronger. Great service, nice people.

We found the staff very friendly and attentive. The food served was absolutely delicious, not to mention the coffee. It was divine!!!<br/>The cafe was just a bit awkward to find, but needless to say we will definitely return!!

What a great find!!<br/>People in my office had been talking about a new cafe that had opened up down the road in Tawa Drive Albany. So I thought it would only be fare to take my partner along to try it out.<br/>We spotted a big blue sign on Tawa Drive with Willow on it and drove in.<br/>The staff there were real friendly but not over the top friendly. They sat us down and ask us if we would like a drink. My partner ordered the cold press green juice and I got a standard long black. Coffee was so tasty and my partner reckons the green juice was up there with the best she's tasted. <br/>We order the saffron risotto with pulled lamb and the house smoked salmon with corn fritters. Both came out swiftly and smelt great. I destroyed mine real quick, it was goood and snuck a little salmon of her plate it was just as good. I ordered a coffee to takeaway and it was time to head back to work.<br/><br/>Overall it's an awesome new cafe for Albany, priced well and great offerings. We be back!!!

Had an awesome meal the other day and finished it of with one of the best take away coffees I've had in a long time. staff were friendly and prices were reasonably compared to others in the Albany area. Nice to have a good cafe in the neighboured

The coffee needs to be stronger with more grunt as unfortunately weak and flavourless. So disappointing when we were so excited about a new cafe on the block. Food looks and tastes wonderful. But both food and coffee a little overpriced