Review Homestead Cafe - Auckland Central

You could chilling on their cafe to buy coffee, tea, breakfast, or lunch, they had a great view to just chilling and sitting. But to be honest, the main selling point is that their cafe is actually an authentic house that used to be settled and used by some of the early European settlers in Aotearoa, truly beautiful place.

Nice place, well priced. Can be a bit crowded on weekends. We like the atmosphere very much.

The pumpkin soup is the best pumpkin soup I have ever had. Coffee & Blueberry muffin is satisfied afterwards 👍😋👍

Never knew there's a cafe inside Llyod Elsmore Park. Good ambience, pet-friendly, and good food to spend with family and friends. 👌🏼

Excellent cafe in a beautiful location with really friendly and helpful staff. This cafè is ideal to visit with your dog or kids and have a play or walk around the park after breakfast.

Had the Millers corn fritters which were amazing. Generous portions. Very accommodating of our large group. Fish and chips and multiple scones were also enjoyed by all.

Lovely service and lovely food. The atmosphere and environment is very homey and comforting, excellent place to have breakfast there. Lots of people like going there in the morning and creates a general warm vibe. Food was also fast and tasty.

Loved the food and environment, and the staff are very friendly not just the cafe, but the shop as well. Very helpful and love to go again

Cosy and reasonably priced for food, good airy outdoor sitting with good view of greens

I really enjoyed my meal at this cafe. The servings were generous and made with high-quality ingredients. It is situated in a lovely park with plenty of seats available. Will definitely return again.

Delicious food & friendly staff. We ordered big breakfast and their scone with freshly whipped cream. So good! Will definitely come back.

Beautiful environment, very comfortable place, very friendly staff, will definitely go again👍👍👍

Stopped by for lunch even though we didn't head into the Historical Village. The cafe entrance is the other side of the village entrance. The cafe had a winter theme going on with penguins and polar bears lining most of the counter. There were quite a few tables inside but also a few outside. We grabbed some menus from the counter and sat at a table. After picking we had to go up to order. They also had a few counter items as well which included scones and macaroni cheese. The food was nice, well presented and tasty. Portions were alright. Nice cafe for a lunch and you could spend an afternoon at the village afterwards for something different.

Beautiful location in Lloyd Elsmore reserve at the entrance to Howick Historical Village. The attached museum is worth a visit. Great atmosphere and the food and service is very good.

Lovely peaceful place to have a light lunch or coffee and scone. The food was excellent and coffee was great.

Positioned at the Historic Village, its a great place to stop for a Coffee, better still lunch. My residents from Elmwood love it..

Absolute superb, the kitchen of this cafe is very strong although not the cheapest. Cafe has a nice ambience, better come in the weekday as it gets quite busy during the weekend la especially on a sunny day.

Situated in the Lloyd Elsmore Park. My husband enjoyed the home made Beef Burger with fresh verges and crunchy hot chips. I loved their very tasty Creamy Mushrooms. Beautiful surroundings, relaxing place you can enjoy the afternoon.

I walk past this cafe most days with my dog so thought I should finally try it out. It has good outdoor seating. Staff were friendly and service quick. I ordered eggs benedict and asked for hash browns instead of bread. No extra charge which is unusual but appreciated. Yummy breakfast and a very big portion especially the bacon, I couldn't finish it all! Not a trendy cafe, but a lovely little spot with well cooked food and good portion size. I look forward to going back to try other dishes.

This place never disappoints! Been here many times now and each time has been absolutely delicious! The food comes out at a reasonable time, portions are a good size and great value for money. The outside area is delightful looking out into Lloyd Elsmore and I can’t forget to mention they make the best hot chocolates in the area.

the staff in the cafe were very weird. they hanged the open plate when we arrived at 8：40, we stood by and waited the female staff prepare well and tried to order a coffee, then she said they are open at 9 rudely.<br/>the expreesionless faces and rude behaviour really rub me up the wrong way.

Good food, highly recommend on the creamy mushrooms. It never disappoints. Very generous portions and staff always friendly. Food service is quick.

Came here for brekkie and was surprised at how yummy and cheap the food was. My plate only cost $13.50 which was awesome!!! Sat outside on the deck with a nice view of Lloyd Elsmore Park

Lovely setting in a Public Park. Cafe surrounded by cute Cottage flowering garden and green field. Atmosphere very Vintage to match the Historical museum next door. Fast service and tasty traditional food options. Coffee was Hot and strong.

Sat outside on a nice sunny day. The iced mocha was a very generous cup and very nicely blended. <br/><br/>The salmon Eggs Benedict was your usual cafe style eggs Benedict. The salmon was a decent portion. <br/><br/>The lamb burger was ok. The chips were very crispy and crunchy.

Visited from overseas, and while my Settlers breakfast (of toast, bacon and eggs) was nice, and the coffee was good... on returning home to my bank statement I see they charged me $28.20 for a $13 breakfast + coffee. VERY expensive coffee! lol. *It was Easter Sunday so probably had a surcharge, but that still doesn't add up. Pretty place to sit outside and decent menu, just make sure you check what they charge you!

Homestead is a part of the Howick Historical village which is a re-creation of a New Zealand colonial village using houses and cottages saved from the surrounding suburbs of Howick. It's actually a fabulous area to learn about the settlement of East Auckland and to gain some insight into its history. There is an open park right next too it which I actually love as you can just gaze out into the green as you have your coffee or brunch. <br/><br/>The area is just pristine and green that it gives a relaxed and homely feeling. However, unfortunately, the café is rather disappointing in terms of price and quality. <br/><br/>Being so close to nature is beautiful and all but there can be risks of bug issues, now I’m not insinuating that there is a bug hazard at the café but there were quite a few flies around the café and you could see ants climbing the outside table and seats because the leftover food by the previous patrons. The service is not the best here, they are slow to clean up tables and it’s an order at counter type service which is totally fine but I wished it was made clear. It was quite awkward as I sat staring at the lady at the counter and she stared right back at me, I guess I lost because I succumbed to my hunger and conformed to everyone else ordering at the counter. <br/><br/>I had the creamy mushrooms on ciabatta bread, while my friend had a chicken burger and corn fritters. The creamy mushrooms had a fantastic flavor, it had a good balance of mushroom and dairy. There was also a generous amount of mushroom which literally looks like a little mushroom tower. With the mushroom cascading off to my ciabatta as I ate through it, the creamy mushroom is a great meal at the Homestead. However, unfortunately, that’s where the positives stop because the other two meals were rather poor, the brioche buns were a nice addition but the chicken patties lacked any real flavor and tasted rather artificial, it looked like something you get from your local takeaways, the fries were too bad though. For 16$ I do expect something a bit more gourmet.<br/><br/>The biggest disappointment was definitely the corn fritters because they were just not corn fritters! They were more like stale pancakes with corn in them, the texture was chewy and had a distinct lack of flavor, I would not pay the price I did for that monstrosity that tries to call itself a corn fritter. Coffee wasn’t too bad though so there are some redeeming factors about this place. Overall I found this place quite hard to rank because they did some things well and were just utterly useless in others. Still, if you are new in Auckland and are wanting to understand the place a little better Howick Historical Village is a novel place to visit at least once and the coffee isn’t a must go, but it will serve its purpose in terms of getting you some OKAY café food. <br/><br/>Showstopper: Creamy Mushroom, scenery, and coffee<br/><br/>Overall Grade: B

We have been going to the Homestead Cafe for breakfasts for many years and honestly can say that they are worth every penny. Delicious food cooked perfectly and to top it off... the staff are really friendly. Good job guys 🥓🍳

This place is beautiful, cheap, big serving size and amazing coffee. I didnt give it a 5 because the food was okay. Very generic. We got the fishermen basket and a creamy mushroom. Both tasted okay, no complaints or whatsoever, we love the views outside

Stopped by for lunch even though we didn't head into the Historical Village. The cafe entrance is the other side of the village entrance. <br/><br/>The cafe had a winter theme going on with penguins and polar bears lining most of the counter.<br/><br/>There were quite a few tables inside but also a few outside. We grabbed some menus from the counter and sat at a table. After picking we had to go up to order. They also had a few counter items as well which included scones and macaroni cheese.<br/><br/>The food was nice, well presented and tasty. Portions were alright.<br/><br/>Nice cafe for a lunch and you could spend an afternoon at the village afterwards for something different.

Wonderful brunch on an open day which really added to the atmosphere.<br/><br/>Food: eggs benedict (again). Great arrangement and presentation. Plenty of hollandaise, full flavour and great texture. The spinach was raw, which I actually really enjoyed. Creamy mushrooms were a bit weird. The sauce was watery and it was served on lettuce?<br/><br/>Service: friendly, thorough and warm. There was no confusion in ordering, the service was fast and very polite.<br/><br/>Vibe: family (and dog) friendly with decor to match the time era. <br/><br/>Overall great experience

Homestead cafe is inside Howick Historical Village in Pakuranga. (Does it sound a bit confusing?) We had, for lunch, spicy chicken & avocado burger with fries, lamb burger with bacon, onion rings & fries, almond & lemon tart, & hot nice coffees. Brioche buns were excellent - soft with a bit of crispness; all else were good, apart from the tough spicy chicken. (Food - 3.5/5; Ambience - 3.5/5)<br/><br/>P.S. Walking around Historical Village, after lunch, was an additional enjoyment.

Went for lunch with friends. Fish pie was delicious, cheese toasted sandwich was average, the filo filled wrap was nice and the big breakfast was also well done...with  the poached eggs being perfect. We hardly ever go out for lunch but this was nice.  The scones looked good too.

Stopped for a bit of late lunch after spending a few hours in the Horwick Historical Village. DIdn't quite know what to expect, but it appeared to be a open friendly cafe.  Ordered the fishermans basket, a date scone, and a steak and cheese (homestead) pie. We also got a smoothie.  The food came out fairly quickly, and it was pretty nice. The pie however was a bit soft on the pastry and couldn't be picked up by hand to eat (as it is often done in Australia) so it had to be handled with utensils. <br/><br/>The fishermans basket was amazingly good. The seafood had been cooked (deep fried) to perfection, succulent, crisp, and not oily at all.  Really enjoyed it. The smoothie however was more like a frappe though, with chunks of ice, but it was still really refreshing.  <br/><br/>That said, I did find it a bit weird that the older gentleman with glasses (manager? owner?) felt friendly enough to come up to our baby and touched her on the cheek without asking permission first, and then tell us we should come for the baby blessing ceremony that was happening at some point in the future.  Mate, while we didn't mind, you really should ask first as some parents might not appreciate that a random stranger touches their child.

Had a late lunch here today and we were quite impressed with not only the food which was fresh and tasty but the staff couldn't have been lovelier. Very relaxing atmosphere and the coffee was soooooo nice 😊

Beautiful, relaxing setting , lovely sunny corner table. Generous proportions and a hearty meal is what we received. A good big breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages and the works. Although it is a bit pricey, it does good for a special outing.

We ordered the French toast, eggs benedict with salmon and a big breakfast. <br/>They all tasted magnificent especially the eggs benedict. The atmosphere was inviting and very chill with plenty of space for everyone. <br/>One complaint for me was that the full breakfast wasn't enough for me. It felt like it was missing another ingredient, like baked beans or something else but other than that the rest of it was amazing!

Big breakfast <br/>Fish & chips <br/><br/>Outdoor sheltered seating <br/><br/>Good service <br/> <br/>

Set in a lovely location very relaxing and peaceful.<br/><br/>The service is great very friendly staff and always good for a laugh and cheeky sense of humour which you have to love in this very PC country!<br/><br/>I had the nachos which to be honest was nothing like Nachos corn chips served on the side of curried mince with a dap of sour cream......where was the beans,salsa,tomatoes, guacamole. ( don't serve Nachos when its just curried mince felt completely ripped off!)<br/><br/>I will go back again because what others ordered looked tasty, and the atmosphere is just perfect for a lunch:)

Went to the Homestead Cafe for the last weekend,  the food was very nice, we both ordered out of the cabinet, I had Fish Pie, husband had Cottage Pie both came with a small side salad. KInd or reminded me of the things my Mum/Nana use to make :).<br/><br/>The Hot Chocolate & Coffees were nice to<br/><br/>Can't remember the individual cost of the meals, the overall bill was $45 that included the hot drinks

Lovely setting, friendly staff.

We recently held my sisters baby shower here. I have visted quite a few times over the years and always enjoyed th delicious food so thought it would be a good option. It was better than good. Not only is the food very tasty, but the service was excellent - Winston was very accommodating of all our requests and the portions given were very very generous. He gave us a very reasonable set price per head - and provided so much food we took alot home at the end. Thank you Winston and team, it was a pleasure.

We held my 50th birthday at home but I did not want to do too much catering work. The Homestead Cafe' provided a series of platters with dips, filled eggs, cold meats, crackers and pastries for us. <br/>From our first moment of contact with the owners, Winston and Mary, we were treated with respect and kindness. The portions were generous and the presentation of the food was done professionally and with care. It was fresh and completed on time. If I had known that whole cakes could be bought there I would have done that as well.<br/><br/>We had a lots of compliments about the food and it took the stress off me. <br/><br/>I sometimes go to the Homestead Cafe' for a cup of coffee but I think I will be going more regularly now. I would highly recommend this restaurant/cafe' for any event or even just for out catering for your own function.<br/>Thank you Winston and Mary.

We held our wedding reception at the Cafe earlier this month and are extremely happy with how it went. Our ceremony was at Howick Historical Village next door so the Cafe was the natural choice for our celebration and we are pleased we had it there. It was great for our guests to not have to drive to another venue.<br/><br/>Right from our first communication, hosts Winston and Mary were patient, helpful and professional. Planning a wedding can be stressful and not all suppliers deliver what they promise, but Winston and Mary were always approachable and reassuring and instilled me with confidence from the word go. <br/><br/>I was initially concerned about space but lower guest numbers (46) and fine weather, together with a suitable layout and experienced planning, resulted in no problems on the day. <br/><br/>We selected items from an extensive finger food menu and these were served on platters, accompanied by wine, beer, soft drinks and juices, and followed by tea and coffee. Our guests have commented they enjoyed the food and that there was a generous supply of it.<br/><br/>The atmosphere is relaxed, the outlook pleasant, and the venue hire charge and food and beverage costs were reasonable.<br/><br/>We dined at the Cafe several times leading up to the 'big day' and again since, and the food and service was consistently good. I highly recommend the Cafe for an everyday bite, an important function, and everything in-between.<br/><br/>Thank you Winston and Mary and staff for helping to make our special day such a success.

Homestead Cafe' catered our afternoon tea which formed part of our wedding, this was off site from their premises &amp; the owners were more than happy to fit into our timetable for the day.<br/><br/>We found the menu choices varied &amp; we were able mix and match to our tastes. The food was brought over on time, hot &amp; fresh. Lovely presentation &amp; generous portions. Guests ranging from teenagers to elders all commented that the spread was fantastic.<br/><br/>I would highly recommend a visit to the cafe' for a nice homely meal or consideration for any catering purpose with the owners being very friendly with great communication.<br/><br/>Thank you &amp; the Homestead Cafe staff for your prompt, professional &amp; delicious service.

We have enjoyed Homestead cafe as a place for a treat morning tea, and more recently as a venue for cooked men's breakfast meetings for 20 or so, and also for a private wedding anniversary function for 50 people. The hosts and staff are friendly and helpful, the menu interesting and varied, the quantities generous and the food quality has been consistently delicious. We commend this as a friendly and versatile venue for a private function, or a special outing. Thank you.

We held a Golden Wedding Party recently. The venue is ideal for a group of between 30 and 50 people and the evening was a great success, because of the pleaseant efficiency of the proprietor and his staff, the quality of the food and the reasonable charges. We are happy to commend this establishment.

It was a pleasure having my 60th Birthday function at this venue. The atmosphere was convivial and friendly and there was plenty of room for my guests to mix and mingle during the evening.<br/>The staff, especially Winstone and Mary were exceedingly helpful and approachable and made the evening the success that it was.<br/>The food was superb and catered for all tastes and dietary requirements. The rates for the venue hire, food and beverages were excellent.<br/>I would recommend this venue for anyone wishing to hold a function of this nature.

Service.. friendly with requirements for an evening function fully catered for.<br/>food.. platters, salads, finger food, and dessert. for the function were served as discussed and enjoyed by all the quests.<br/>Food is all made on the premises and served fresh each day.<br/>Venue...a quaint cottage with the cottage theme providing a restful setting. Has an outside deck for warmer days and evenings.

This review is based on my personal experience of the Homestead Cafe, which I used as the venue for my recent sixtieth birthday celebrations. <br/><br/>The food (buffet, plus sweets and drinks) was of a high standard, very well presented, available when needed and drew high praise from the guests.<br/><br/>The staff are friendly and helpful, and prices are reasonable.<br/><br/>The atmosphere is very good. This cafe is set in the Howick Historic Village with traditional architecture and looks out over a magnificent park. There is adequate seating indoors for about 60, and this is supplemented by lots more outdoor deck-seating.<br/><br/>I found the experience to be very positive, and will certainly recommend this cafe to my friends and family, both for take-aways, sit-down meals and for more formal functions. Well done, Homestead Cafe!

Great cafe with interesting decor - very old fashioned and in tune with the historical village situated next door. <br/><br/>very friendly staff, somewhat not very attentive - although they may have been busy at the time, which we found OK as it gave us time to look over the menu and decide what to eat.<br/><br/>The options are so-so, somewhat generic cafe food with the odd interesting option here and there.<br/><br/>I ordered the bacon benny (all time favourite & go-to cafe choice) whilst my friend chose the BLT. The bacon benny was great! Tasted amazing with lots of hollandaise (I approve) and perfectly poached eggs - my only peeve is that the spinach was cooked (personal hate) and I don't fully understand why it was on a 'bed' of soy-mayo sauce. The BLT was apparently great, but not very filling. In my opinion, for $12, it's over priced and average.<br/><br/>We also ordered a mocha and a herbal tea (lemon and ginger). <br/><br/>The tea was hot.... even 30minutes after we finished eating, which I would consider both a good and bad thing. It's nice to still have a hot drink after so long, but it was boiling hot so it hurt to actually hold the cup itself (we had our drinks takeaway). The mocha was made with Belgium chocolate. I'm not a huge fan of coffee or chocolate but I needed a light morning kick, and I would say this leans more towards a hot chocolate than a coffee - I could barely taste the coffee in it (yes, i know mocha's are mostly chocolate based but still).

A very pleasant eateries. Good service, good variety and pleasant staff