Review The Collins Cafe & Bar - Auckland Central

We had a delicious lunch here. Thank for Chef. Good service, friendly and enthusiastic staff. Interior space The decoration is simple, warm and comfortable. Parking right in front is quite convenient. Sorry that the toilet was not cleaned well, you lost one star.

Lovely Lunch & excellent service highly recommended 😍😍

Delicious food and friendly staff. Their iced coffees are so good too. Well worth a visit 👍🏼

We love this place. Great service and lovely staff. Food quality and portion sizes are nice. Morning breakfast or brunch you will love the experience. Nice cosy cottage style feeling. Seating outside and inside both options are great.

This place is a hidden gem. I've been here a few times and it never disappoints, personally I'm a fan of the eggs Benedict but it's really all delicious. Coffee is great, the aura of the cafe is fantastic and the staff are awesome. If you're on the shore, pop in you won't regret it.

Excellent little getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Cosy and relaxing little cottage style cafe. Food was excellent and service was brialliant. Hope to visit again very soon. 5 stars in my opinion.

everything on their menu is amazing and its styling is charming and gorgeous. staff are friendly and welcoming. soothing and serene environment. bright sunlight, warm people, excellent coffee and food, clean... plus ample free parking is available. What else do we need?

Very friendly and responsive staff - they always greet you and are always smiling - gave the cafe a very pleasant atmosphere. The cafe itself has an amazing outdoor section. No complaints about the food too. Fully recommend if in the area, one of the nicer cafes in Auckland.

Food was delicious and well priced. Staff were so lovely and friendly. Very professional service. Ordered an iced mocha, prob one of the best I’ve had - creamy and delicious. Love the outdoor setup too! Thanks for a great experience :)

Beautifully presented food that tastes as good as it looks. Catered for GF easily and the wait staff are great. Would be a 5 but the team member on the till needs a smile! Easily one of the beat cafes on the shore.

Delicious food and coffee! We go out for breakfast every weekend around Auckland, and a friend suggested we go here. Well, this is the best breakfast we've had. We ordered the corn fritters, toast crunch, iced chocolate and Americano. My partner thought it was the best iced chocolate he'd ever had. Great atmosphere, they even have a dog of the week wall!

Great food for good prices. Only downside was the dirty windows

Nice little quaint spot, drove all the way from Glen Innes because it was on our list to visit. No initial table service as you have to order and pay for your meal at the counter. Service is pleasant and the ambiance of the place has an outdoor rural feel, plenty of playing area for kids it even has a playground across the road. The coffe was amazing and the food was absolutely delicious. Appears to be a popular spot for cyclists we also noticed the many re-served tables and it wasn't lunch time yet.

Mexican eggs with tortilla - spicy and delicious but was a tad cold unfortunately. Coffee was not great, bitter and cold, might have just been a busy day would give them benefit of the doubt as my partners mocha was hot and delicious.

First visit here...great service and coffee had the crispy tofu...omgoodness...melt in your mouth delicious and not what I expected surrounded by delicious vegetables...apple walnut cake a special treat enjoyed by my husband at home!

Quite a popular spot around the local area! But $7.5 for an Iced latte that’s mostly milk than coffee, unsure 😐

Another great visit. Love the food and always a great coffee too. Look at this omelet. Yum!

Spacious out door area, good quality coffee and reasonably priced delicious meals

A popular spot. Outside garden is lovely; rather English-pub feeling. Great food and coffee.

Great cafe good coffee and food! Real friendly staff nice big garden dog and child friendly. Highly recommend!!! A+++

I’ve always had the best food and best service cheers!!! Keep up the fantastic job!!!

I was working there yesterday and today fixing their windows. The hot drinks and food they make there are amazing and the staff even more so. It is really refreshing to see staff that enjoy the environment they're working in. Just amazing to see. Keep it up Bryan and Co. You're doing an amazing job.

Thank you Facebook for telling us about Collins cafe we will be back ... can't fault Devine coffee and Devine food yah...so worth the little trip Out I thank you ���

Best fathersday breakfast, had the brioche french toast and was it amazing ,highly recommend. Also had a taste of dads big breakfast, the potatoe hash is best iv tasted.

I had a lovely lunch here with my daughter for her birthday. The staff member who served us went all out and even have her a complimentary piece of cake with a candle. Little things like that go a long way and the food was fantastic

Every thing is great: coffee, food, and service. And the staff is lovely too :)

Friendly service and awesome food! We are a group of 5 and we all loved our brunch

I had the creamy mushrooms with added bacon, was super delicious, great friendly service and i I would definitely go back again.

Great service and the most delicious food!!! Coffee is sooooo good �

Wow! Currently in the process of eating the most delicious eggs Benedict I’ve ever had! Not only does the salsa give a fresh zesty taste to it but the lady even offered to replace the chorizo for avocado for me (as I’m vegetarian) very generous portions and lovely service � Definitely returning again! THANK YOU!

These guy were so under the pump on the busiest day for them but the still delivered top notch service and food. Highly recommend to all.

First visit was on Mothers Day - crazy busy, a constant stream of customers while we were there. The food was delish! The fish burger was a winner for the kid & Mum & Dad especially enjoyed the salmon. Lovely friendly happy staff, cool setting - we will definitely be back.

Everything about The Collins is attractive! Having been a regular at The Bungalow in Birkenhead for a few years, it was nice to be greeted like an old friend when first visiting The Collins for lunch last week. Keen to try out the evening menu, we celebrated our wedding anniversary there last night - great decision! The staff were friendly and attentive, the food and wine was all spot on. Well done guys!

Great coffee. Better food. Cute lil relaxing cafe loved it �����

This cafe has a nice outdoor seating area when its sunny! Brioche was pretty good loved all the different flavours candy floss, chocolate, cherry and pistachio crumb.

My favorite cafe at the moment . I had been three times. The French toast with bacon was ten out of ten . Secret blueberry jam inside the toast and it served with special White sauce on the side . Will come more times when I feel like :)

Very good place to stay with your friends, friendly service.<br/>

Lovely vintage styled cafe. Friendly staffs and really good coffee& kitchen food. Loved the chicken Kuantan’s salad I’ve ordered.

Nice and friendly services, tidy place to enjoy my brunch. Will definitely come back with friends! Love this place!

Very good serving and food. Tasty food and very dilicious food. I went there on the weekend and there was a nice waitress there. Overall nice and good.<br/>I think just the coffee needs fixing.

Came here for lunch with the family and we all left very disappointed. We didn't get seated for around 8 minutes until we had to go up to the counter and get someones attention. I got the berry lover smoothie & my brother got the mango madness smoothie and I do have to say they were presented nice but they tasted sooooo sweet - definitely were made with syrup and not fresh fruit. Felt so sick after a few sips we both couldn't finish it. To eat I had the ' crunch toast' which is french toast and I added bacon. The whole meal was overly sweet and the bread was so dry, the bacon was really thick and chewy. Meal was so unpleasant and the atmosphere was so dark. Do not recommend going here.

We ordered the smashed avo, corn fritters and the chicken salad with a side of duck fat fries. Everything was super fresh, tasty and delicious. The staff were welcoming and friendly. We will be back!

I Visit many Cafés recently but my personal all time favorite remains “The Collins”. Honestly one of the best kept secrets of AUCKLAND city! Yeah the food is the best but the service I would rate up there with the Michelin Star Resturant’s I frequent. Every time I go there I feel like I’ve come home. Today was like Wow! The best!

Wow! Absolutely loved everything about this place, felt so homey and cozy inside and the food was 💯! Presentation was Devine and it tasted just as good! Definitely one of my new top brunch spots.<br/>Taste 5/5 - everything cooked perfectly, textures worked so well together, looked delicious!<br/>Health 4/5 - fresh ingredients, a fair amount of veg on the eggs benny! My bet would be the eggs were free range too!<br/>Atmosphere - 4.5/5 nice relaxed vibe- felt like we were at a cottage. <br/>Overall 4.5/5 - so hard to beat this place for a brunch!

I've been here twice already and each time the staff have been super friendly and the food has been absolutly delicious. The carrot cake is nice and moist and the ice chocolate is thick and chocolately. The wedges with gravy are super filling, but the gravy is nice and sticky and has a good amount of cheese on top. The french toast is beautifuly presented and the pear is nicely poached and really juicy. It's hard to try anything new as these choices are the go to!

Love the variety of seating areas at The Collins, always a great spot to enjoy the beautiful food and coffee. Great variety on the menu and cabinet food, makes it a tough choice, but never disappointed. Excellent coffee

I was working there yesterday and today fixing their windows. The hot drinks and food they make there are amazing and the staff even more so. It is really refreshing to see staff that enjoy the environment they're working in. Just amazing to see. Keep it up Bryan and Co. You're doing an amazing job.

Went here for brunch on Saturday morning food was really good I got the chicken burger which was really nice loved the sauce that was in it had a nice kick to it and also the yellow milkshake is amazing the service is really friendly and quick would recommend !!

The menu for Collins looked amazing so I have been dying to visit this place! Absolutely establishment with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. Indoor seating is very cosy, we ordered The Original Huevos Benidictos and Belgian Waffles. The Huevos Benidictos is a very interesting take on a classic eggs bene with a Mexican feel by adding the chorizos and salsa. So delicious and a clear favourite for me. The Belgian Waffles were lovely, not sickly sweet at all and the fruit selection was perfect! A big fan of the lemon curd too. Overall definitely coming back to try more goodies!!

This is the first time to have lunch here, I highly recommend their ‘All Good Staff’ meal. This is very tasty, especially the grilled chicken! They also have good coffee! The big area garden beside it, which is available for some private functions. This is a good place with nice environment to go with family and friends.

A cafe without music makes for a very awkward atmosphere. The coffee was good but they actually had a line of Altura pre sealed 1kg on display.... Basically showing you that their beans are not freshly roasted :/<br/>I paid $5 for a vanilla cupcake!!!!!! The base was nice but the icing was clearly just pre-made and store bought. It was disgusting. Anyway a small soy flat white and cupcake cost me $9.5! Won’t be back as it absolutely was not worth the price.

I've driven past many times and thought that the garden area looks very inviting. Decided to pop in for brunch on a week day and with the umbrellas up it's a lovely spot.<br/><br/>Inside is also very comfortable and plenty of room to move a pram around. I had the field mushroom with bacon and white initially I thought it was small was really the perfect size. Come out piping hot and looked lovely.<br/><br/>The coffee was also very good. Good price for coffee and meal. Staff were all really friendly. Would recommend sitting outside of you had kids as plenty of room to run around.

After hearing rave reviews and the photos I had to try French toast. I was a bit disappointed, it was nice but not really as fresh and soft inside as I had hoped! Bacon wasn’t very nice either quite tasteless and the fat wasn’t very cooked but banana berry smoothie was good. Tried the carrot cake and the date cake both were quite dry and the sponges were not very flavoursome.

Great lil cafe. Relaxed chill vibes friendly staff and amazing food an coffee everything was super delicious. Would definitely recommend the crumbed French toast

What a lovely place to eat. Beautiful garden and outdoor seating, and warm and cosy indoors. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and one particular waitress went out of her way to help me create my own vegan, allergy free meal. She worked with the chef to help adapt something that I was able to eat. She was brilliant.<br/><br/>My meal was lovely, and exactly what I asked for. My daughter had Huevos Benedictos, which she said was wonderful, (its eggs Benedict with a twist!), my young son had 2 meals, because he wasnt sure what to have, and so had a kids menu chicken and chips and kids menu waffles, he loved them both and said he couldnt wait to return.<br/>My husband had creamy mushrooms and bacon which he raved about and said was fantastic,.<br/><br/>All 3 of them then had cakes from a lovely selection at the counter.<br/><br/>We noticed people taking photos of their meals and deserts and the place was very busy.... and deservedly so. We went later in the afternoon and some people came just for 'afternoon tea' and had stunning deserts and cakes served to them.<br/><br/>You do have to go to the counter to place your order, but that is no big deal what so ever, and just frees up the staff to help the people who have their food already and may need serving before their food goes cold.<br/><br/>All of our meals and the meals on the table surrounding us were beautifully presented, and everything we had was delicious.<br/><br/>I cant wait to return when its warmer to sit outside, and I cannot rate that particular waitress highly enough, her service was impeccable. I even went out back to talk to the manger about what a lovely meal and experience we had. <br/><br/>Would definitely recommend and can't wait to return, What a find!!! :)

I ordered flat white, they didn't ask if I wanted large or medium. When you want large, you say large. Not the other way around. They charged for the large price. I didn't catch this straght away as I ordered with number of meals. I found out when the coffee came out. I'm not happy not because I paid more, but because the way they charged me. Also, the plate had unfinished meals and we weren't finished but the waiter came if she could take it away. I understand that she was trying to do her job, but I'm not happy. I won't complain about the meals. Just the professionalism.

Really nice, cosy cafe with polite wait staff. However, while the food looked good, it didn't quite meet our expectations. My friend ordered the French Toast, and I ordered the soba salad ('All the Good Stuff'). My friend said the toast itself was good, but - combined with the syrup - was overly sweet. It seemed like more of a dessert than a breakfast meal. They could've either reduced the sugar content of the syrup, or added something to cut through the sweetness. Interestingly, the soba salad was also very sweet... Evidently, these guys have a sweet tooth, and are heavy-handed with sugar, even in their salad dressings. Each element of the salad was presented separately in the bowl, rather than being combined, so I just picked out the stuff that tasted ok (e.g., soba, chicken skewers and cucumber) and left out the stuff that was intolerably sweet (e.g., beetroot and spinach). Was a waste of money in the end, as I only ate about half the dish... This place has potential though, and it's likely that their menu is just a bit hit and miss. I would try it again in the future, but admittedly not anytime soon... Sorry guys.

Nice little cafe in pleasant village setting. Indoor and outdoor seating. Good selection of sweet treats on display and nice menu although the waffles were just a little too sweet.<br/>

Serving Atomic coffee, you know it is good coffee. Located slightly out of town but such a lovely drive and what a big spacious cafe facing a huge park! <br/><br/>I ordered their famous cubed French toast. I thought it was very unique but too much bread for me! I probably need the bacon and banana side which would have made it too expensive! Or sharing plates would be another idea. My friend ordered the bagel with salmon and it was fresh and yummy. <br/><br/>Had food envy when we watched another table having the smashed avocado:p <br/>For Next time! <br/>

The best coffee, food and atmosphere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/>Friendly staff!!!!!!!<br/>Good for family and dogs, nice and big outside mow area. Enjoy the sun and nice food here.<br/>

Amazingly set up and lovely atmosphere, with friendly staff, but that's about it. We ordered the Belgian waffles and French toast. The waffle batter was very plain, tasteless and the waffles were soft, as if they'd been reheated. The only flavour in the waffles dish came from the syrup. The same goes for the French toast, also a lack of flavour. They had cornflakes around them which made them lovely and crunchy but the French toast was overdone and didn't taste very nice either. The meals are presented lovely but the flavours really need improvement. I Was extremely disappointed with our visit.

Really nice food not bad pricies. Bit of a drive to greenhithe but worth it. Great coffee. Lovely atmosphere to be sure. Staff Always friendly

Great atmosphere: very relaxing and peaceful environment.<br/>Coffee was decent and their Southern Style French Toast was amazing.<br/>Park is nice and serene and very zen<br/>Plenty of parking as well

We went for a walk around Wainoni park at Greenhithe so we decided to grab lunch in the area. We decided on the Collins. There is a relatively standard menu with some added interest. There was also a range of very appetising looking cakes and slices - a piece of chocolate banana cake was taken for supper, and proved delicious. We opted for the Huevos Benedictos (Spanish style Eggs Benedict) and the Chicken and bacon burger, with a side order of shoestring fries. We are not usually a fan of shoestring fries, but these were very good - light, crisp and non-greasy - with good dipping sauces. The Huevos Benedictos consisted of 2 poached eggs with hollandaise topped with fresh salsa, with very spicy chorizo and sauce on a Kumara rosti - which was actually a heap of shredded kumara fried to crisp perfection. It was very tasty, very satisfying, and the envy of the chicken burger eater. If you like spicy then you will love the Huevos Benedictos. The chicken and bacon burger was .... well, a chicken and bacon burger -nothing special for the price ($18.50), and it did not include fries. However overall the food is very good quality, and tasty.

Lovely cafe. We went there for lunch and the food was amazing. Nice place especially on a sunny day... lots of potential. Recommended :) thank you

The Collins has been my local cafe for a few years and I'm pleased to say that it changed hands early this year. While I used to go down with dogs in past on an occasion, now I go a few times a week. New owners had a slightly bumpy start but now they have a wonderful front of house team that is always happy to help and appreciative of good manners. I can now say that I have tried everything on the menu and I love it! All the Good Stuff is a great healthy option with yummy sesame (and something else I can't quite pick) dressing. Huevos Benedictos is another one of my favourites. Personally I'm not a huge fan of French toast (Or waffles) in General, though I've tasted my partner's and it was flavoursome! I like to get my sweet fix from one of their yummy cakes! Crumble is always great, with tasty nutty crumble. Gluten free almond, or coconut fruit cakes are also super tasty and wonderfully moist. If you're onto really sweet cakes, their sticky date cake is it. Very sweet but really really good. And cheese scones are one of the best I've had- although good luck getting one- they sell quick!

I love the outdoor, laidback setting of this place! It's absolutely perfect on a sunny day!! Tasty food and fast, friendly service - would recommend!

My husband and I thought we'd try this place for brunch for a change. The Collins has a nice atmosphere with excellent outdoor sitting area and friendly staff. My husband ordered their macadamia and cornflakes encrusted French Toast and I ordered their Huevos Benedictos (Mexican eggs benedict). French toast was delicious and presented differently but a bit too sweet and too much syrup for his liking (maybe having the syrup in a separate container would be better). The eggs bene was nice, egg were poached perfectly, my only complaint with this dish was the hollandaise was quite runny. Unfortunately both our coffee order was a miss and terribly made.. hopefully its just the barista having a bad day. Overall the food was nice but overpriced, not in a hurry to come back.

By far one of the best little cafes for atmosphere and looks wise, I've been to. It's like a villa with a big back yard that got turned into a cafe. Perfect for the summer weather. <br/>Food was delicious and well presented. Surprise surprise, I got the eggs benedict and it was great. Bacon was super crispy and hollandaise was fantastic. My friend got the French toast. It was swimming in syrup and she said that without the syrup it would've been bland. Some pieces of of cubed brioche didn't seem "eggy" enough in the way that French toast is supposed to be but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Portion sizing was huge! A bit over the top, and I felt bad for not finishing my meal but I guess I'm not complaining. <br/>Coffee however was a bit average. Cold. The waitress seemed a bit lost and brought out our coffees separately. She gave me, what I thought was my mocha but happened to be my friend's cappuccino so we had to do our own little swap once I have already drank half and she brought out the actual mocha. No apology or suggestion to swap her for a new one just a "oh, this is actually the mocha" and walked away. <br/>Food was good and came out super fast. Setting/seating and environment was awesome. Service was slightly average, nothing amazing or horrible. <br/>Would most definitely go again. A very nice weekend brunch spot.

Delicious food !<br/>Is a bit isolated so unless you live around here you'll have to make a special trip!<br/>Their burger was good but their french toast is what was amazing. Had cornflakes which made it very crunchy and unique.<br/>Their eggs benedict also looked delicious across the room in other tables.<br/>Recommended !

Went for lunch with my husband yesterday, was very disappointed with lunch menu , hard to decide what to have as nothing really looked exciting, a shame as have had lunch here before and enjoyed it.Had The Philly neither of us really enjoyed it pretty plain maybe a salad on the side may have helped ,have had a red rice and chicken dish here a couple of times and loved it ,also pretty poor selection of wine wanted a Sav and all they had was the house wine.<br/>Will look at the menu online another time before we go.

Chaos. Sums this place up perfectly, so many staff running around and not seemingly knowing what the other is doing! <br/>Met my friends for breakfast at the weekend. Waited ages before they took our coffee order, even though the place was not that busy. I asked for straight toast, offered five grain or plain, Asked for five grain. Friends ordered eggs and spinach (eggs benedict) and here the orders got confusing. The waitress even came over twice to confirm she had got the order right!<br/>Order delivered, didn't get my five grain but very plain bread. friends got eggs but no sauce. Confusion galore!<br/>More staff approached us, bowls of eggs brought out, another whole breakfast nearly delivered to us! Was amazing to watch them run around like headless chooks. <br/>Overall breakfast not bad, presentation very nice, but the fact they can't organise their staff has put me off coming back here. They were friendly enough but too unorganised for my liking. <br/>Went to pay and ended up waiting for ages, while staff all stood in the kitchen talking. I advised was paying for plain toast and coffee, was almost charged a ridiculous amount for something I didn't have . Took one of the senior staff to sort the bill out at the end.

Amazing!!!! The Collins is everything a cafe should be - beautiful atmosphere and decor, bright and sunny, friendly staff, good coffee, and absolutely delicious food. If you're sick of the usual eggs benedict then definitely check out their delicious brunch options - creamy mushrooms on jalapeño cornbread, and macadamia and cornflake crusted french toast. This is absolutely my new favourite brunch spot

Great food and atmosphere, but the service is such a let down. I came in today for a quick bite and the blonde lady at the counter was incredibly rude with me. I asked what the counter food was only to find her rolled her eyes and sighing. I have a severe food allergy and asked what was safe for me to eat. She made me feel like a total inconvenience and frankly I wont be back

Ate here on the weekend and holy heck was the food good! Was quite often put off by how busy it looked but now I know why! The food was amazing( pulled pork burger) and the staff are very welcoming! Will definitely be returning.

We go here for brunch nearly every Sunday with family. Such a great little spot and the food and coffee has never let me down. I am lactose intolerant and the staff are always happy to edit the menu for what I can eat/drink. Great place to take dogs in summer to!

So i just went to the collins in green hithe was really nice food fantastic price altho the service was not that great felt like they are here just to do a job and bot even notice that customers are even here <br/>Over all its a great place to stop by

Great venue for a girls party. Hot chocolate, cup cakes and birthday cake. Place to run around outside. Awesome service from the staff. Thank for a great afternoon.

This premises has had many names and operators and finally they've found success with this venture, the Collins is a contemporary cafe restaurant with beautifully prepared food which tastes *amazing*! Go for brunch and have the french toast!

I went there for their famous French Toast, is coated with granola.<br/>I admit myself as big eater, extreme-sweet tooth but I couldn't finish half of the French toast.<br/>It is pretty huge serving!!<br/> As they are using brioche, and the coating absorbs oil pretty well so very fatty taste.<br/>I almost felt like eating donut instead, <br/>But this is just my personal preference as I like my French toast lighter.<br/>They also have those classic cabinet food.<br/><br/>I give 3.0 for them, my personal preference of French toast is involved a lot in this review.

Terrible menu... not much choices and all choices seemed the same... prices very expensive... for a slice and coffee was $12.00... ?!! the large coffee was size of a small coffee... No pasta or rice or any variety on menu! almost nothing for vegetarian or healthy eating! the french toast was floating in syrup and the tiniest amount of fruit (only one type of fruit, a few blue berries) nice atmosphere but whats the point when not much choice and very expensive?

Went for brunch and no complaints on the food but service left a great deal to be desired.Nothing to indicate orders not taken at table, coffee mucked up long wait- disappointing as surroundings and menu good.

Very good brunch. Nice fresh ingredients, best mince on toast in a long time! Very good scrambled eggs & awesome coffee. Highly recommended brunch venue

By far the best cafe in the area, cruzzy environment with good music and happy efficient staff. Simple systems mean little room for error (order at the counter when you are ready), the food is that of a great restaurant, so much more than what most can offer and far more delicious than your regular spot. I love this place and will be back every chance I get. Oh coffee is epic to :)

Heard about this place when reading an article about the best cafés in Auckland - it said the French Toast was the best on the North Shore! Very bold claim indeed, because it came very far from what I thought was the best (having had it yesterday at the Ravenhill Café in Birkenhead). Nothing on the plate but dry brioche, blueberries and maple syrup. Where is the bacon? Bananas? Cream or anything that could make it more palatable? No sauce with the Big Breakfast also made it quite dry. Maybe I'm disappointed because I had very high expectations, but nevertheless this is definitely not in my best cafés in Auckland list yet.

Absolutely delicious!  Went here for lunch last weekend and it was so yummy.  The French toast is to die for - one of the best in Auckland in my opinion.  Salads and coffee also good and the baked treats at the counter looked yummy too (although we were too full to fit one in - next time!).  Good sized meals and lovely staff.  I will be back.

lovely surroundings. interesting menu. we all had the roti with cherizo and avocado . Would love to go again when in Auckland next.