Sluurpy > Restaurants in Auckland Central > Buoy Cafe & Eatery

Review Buoy Cafe & Eatery - Auckland Central

Rena Zhu
Such a lovely and lively place to have brunch in town. It’s right by the water so in summer it’s a stunning spot. Great food, very delicious and lovely service!
Orang Indo Jalan2
Cafe with amazing view....you can see Auckland Harbour bridge and Auckland marina. Staff are friendly, cafe clean and tidy. Food ok and a bit pricey, but if you want to stay for a hangout for brunch with family on weekend that is a good choice for local and tourist. I give 4 star ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ thank you for the food and the service.
Liz Scott
We came here on a beautiful foggy morning. I discovered it accidentally on Google maps when I was searching for westhaven. It’s a lovely cafe, inside and out. One side looks over to the park beside the harbor bridge, the other towards the boats moored in the marina. There’s nautical references all through the decor which is cool. We had eggs bene (1 with bacon, 1 with salmon). The hollandaise was rich and buttery, and the perfect sauce for the delicious rosti and eggs. Highly recommend. Coffee was excellent.
Kookie Samin
The food was lovely and the service was great. A bit of a botched up with our coffee orders to be in a takeaway cup but Manager was very nice and said we can choose to pay for just one or we get another coffee to takeaway because of the slight confusion. At the end of our breakfast we were just charged for one coffee only.
Joanie Badenhorst-Awasthi
What a lovely place! The ladies were very friendly, quick, and attentive. The other people's food looked amazing. I only wanted some sweet cabinet food. It did not disappoint. The coffee was perfection. Even on a cloudy and rainy day, it was still a nice day out, with a lovely view
Colleen Beach
Delicious food, substantial portions, high quality ingredients, attentive and friendly service, fantastic views of the city center, marina, and water. My partner and I visited for breakfast on a rainy Friday morning. We ordered one “big breakfast” and scrambled eggs on toast with a side of mushrooms… the portion size was substantial compared to other restaurants we have visited, and we are an active couple in our early 30s with pretty big appetites. It seems like a popular spot, but we managed to get a table for two without a reservation… wishing it didn’t take us two years to finally visit! We will definitely be back 😊 thank you!
K G
Went to Buoy today for the first time, such an amazing place to be, the staff are super friendly and service is great too. We ordered a spicy chicken burger and also a fish and chips with 2 drinks which were absolutely amazing! Dog friendly as well which was a bonus. Will def go back.! 5 stars!
christine lilley
This place has recently come under new management, and I can't tell you how amazing they are now. The service is great, and the food is outstanding. I had the best French toast of my life there the other day. Because I'm allergic to banana they served it with poached apples and it came with this delicious creamy maple sauce. It was luscious! They have an outdoor kiosk now as well for coffee to go. Got a brownie there this afternoon while walking my dog. Soooo good. Definitely give this place a go. Divine food.
Yogesh Nath
Beautiful location with parking by mariner near Auckland Harbour Bridge. Good food with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Perfect for sunset and sunrise photography too with boats and sky tower in background.
Jack Isaacs
Great host! Saw from a distance them catering for everyone’s needs, provided newspapers upon request, great fast service with unbelievably large portions of good quality. Highly recommended Photo of big breakfast
Terri James
Hands down the best coffee and meal we have had in NZ. A beautiful view, friendly staff and modern yet relaxed setting. We would highly recommend the crepes, the mushroom and chorizo bruschetta, and the eggs were cooked perfectly. Awesome.
Annemieke Bohnenn-Pritchard
Stunning stunning spot and the sun wasn't even out! Decor lovely....keeping with the beautiful blue sea theme.....coffee yummy, food looked delicious but will save that for brunch at a later date......easy parking.....very special spot....dog friendly in the sense that the waiter v kindly got a water bowl for me....recommend
Georgie Silk
This is hands down one of my favourite cafes in Auckland. Beautiful venue, friendly staff (who recognise me now) and simple yet elegant food. Make sure you go! Such a hidden gem.
Suzy McLean
Great place to stop on a walk around the marina. Sit outside by the water overlooking the tranquility of the yachts or view the harbour from the seaside inspired interior. Tea and cake or something more substantial. It's an experience worth having.
Virginia Jones
Friendly staff and good Coffee. Throughly enjoyed a divine lamb burger, cooked exactly as I had asked for and the potatoes chips were so nice everyone at the table had to try them. Highly recommend. The position is also lovely and very relaxing. Who doesn't like being close to the water.
Janiene Pasco
I often pop over from Bucklands Beach to meet my sister at Buoy. It's our favourite. The best eggs bene on the planet and coffee to die for. The staff are always so kind and jolly! ❤️
Joe Carbery
I recommend the raw fish salad. Yum! Friendly and efficient staff.
Mark Harrison
had nice coffee and hot chocolate on saturday then went back monday for lunch my partners seafood chowder was very watery and taste less my lamb burger was terrible and hot chocolate poor
Robyn Larkham
Amazing location by the water. Friendly, bubbly and attentive staff. Exceptional coffee and food. Highly recommend.
James Colley
Walked in and sat at a table with dirty dishes on it. There were only 4 tables in total being served. Sat there for 15 minutes and was completely ignored. No service whatsoever despite there being 3 waitresses and a manager. Obviously this place is not interested in your custom. I had to leave it was so bad. Definitely recommend any other cafe other than this place.
Sophie Waite
Have been getting my coffee fix now from buoy for the last 18 months and absolutely love it! The staff always remember my name and sooo friendly! Awesome in the summer nights when they are open late too! �
Denise Leal
We love going to Buoy several times a week for breakfast. Nothing is ever a problem. Even when we are on a limited diet the team always accommodate us with ease. The location is fantastic, you always feel like you are holiday when you are looking at the sensational view of Westhaven. It's a little like Cheers....the place where everyone knows your name!!
June McCabe
Regrettably - not a great experience - eggs bene a disappointment (hard eggs and sauce had curdled) - hair on plate and offer of a coffee to make up for it - no apology at checkout.
Melanie Joanne Rogers
Sorry guys not good experience today after waiting half hour for coffee by the time I tasted it back at my car wrong coffees after I asked twice if they were the right order couldn’t drink it and our sticky date cake was so dry and stale couldn’t eat it
Ursh Dixon
This cafe is in a great place but unfortunately have had a couple of bad experiences there with super rude staff , coffee can be good and food is average, but staff attitude makes you wish you stayed at home .. would never go back
Ron Goh
Arrogant and rude staffs. Bad service. Average to bad foods. The breakfast bap was soggy. I found sand on my sticky dates cake. Just a pretty spot and good coffee.
Mashed_Potato
Great place to meet up with friends on a sunny Sunday, awesome location, right by the harbour and some of the best coffee weve had in the city :)<br/><br/>Will be back!
Where To Next Auckland
Food: I've had brunch and lunch here and both were really good. Their Lamb burger was absolutely delicious and came with these delicious spiced potato skins - so good! They also do amazing smoothies and a great classic eggs bene. <br/><br/>Service: Service was good. We've had my dog with us every time we've been, so it's a great dog friendly place. They were attentive and friendly, took our order quickly and we didn't have to wait to long for the food which is always a plus. No one really came to check on us once we received our food, and it was hard to get someone attention for another round of drinks - but that was probably just because they were super busy. <br/><br/>Ambiance: This place has a great atmosphere. It's a really casual and relaxed place with absolutely stunning views of the city and the harbour. Inside there is a great nautical themed vibe, without it being cheesy. It's classy and sleek and great place for weekend (or weekday brunching).
Crackerjacker
I love this little cafe, if it was closer to home or my work, I would be there everyday. Really enjoyed the food and they have a really good selection. A lot of menu foods, cabinet foods and also sweets
Shannon
Been a couple times for a coffee, and once to try their sourdough and toppings. Good cappuccinos, friendly service, coffee came out fast. Asked if we wanted a single or double shot, so double must not be the standard. This cafe is bustling at the weekend, even on an overcast day. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the marina. Keen to try more of their food menu, the cabinet food looks good too. Good to have some cheaper options.
Holly Swallow
Beautiful wee spot down by the water, my friend recommended this place for a coffee but I couldn’t say no when I say smashed avo on the menu. I had it with their homemade buckwheat loaf which was hearty and delicious. <br/>Coffee was excellent, cabinet food looked delish, and the staff were so lovely and very good service. <br/>Would love to try even more on the menu!!
Jo Ch
Great experience. Great food! Had breakfast here with hub and bub and we were pleased. Greeted by friendly staff. Service is great. We ordered scrambled egg with sourdough toast and buoy benedict - i’d say twas scrumptous! Also, the ambience is really nice. Keep it up! Cheers!
GeoPanda
Great location and views, but was disappointed with my meal at Buoy. The staff were friendly but the smoothie was warm and the muesli tasted like it was supermarket bought. The smoothie tasted off and couldn’t drink much cause it was very unpleasant due to it being warm too. The muesli was nicely presented but unfortunately didn’t taste as good as it looked. Also there wasn’t enough yoghurt on it. Had been looking forward to trying buoy for some time now and was disappointed with it. Room for improvement food wise as the location is so lovely next to the harbour bridge.
Sam Ashton
Best Eggs Benny! - Eggs benedict is my go to breakfast menu option and I was pleasantly surprised this morning with my breakfast at Buoy. Their eggs benedict on roast potatoes was delicious and one of the best I have ever had. The saltiness of the bacon, mushrooms and potatoes was perfectly balanced with the hollandaise and runny eggs. Back up food like that with super friendly staff and you get 5 stars every time.
Olivia
Came here with some work friends for lunch today although the outdoor area is a nice setting I paid $19 for one poached egg and one tiny hash brown that was rock solid with a side of creamy mushrooms. Food was extremely average especially for the price and considering the portion size.
Marina Hay
Love to go there beautiful location love the view and good parking. Very friendly staff and something to eat for everyone. Never had a bad experience.
Liv Fisher
Really enjoyed my visit here. I had the kumara sourdough with avocado and it was so YUM. Staff were really friendly even though it was busy, and the marina is lovely for a walk around before/after coming here - easy parking too.
Laura Willemsen
Terrible service, waited about 40 minutes for food to come out and when it did it was cold and tasted terrible. I also asked for no chilli in my salad which they claimed they could not do because it was out of a packet. Would not go back.
Brett Collins
My husband and I visited Buoy Cafe with 2 elderly ladies, a busy little enterprise in Westhaven under the Harbour bridge. Easy access,  one step entry. parking available and plenty of seating and a choice of indoors or outdoors. A  perfect setting for a lovely summers day overlooking Westhaven Marina. Food was excellent and reasonably priced. We ordered 2 Seafood chowders, 1 Spicy Chicken Salad and 1 spice apple crepe and 4 great coffee's.  We found staff friendly, helpful and provided us with excellent service. Thank you  guys! it was  a lovely outing/escape for two old girls from a retirement village. Rosemary Collins
Rob Land
Great location but over priced disappointing menu food with variable service and unhelpful manager. Good for a quick coffee and cabinet food.
Fred Ade
Great food with a Middle Eastern touch. Right next to the water. Good view with lots of free parking. Service is fast and friendly and prices are reasonable. Nice venue on a sunny day.<br/>
Cat
Long wait for food and then served cold, average food. Definitely not worth the wait or the price! Much better options in the area to choose from. We won't be back.
Aram Kim
So our family came here today (15/7/17) for brunch at 11:00 am, and ordered food and coffee. Firstly, although it's understandable that busy times are busy times, the customer service was lackluster and could be improved. Particularly in terms of being felt welcomed. But the main grievance here for the 1 rating, is that although everyone got there food at a somewhat acceptable time, my dad waited for more than 20 minutes for his eggs benedict to arrive. In fact a group that ordered their food after us, got their food (an order of two fish and chips and one eggs benedict) before he even got his. When asked what had happened to my dad's order, we were given a half apologetic explanation of "your server had forgotten your order". We were offered a free coffee for this blunder, but the coffee did not arrive. And to be honest, this is not acceptable. Guys, even if your food is delicious (the lamb burger was quite nice), you need to work on your customer service please. You need to be quite clear on how to attend to errors like these for the future. Otherwise a 1 star rating is the least of your worries.
Matthew
More than just a great location overlooking Westhaven Marina, wonderful menu and the best coffee in Auckland.  Testament to why owners (and to this owner in particular) should be the operators, you don't get service like this otherwise.
NurN
Lovely view. Came here for the coffee and of course the view. Tried the cheesecake oh so yummy! Good ambiance in the cafe. Friendly staffs too. Will definitely come back.
Niamh Slattery
Busy spot at the weekend especially on a sunny day . we ended up having breakfast and a take away lunch here as we were going to the bungy. Breakkie was awesome coffee seriously yum and standard breakfasty stuff. And for lunch we took away two sandwich's again standard affair and good value . really friendly staff ,great coffee and good value food would pop in again as its a chill spot
David
A truly wonderful experience in a tranquil setting of boats and water. You can eny-meny-miny-mo the menu have a culinary experience like no other. What are you doing... get there now.. David & Annie
Funluva1
Busy cafe with standard food abs potential to be very good. Sadly let down by poor service. We were disappointed to see friends of the cafe get served coffee as soon as they arrived despite waiting for over 20 minutes for ours. <br/>
Jude Mannion
A boiling hot day ....not an umbrella in site -asked 3 staffers who all told different stories as to why not - we need shade from the sun - this is New Zealand
Jade Lim
I wanted to find a café with a view...and thanks to Zomato, I've found Buoy. Went there for coffee and watch the world pass-by while absorbing the morning sun and the breeze - brilliant cafe to do that or grab coffee and brekkie after your cycle or morning jog.<br/><br/>I've yet to try their food, but will give it a try another time. Noticed that there's a lot of usuals going to Buoy for their morning fix. And yes, coffee is good.
Rachel Jones
I enjoyed a coffee here in this delightful space the other day. Coffee was great, and came out quickly. The view was incredible, and I'm keen to return to try out something from the food menu.
I'm Hungry
Lovely cafe with loads of outside and inside seating. Heaps of sunshine and covering too. Came here for coffee and muffin in Sunday morning. Staff was extremely nice and service great.
James
Walked in and sat at a table with dirty dishes on it. There were only 4 tables in total being served. Sat there for 15 minutes and was completely ignored. No service whatsoever despite there being 3 waitresses and a manager. Obviously this place is not interested in your custom. I had to leave it was so bad. Definitely recommend any other cafe other than this place.
Yorkshire Pudding
Finally somebody gave the space the TLC it deserved!<br/>My partner and I enjoyed lunch here after hearing of its opening and were super impressed. <br/>The cheerful waitress recommended chorizo and potato when I asked her what her favourite was and my partner ordered the fish. <br/>It was the first hot day we'd had in spring and the place was obviously jam packed yet, we were always attended to, our water glasses always full and the food was out in 15 minutes.<br/>The chorizo dish was sensational and the fish was superb. <br/>This place is going to be our new favourite over the summer. <br/>5/5
Barbara Miller
My morning walking buddy and I have discovered Buoy which takes the place of the defunct Sitting Duck at Westhaven. Ticks all the boxes - great coffee, opens early, friendly service, and we discovered last week when we stayed on for a celebratory birthday breakfast - great food! Our new regular :)
Vivien Cornell
I called in to Buoy for a light lunch on a beautiful sunny day.  I love the décor, the staff are efficient, friendly and helpful and the food nicely presented, fresh and well cooked.  I enjoyed it so much I returned a few days later for a bowl of soup and a coffee.  Because I was on my own I was offered the latest magazines to read - a nice touch.
Pili.jones
Wait 30 minutes to get a bowl of porridge, and it didn't worth the waiting. They have there own way to prepare it and I didn't like it. Also, the waitress wasn't nice at all. Im a local and I know the place for 15 years. Worst than ever.
Deb
Having been a regular of Salta for many years now, I was excited to try Gin's new baby. It certainly lived up to the high standards I have been used to up in Three Lamps. The staff were friendly and attentive, the food was fantastic and the coffee was superb. The location was amazing, particularly on the beautiful Auckland day. We will most definitely be back.
G73
Buoy is fantastic. The team are professional, kind and friendly. The calories are super delicious, with the oka, house smoked salmon, carrot cake and coffee being the best in town. The music, decor, vibe and views are hard to beat too, with plenty of space outside for people with dogs,buggies or wheels needing more space. An Auckland treasure already, thanks so much team Buoy, for contributing yet another gem to Auckland's café crown
Lily Chow
I always wanted to go here when It first opened. Was a bit disappointed. Greeted by a friendly staff and left me sitting and waiting to be served till I had to ask for someone. I guess lack of experience or training. The menu didn't say all day breakfast so I had to ask. I ordered the wholemeal pancake. Nice touch but definitely too sweet. I asked for water and that didn't come. I had to go up to the counter to ask for water because of the over powering sweetness of the pancakes. I left feeling unsatisfied. With great location i would've expected the service to be top notch
Melanie Vermont
At last at the end of the stunning Westhaven boardwalk a simply fabulous new spot in the old Sitting Ducks café. We have been x2 , the outlook is superb and the interior underwhelmingly stylish. The menu was not extensive but covered off all sorts that appealed for breakfast. I had the mince on my recent visit ,  my friend opted for the mushrooms and I briefly had ordering envy , this passed with the first mouthful of the mince , delicious, so light , how do they do that?? The coffee perfectly good  and the service for a new café impressive, friendly and efficient . Nice touch on the menu covers  with shots of local scenery. We will be back on Sunday !!.
Steph
Went for morning coffee. The coffee was fine. I can't comment on the menu because we didn't order from it. The selection of cabinet food is a bit problematic. If you are a boatie heading out on the high seas and want something hearty and filling then the ginormous size of the scones , muffins, slices, cakes, filled baps will be fine. It seems to be typical of a lot of NZ counter food. Why don't Kiwis bake smaller and with a bit more finesse? You can always order two items if you are ravenous but you can't order half a muffin or half a slice of cake. So if you are one of the many walkers, dog-walkers, runners, cyclists who pass by and are maybe more interested in a small bite with coffee then the portion sizes  are way too big. We noticed several tables where couples shared a scone or a muffin. If you are on your own there may be nothing small enough. Just seemed to lack thought in terms of presentation. BUT YES it is so good to have this place open at last.
Thomas
Went for a late Saturday breakfast, very busy so we sat outside. The mince was nice and the long black good. Unfortunately the bean dish lacked flavor and our sides were forgotten. When the side of bacon did arrive it was undercooked. Drinking water was never served. This is a new establishment, but overall impression felt like amateur hour. Will not be back in a hurry.
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