I've always enjoyed Bennett's.... Good food, nice setting and holiday atmosphere. Consider twice tho before going there on a public holiday cos they get flustered when there's a crowd and your order risks getting lost in the clamour
Wow! On advice of friends we stopped in at Bennett's of Mangawhai to buy some chocolates for presents. It wasn't planned but we ended up having lunch in the cafe because we were so taken with the place. I ordered the best French toast I have ever eaten and my husband was impressed with his big bowl of mussels. He is still taking about the chips almost a week later. Mine just aren't the same apparently. The only disappointment was from him. He regrets not taking up the offer of a beer with the mussels since he has since tried the beer at the saw mill brewery in Leigh and thinks that would have gone down a treat. Instead he ate nearly half of the chocolates I had bought as gifts in the car on the way home. We will most definitely be back. That's a promise.
A lovely place for friends to meet and share a meal. The food was excellent and the service great...But, why are there no signs showing where the toilets are? Blokes do no like to ask for directions so it was rather amusing to watch the guys wandering around looking for the loo!
How anyone can criticise this place is beyond me.
The food is simply delightful and great value. The setting is incredible and so unexpected in a relatively small and out-of-the-way place.
But best of all is the staff and in particluar the chef, Jenny. Nothing is too much trouble and spevcial needs are catered for in a caring and careful way.
I just love the place. Long may it prosper.
The 4 of us had dinner 2 weeks ago and the meal was amazing.
My duck and Asian slaw entree was perfectly cooked and had the most delicious flavours. All our mains were equally well liked....plus their Head Chef Jen also makes probably the best Creme Brulee you'd ever taste.
Not a cheap eat but that's not what this place is about - the excellent food, service and ambiance just made our night!
We will be back.
Went with friends to lunch at Bennetts Cafe recently. There was six of us and we were late - they stayed open a little longer for us which was perfect after the drive from Auckland.
We had a simple and perfect lunch, salads and things from the counter display together with a bottle of local rose. Service was very friendly and good, coupled with a smile it would have been perfect.
It was a sunny day so the girls went across the courtyard to get a homemade ice cream which is made we are told by Julie Buiso - a very fine NZ cook she is too.
The building itself feels like an Italian courtyard style village building - Thank you Mr and Mrs Bennett for investing and creating such a wonderful place for people to come and enjoy.
Great venue with chocolate store next door. The lady chef recommended the burrito which was hot fresh tasty and great! Ginger crunch good too, they didn’t offer yogurt or cream with it. Seafood chowder was good 👍🏾
Only not dog friendly! They have a huge inner court that could cater for dogs.
Great experience! Lovely to have a cute European style restaurant in the middle of New Zealand heaven! Love love love!
I ordered an omelet with smoked salmon and it was yummy! Also, there is a chocolate factory with fresh chocolate, a nice gift shop and grocery store with fresh cheese, fruit, and vegetables!
We travelled from Germany to NZ to visit my sister and had our first NZ breakfast at Bennetts.
Breakfast was super tasty and filling.
I feel the price was reasonable, the location was cozy and the service was good.
All in all a great restaurant.
I had a fantastic experience at Bennet's Cafe! The food was delicious, and the ambiance was lovely. It was bustling with people when we went, which added to the lively atmosphere.
We love Bennetts. The place looks amazing with a Mediterranean style architecture, and a nice covered and uncovered patio. The chocolaterie is quite an experience, where you can see how they make their delicious chocolates and buy one or many (there's samples too!). The cafe is worth a visit, very decently priced, and delicious food. The mocha came with a chocolate pop 😉 nice touch!
Yummo! The food AND the drinks did not disappoint. Couldn’t decide on food so shared a couple of dishes - pulled pork burger and the “rise n shine”. Added with a couple of beverages and we were extremely satisfied. Ps espresso martini with local liquor was delish x
With their reputation, I thought I might end up with a small portion for a large price. When my meal arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. A decent sized meal and beautiful in every aspect. My group enjoyed the beef burger, salmon eggs Bene & creamy mushrooms on toast. One person had an omelette on toast and mentioned it could have used some cherry tomatoes in the salad, but otherwise everyone was pleased. My son was unable to get his iced chocolate though as they are pre-made and could not be done with dairy free milk.
This was one of those discoveries I wish there had been more time to explore. Just needed a quick bite on the way up to Northland and saw the sign. Plenty of parking was the first pleasure. The entrance is through the outside seating courtyard area that has a nice feel. I can imagine this would be very busy in the warmer months and a few customers were seated here as it was a nice winter day. The cafe was unfortunately short staffed this day and a sign explained there was no lunch menu. No problem, a heated sandwich from the cabinet and a slice of cake would suffice. The food and coffee was delivered and consumed in short order and I would have headed straight out, but...
... Bennett's is also a chocolate manufacturer so a visit to the shop was a must. You can see the manufacturing action through the viewing windows then try and resist purchasing some of their goods. Great for gifts and self indulgence.
Definitely a place for another visit.
We came here after our surf lesson at Te Arai beach and wow!! We went from the beach straight to Italy 🇮🇹😍 beautiful cafe in a stunning setting makes you feel like you are overseas. I had the feta and pea fritters with youghurt and kale, YUM!!!
There is also a choclate shop, a surf shop and a wellness store all in the same building. A must visit when you next in Mangawhai!
You'd think you're in Tuscany in this amazing Cafe...a must is their signature hot chocolate 🍫 and the coffees are great too! My favourite is half serve of the eggs bene with salmon...and a sweet treat from the cabinet to go before popping over to Bennetts Chocolatier for some nicies. My top five for Mangawhai 😍
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