256 Ponsonby Road,
Ponsonby
Auckland,
(09) 360 0108
The ViewAuckland Review
Ahh, the diversity of Ponsonby Rd on a sunny Friday morning. A cool older guy is negotiating his Segway past the bustling cafes, a veritable library of new magazines is being installed in Mag Nation, and Marcus Lush is having brunch at Dizengoff.
Actually, I don’t spy the most well-known part-time inhabitant of Bluff this morning, but I’ve probably just missed him. He’s often sighted at one of Ponsonby best cafés, and chances are he’s got his own favourites off a menu that’s seemingly unchanged since Dizengoff first opened sometime late last century.
My own favourite is the Mushrooms on Toast, a huge helping of everyone’s favourite fungus on sour dough, and trimmed with a dollop of pesto. This morning it’s as good as ever, and I’m not missing my other favourite the Salmon Scrambled Eggs at all. Unfortunately I fail to grab a favourite table outside in the sunshine, but the interior buzz is a great alternative at the end of a busy week.
Dizengoff is one of the real survivors of the Ponsonby Rd café wars, and it’s outlasted lots of caffeine-laced pretenders because it’s just so damn consistent. I can never recall bad or tardy service, and this morning’s no different. My excellent long black arrives less than a minute after I’ve ordered, and my rich and creamy mushrooms just a few minutes later. Just the right period of time for a first scan through the Herald and to survey the up-to-date array of magazines including Cuisine and Metro.
Lots of regulars are drifting in and ordering their own favourites. The char-grilled vege stack maybe, or perhaps the unique Israel Plate with hummus, olives, crunchy French bread, and the acquired, but very good, taste of chopped liver.
In the restaurant game, popularity can make busy places sometimes drop the ball, but Dizengoff is still consistently one of the best places for coffee, brunch or lunch along Ponsonby Rd.
And the origin of the name? Apparently Meir Dizengoff was the first mayor of Tel Aviv, and a suburb in Israel’s second largest city is now named after him.
Dizengoff has been reviewed by 11 users