3 Lorne Street,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 303 4301

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3 out of 5 stars

It’s a sunny Friday morning at 9am and High St’s Sheinkin is doing a fine job of encapsulating the word ‘bustling’. Law students are wading through a textbook that’s almost the same size as their table, impromptu business meetings are taking place on other tables, and a couple of Lonely Planet-toting travellers are following their noses, (and their guidebook), to one of the central city’s best spots for breakfast.

Sheinkin has a historical link to Dizengoff on Ponsonby – something about Dizengoff’s first chef moving on to establish Sheinkin apparently – and despite the current lack of shared ownership there are still strong parallels between the two places.

In both spots wooden floors and a coolly neutral décor produce a relaxing ambience that allows the excellent food to shine. On the menu there’s a similar Israeli meets Mediterranean focus with common dishes like Salmon Eggs ($13.50) and the mighty Israel Plate ($15), a unique to Auckland mezze of chopped liver, creamy hummus and chicken salad. (Don’t be put off by the word liver; it’s actually really good smeared on a pieced of warm French bread).

Good service is another common denominator at Dizengoff and Sheinkin, and my short black is delivered to me just after I sit down. Having a dedicated barista obviously pays dividends and despite almost a full house, a stream of excellent coffee is going out consistently to waiting caffeine-fiends.

My Mushrooms on Toast ($13.50) also appears promptly and is a creamy confection tinged with pesto and sitting upon two pieces of crunchy sour dough. There’s no fussy sprinklings of paprika or seasoned pepper dancing around the outside of the plate, and the dish is better for its robust simplicity.

A good selection of magazines keeps me at Sheinkin for a second short black, and by the time my 10 o’clock meeting arrives at ten thirty I’m confident I’ve made the right choice to ease into the end of the week.

If I hang round a bit longer I could even dive into the lunch menu over a glass of wine.