23 Mount Eden Road,
Eden Terrace,
Eden Terrace
Auckland,


(09) 354 4505

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I must have driven past Twenty Three in Mt Eden a dozen times and always thought 'I must get in there'. Raves from friends, Metro and the like finally pushed me to go, so it was an early Saturday morning catch-up with a fellow brunch lover to see what it was like.

Twenty Three isn't big. It's a long thin room with more seats out the back (though, on the day I went it was grey and cold so no chance to brunch in the sun). You're immediately hit with how nicely put together it is, very clean and sharp with a splash of day-glo highlights along the back wall for good measure. It's very warm and welcoming, which can also be said for the staff. Coffee, water and menus came without asking. Love it.

Whilst I did want to try the famed huevos rancheros, today wasn't a day for experimenting. I wanted comfort and I got it with some of the best eggs benedict that I've had recently. Beautifully poached eggs oozed their golden goodness down through ham and soft toasted baps and made this diner very very happy. They were perfectly proportioned as well. Nailed!

My friend was of the same mind when it came to staying safe and ordered the scrambled eggs with a side of bacon. Again, the kitchen got this perfectly right - eggs that were wet but not runny, firm but not stuck together. Always the sign of a great cafe if you get scrambled eggs right (and some big players on the market find it surprisingly difficult).

Our coffees were fantastic, and the fact that they were Coffee Supreme beans just made it all the better (seriously, if you haven't gone down the Supreme route yet, you should). My continuing obsession with trying out smoothies had me gulp down a lovely banana berry one. It was as good as the food it accompanied.

You'd do well to also check out the great cabinet selection on hand. A simple basil, tomato and mozzarella baguette was great for a later-in-the-day snack.

Twenty Three is great, its staff welcoming, its food wonderful. It gets the basics right and doesn't feel the need to be flashy, and I love it for that. I can see a return trip in the very near future.