Friday, 12 August 2011

Favourite cafes in NZ, Australia, Vancouver and USA

Finding a café that will "hit that spot" is a bit of an art and like most things in life, improves over time! 

A favourite café is almost like an extension to your home.  When travelling outside your home patch, finding a new favourite is like finding a home away from home!

So, how to choose a café?  For my wife Dee and I, the attraction to a café is all about the experience….aroma, quality of the espresso, friendliness of the staff, small and laid back atmosphere, other clientele, quality (not quantity) of the food and the general vibe!  Sometimes you just can't put your finger on what makes a good cafe ... as the French say, “je ne sais quoi”, literally “I don't know what

Be prepared for a little physical effort as the best cafes are usually in the side streets and small alleys or outside the CBD in the 'arty' or edgier parts of town.

So, the cafes I recommend are:

Auckland
CBD

Queenstown
Vudu - http://www.vudu.co.nz/
There are 2 Vudu cafes in Q.town.  Take your pick depending on your mood.

Whangamata
Bar Side Espresso - http://www.coffeesecrets.co.nz/cafes/barside-espresso-whangamata

Sydney

Woolloomooloo
Toby's Estate - http://www.tobysestate.com.au/

Surry Hills

Elizabeth Bay
Vancouver
Various suburbs
Café Artigiano - http://www.caffeartigiano.com/

Kitsilano

San Francisco
Russian Hill
Nook - http://www.cafenook.com/

New York