This is our go-to breakfast and lunch cafe when in Hastings.

They offer a full cafe breakfast/brunch/lunch type menu and have cabinet food as well. They offer three portion sizes of salad and have a good selection, the plum, spinach and feta salad is gorgeous. Graham and his sidekick lady chef are always coming up with new dishes for the chilled cabinet, making the most of fresh and local ingredients.

Coffee is always quick to get to the table and consistently made well. They have a good choice of muffins, cakes and slices. The almond croissant is to die for and I would cheerfully get into a fight over the last piece of macadamia nut brittle, which is a new arrival to the bakery section. I find the muffins too crumbly although that’s a personal thing because I like butter on mine and I always end up with a large pile of crumbs here.

If there’s a downside it’s that the staff can get a little absent minded or forgetful when it is crazy busy. But I’d rather be in a bustling cafe with atmosphere, than a soulless grave yard one.