Monstera Kitchen

Overview

It's no surprise that people are completely besotted by this first born. Monstera Kitchen is every bit the blue-eyed golden child. Found at the Ponsonby end of K' Road, it bears all the charm and quirk found at the heart of the eccentric strip, while adding a flavour of its own.

Step inside and you'll feel like you've been transported to your favourite Pinterest board. Soft pastels soothe, while a wooden motif frames the long communal table. A large dried arrangement hangs from the ceiling, adding a hint of wild rawness to the well-manicured space. Don't worry: it's far from your Great Aunt Ruth's house (who takes a lint roller to your pant-seat before letting you sit down). The staff is a family affair with a brother-sister duo manning the decks. Far from worrying about a coaster, they welcome you into the family as soon as you walk in the door. Unlike Grandma Joan's newest Tinder match.

Whether eating in or taking away to eat in your car, pre-job interview, the home-style sandwiches, salads, drinks and sweet treats are ready to be eaten whenever you are. And the takeaway coffee cups, stamped with a colourful cutout paying tribute to "The Cut Outs" by Henri Matisse, will make you want to take it for a stroll around Western Park to draw the eye of the Ponsonby gentry. Don't leave without trying the pork banh mi, a favourite amongst the bursting cabinet of fresh, healthy choices (and your wallet at $12.50). But any other bet is a safe one too, as their offerings of Caesar salad and eggplant parmigiana certainly won't disappoint either. Their pastries, which sit conveniently next to the eftpos machine on the counter, are a well-deserved chaser after all those calories saved.

Soon to become two, Monstera's welcoming a second child to the family. Situated down the road in Ponsonby Central, it's rumoured to be opening in just a few weeks.

For now, the eager big brother welcomes anyone who visits. Start your day at 7am with an Eighthirty organic blend coffee and come back later to fill that Monstera-sized void, otherwise known as your stomach.