Newbie

Overview

Bringing life to the business strip of Broadway is new kid on the block, Newbie, the brainchild of the man behind suburban hotspots Scout and Woolfy's. Sitting proudly in the ground floor of the new Mercury building in Newmarket, it's already inviting a queue of brunch-goers through its doors just weeks after opening.

After a successful partnership between Rodger Liu's team and Material Creative to bring us Woolfy's, the partnership brings another beautiful outpost to the Auckland dining scene. The bright, terrazzo-clad fit-out is speckled with vibrant artwork by New Zealand artist Evie Kemp, and a dried flower installation breaks up the long countertop. A bright mural of cabbage trees on the feature wall (an ode to the cabbage tree that stood in Newmarket until 1908), is also seen across the couch upholstery and even down to the takeaway cups and boxes.

Though the café is a newbie on the scene, the team is far from it. Amongst the team of baristas is two-time winner of the New Zealand Latte Art Championship Leo Li serving Atomic Coffee Roasters on one of the shiny La Marzocco Modbar under-counter installations — one of the first cafes in the country to have them. Former Pilkington's and The Hunting Lodge sous chef Logan Wang is at the helm of creating this comforting yet fresh new menu, where responsible sourcing of locally-grown, free-range and organic ingredients are highlighted.

The menu starts with the usual suspect of eggs on toast plus sides, but your standard brunch experience stops there. The rest of the menu sees a range of sweet and savoury dishes with a modern twist. From a smoky kahawai omelette to apple, strawberry and rhubarb crumble, the dishes are pared back to hero the flavours of the fresh, quality ingredients.

The peppered lamb pappardelle features a combination of sweet medjool date puree and black pepper sauce with soft slow-cooked lamb and is one of those dishes that makes it hard to put your fork down once you start. If you're looking for something sweet, the French Kissed Toast is not to be missed, with a crunchy macadamia crumb with fruity flavours of orange, berry, and pear. Wash it down with one of the hot and iced coffees, sodas or specialty coconut lattes. Before you go, treat yourself to the generous selection of eye-catching cabinet treats, ranging from a savoury brioche, spiced apple cake and a date scone unlike no other.

It's brunch but not as you know it. With something for everyone at Newbie, exceptional coffee and great Kiwi service, Newbie is no doubt a welcome addition for office workers and weekend locals alike.