Scratch Bakers HQ

Overview

Scratch Bakery HQ is a characterful, cosy and spacious spot located half way between Queen Street and Victoria Park market on Graham Street. The space has a industrial feel to it, in an up-market Taylor Street Garage sort of way. The decor, wooden tables and long bench seats with large pillows is what gives the cafe its cosy vibe. Flowers, pot-plants and cacti - which are carefully considered and well placed around the cafe - also give the cafe a homey feel.

Their food is very flavoursome, but be wary with the cabinet food towards the end of the day as they have not quite nailed preserving its freshness until the final hours of closing. Menu items include brunch and lunch, costing between $14 and $24. Worth a special mention is the more interesting looking items on the breakfast menu such as the potato waffle with beetroot cured salmon and horseradish, and the braised pork belly with naked barley and urban hippy miso from the lunch menu. However our number one recommendation from the menu is the brioche - which is baked to order and comes with three options, the best of which is the indulgent duck confit.

There are plenty of drinks to warm up with, with a good range of coffee available including both house blend and single origin espresso coffee, and Chemex with single origin coffee of the day. If you're looking for a new way to get your caffeine hit, you might like to check out their Costa Rican cascara tea, which is made from the dried leaves of the coffee plant and contains just a little less caffeine than espresso coffee. They also have a range of Harney and Sons teas available if you want to warm up without the caffeine kick. If you need a vitamin hit, fresh smoothies and juices are also available - which range from the healthy and cleansing cucumber, celery and mint juice to the downright indulgent peanut butter, Belgian dark chocolate and chocolate cookie smoothie. Yum.

Its location gives easy access to both Victoria Park market and the Auckland CBD, making Scratch Bakery HQ a good option for a weekday lunch or weekend brunch. The inner link runs pretty close to this cafe which is handy as parking is a little bit of a squeeze this close to the central city.