Orvieto Cafe
935A Mt Eden Rd
Mt Eden
Auckland
09-630 5046

With all the rain in Auckland this morning, we decided to try Orvieto again. It is local and has easy parking often just outside. It has also got good reviews in print on a couple of occasions, though the last time (before I began writing up our experiences) we were disappointed. Orvieto was reviewed by the NZ Herald earlier this month, it got 5 stars.

Like one of the Herald reviewers Barbara had the Spanish Omelette she says the Herald description fits:

The omelette came with toasted bread that we couldn't identify, but that didn't matter - it looked solid, even stodgy, but was light and delicious. Just like the omelette, really.

My Hash Browns with bacon, tomato and aioli were a more mixed experience. The bacon was excellent, good bacon well cooked; the hash browns were interesting pie slices of potato mix deep fried, apart from being a touch greasy they were crisp tasty and unusually seemed homemade (a nice change from supermarket hash); the eggs were perfect; BUT the aioli tasted like a lightly garlicky salad dressing. I think aioli should be made like mayonnaise from egg yolks and good oil, if vinegar adds bit it should be just a light nip.

On the essential element of "cafe" the Herald proclaimed:

The coffee was hot and strong.

It was. The long black was also an espresso in a bigger cup with hot water in a jug to add - that's the way I like it! BUT it was also just a touch bitter.

So my conclusion:

• Food: Good.
• Coffee: Pretty Good
• Service: Very Good
• Overall: Good - Very Good but not the Herald's five stars, maybe four...