Ironically I have heard of this place before. From my understanding they used to roast right in this cafe. I was looking forward to seeing the exciting task of roasting as this is where my heart lies when it comes to coffee having roasted for some of the most reputable coffee houses and roasters in North America.
Te Aro is a city/town in New Zealand where their is a premium and expectation of good coffee. learning from one of their customers that the owners are from Te Aro and have a family history of coffee roasting. My interest has definitely be peeked.
The cafe itself is a little boring with plenty of seating and a huge patio out front. While doing a little research I stumbled upon the knowledge that the owner is also a fellow Q Grader. So with that I expect that I am about to get an awesome shot of espresso. I ask for an elevens at the recommendation of my new found friend Catherine.
The Barista did a little calibration before the shot was pulled which was nice to see or it could also be a sign that they have some lazy Barista's (which was not the case here). The shot was very bright but not offensively bright. Tonnes of fruit with a nice chocolate finish, i suspect there is an Ethiopian as I got some blueberries out of this shot. I wouldn't recommend having this in a larger milk drink but it make quite a nice espresso. It was a much more balanced shot than I had at Dark Horse but not mind blowing. Overall the cafe is cool to chill out in and I decided to take home a bag of Costa Rica El Milena (an excellent coffee I enjoyed a lot last year).
Overall I put it one notch on a belt ahead of the Dark Horse Espresso Bar and a place where coffee is taking quite seriously. worth checking out again.