What goes on tour, goes on the blog

A quick post on my cafe/coffee experiences while on a recent trip around NZ.

On the flight over a flat white and banana bread at Sydney airport was great, airport coffee done very well, which was just as well because I needed a coffee by this time.

In NZ first proper coffee experience was in Akaroa. Flat white for brunch was great, although took ages. Akaroa if you haven't been is a beautiful place...

From here we drove to Dunedin, home made espresso with my brother in laws machine were good but going down to starfish cafe in St Claire (http://www.starfishcafe.co.nz)was a highlight, great coffee, food, beer, weather and company...

Next stop was Port Royale cafe in Portchalmers http://www.inport.co.nz/listings/port-royale-cafe A great little cafe, almost worth the drive from Dunedin just for the cafe!

Great flat whites plus a slice of 'tan slice' and citrus slice to share, yum yum in a cool venue

Jackson's on Joll in Havlock North is not one you need to bother with unfortunately. Coffee was ok but there is better to be had in this small town.

Good coffee, bad cheese roll at Jackson's on Joll in Havelock North

At E's cafe in havelock North (http://www.ateasecafe.co.nz/) is great in so many ways, if you ever have the chance, go there.

I would say this place is a must visit in Havelock North (or Hawkes Bay generally) At E's cafe, great atmosphere, brillant food and coffee to boot.

Quite a popular spot and rightfully so

Cafe Kaos was another big highlight, recently moved to Pukekoe, no website but here's their TripAdvisor listing: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g775284-d2327100-Reviews-Cafe_Kaos-Pukekohe_North_Island.html

Kaos cafe would stack up against any cafe in the world for coolness of atmosphere and quality of food and coffee.

From NZ we flew back to London stopping a few days in Abu Dhabi to see friends. Flat white from Jones the Grocer was very good. I'm not familiar with Jones the Grocer, apparently it's an Australian chain which I guess wasn't around when I was living in Sydney.

Jones the Grocer, supplying quality coffee and treats from an obscure location in Abu Dhabi

Before flying back to London we also stopped in at a Limetree Cafe in Dubai, I get the impression if you like a good cafe and you live in Dubai you probably frequent a Limetree cafe. It was very good, we got an average cake but I suspect we just got a dud.

The only photo I got of Lime Tree cafe in Dubai before my phone died. Our cake was average at best, coffee and smoothies were good. I'd go back for sure.

So that's a whistle stop tour of some of the places we went.

Now back to the real business of drinking my way through the coffees of Balham! Review of the Du Cane Court coffee shop coming up soon.