Sierra Ellerslie

After having a few less than pleasing experiences at various Sierra Café franchises around Auckland, I’ll admit, I wasn’t exactly jumping at the idea of having breakfast at the Ellerslie joint. However, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The décor isn’t exactly flash, nor does it have that nouveau hipster feel that seems to have taken root in most suburban areas, but the café itself does have a certain old familiarity about it, somewhat like the coffee shops you probably grew up going to, before brunching became a legitimate leisure sport. (Think no real décor, just simple wooden tables with a few magazines thrown around for good measure). Although not necessarily the hippest spot in town, the food was pretty decent. Pictured below is a Hot Chocolate, Blueberry Muffin and a Bacon and Tomato Savoury. The hot chocolate was legitimately really good, with a nice thick chocolatey flavour about it. The cabinet food was adequate, not necessarily exciting, but definitely what was advertised. All in all, not a bad spot for a quick breakfast on the go, Sierra will get the job done.

Popped in here for a coffee and some eggs on toast after a fruitless visit to the Ellerslie Hospice shop across the road. We ordered two flat whites, I asked for poached eggs on toast and my husband got a tart from the cabinet. The tart came right away. The coffees took at least another ten minutes. My eggs took about another 10 after that. Now, they have an open kitchen here and I was seated right near it, so I could watch the people cooking. I was already a bit apprehensive because the woman in the kitchen seemed like she didn’t really know what she was doing — didn’t know where things were, and looked really stressed. Unfortunately, when my eggs finally arrived, my toast was not toasted. The edges were a bit crunchy, but the middle was completely soft and not even hot. I don’t really like sending stuff back, but I’d just waited 20 minutes for these eggs so I wanted them to be good. Another wait, and my eggs reappeared, on much thinner bread which was toasted. There was also a big smear of some kind of brown sauce on the plate, on which everything else had been placed — including the napkin and cutlery. It was sticky and unpleasantly sweet, but by that point I just wanted to leave, so I wiped as much off as I could with a napkin and ate my eggs. The eggs were fine, in the end, but spending almost an hour to get poached eggs on toast and a couple of coffees in a chain café is not really something I enjoy.
Additionally, I used the bathroom and there were long black hairs in the sink, on the floor and stuck to the wall underneath the hand dryer :/

We are regulars here. We keep coming back for the friendly staff who often go above and beyond, and for the great food and coffee.
My wife and I often share an Eggs Benedict with a side of mushrooms. If you like a strong smooth coffee ask for a double-​shot flat white in a small tulip cup. And I would be remiss if I did not mention their Tan Slice — my wife and her friends refer to it as the best in town.
We have noticed this café getting steadily busier over time — word must be getting out!