Friends Cafe is a charming restaurant located opposite the Papamoa library in Tauranga, known for its inviting atmosphere and attentive service. Guests enjoy relaxing under the shade of trees or inside with ample seating, including cozy spots perfect for catching up with friends. The menu impresses with thoughtfully prepared dishes like perfectly poached eggs and a variety of coffee options topped with delightful touches such as caramel lollies. Gluten-free bread options show their care for dietary needs. While some dishes receive mixed reviews, the overall experience is praised for generous portions, a sunny ambiance with large windows, and friendly staff who make every visit pleasant. This spot is ideal for those seeking a relaxed and welcoming environment to enjoy breakfast or lunch in Tauranga.
Marjeana Drake
4 months agoWon't be going back, did this place change owners or something? We ordered two coffees and didn't receive one until 12 minutes after the first then some pretty below average eggs Benedict which shouldn't have runny egg whites and under cooked bacon, the sauce tastes off, tried to give it a go cause was quite hungry, but couldn't finish it was too yuck.
Tania Bradford
a month agoLovely attention to detail with presentation and seasoning of food, coffee with a caramel lolly on top. Poached eggs were cooked perfectly. GF bread option was very welcome. Lovely atmosphere clean toilets definitely recommend for a catch up with friends lots of seating options inside and outside even a nice couch in the corner with books and baby highchair
Carole Coventry
5 months agoFriends Cafe is a very pleasant little place, we sat outside, shaded by a tree. Staff were friendly. The breakfast was good! Nice coffees and overall a great experience. We'd go again!
lily pettifer
7 months agoBooked a first table here for a treat and was sadly disappointed. I'm so glad I had the first table deal as the cost of a meal and iced coffee would have otherwise been ridiculous. All up we ordered 2x breakfast items and had asked to swap out our sides(mine was potatoes so I swapped for a Rosti as was more suited for an eggs Benedict) as well as a side of chicken and 2x drinks. It was nearly $70 for these with the 50% off all food items aside from cabinet foods deal we claimed with first table. When receiving the bill we queried the cost of the food items as it was far too high for the foods/drink we had received. The cashier provided us a print out of the meal and we noticed that we had been charged for the foods that we had switched in our order which was ok but they had not applied the deal that we had claimed of 50% off all food and argued that it didn't apply to additional sides. We read through the terms of the deal and that was untrue. She then tried to act as though the overcharge wasn't much and make us feel ashamed for pushing for a fair deal. I don't usually follow up with these types of arguments as it's embarrassing but this cashier had been quite rude from the get go and I felt like we had been taken advantage of. Aside from all of that the food was really well presented, a bit strange with the flavor combinations(dukkah sprinkled over hollandaise) but I still ate my entire plate so can't have been too strange. My advice, if dining here ask for the pricing if not listed on the menu as there are a lot of spelling mistakes and blank areas.
Claudes A
a year agoOur visit to this café on a quiet Friday morning turned out to be an interesting but chill start to the day. The staff were lovely, and we got to meet the new owner who had just taken over a week ago. Portions were generous, and here’s how we rated our dishes: **Eggs Benedict with Bacon – 3/5.** The flavour of dill and paprika on the potato was unexpected. Unfortunately, the eggs were slightly overdone and no runny-yolk as we’d hoped. Just okay. **Mexican Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict – 4/5.** You can’t go wrong with smoked salmon, and they didn’t—there was plenty of it, topped with perfectly runny-yolk eggs. The sauce had just the right amount of spice. The salmon roe, while visually appealing, didn’t add much to the flavour. Overall, a good dish. **Steak & Mushroom – 3.5/5.** The steak was cooked to my liking, but the mushroom sauce, while creamy, was a bit too salty with an unexpected stock or spice that didn’t quite hit the mark. The fried egg was perfect, and the salad was fresh. The chips were sprinkled with paprika, as was much of the dish—plain might have been better. An okay meal. **Pancakes – 3/5.** Fluffy but lacking in flavour. The banana wasn’t as caramelised as expected, and the bacon was fine. Just okay. The Mango Smoothie was delicious, and while the Oreo Thickshake and Peanut Butter Thickshake tasted on the healthier side, they hit the sweetness spot we were looking for after a couple of sugar packets were added. Good layout, and the huge windows that let in loads of light was a winner. The First Table offer was much appreciated, especially as we couldn’t finish everything and ended up taking home three containers. All the best with your new business—thanks for the hospitality!