The White Rabbit

Super friendly staff, but this café seems like it still has a few kinks to work out.
I dropped by here twice; once at night to grab a flat white (the friendly barista gave it to me for free and said to come back for breakfast. That’s a good way to get people to remember your place and come back!) then for breakfast the next day. It was semi busy when we walked in, but every person working was running around and looking really flustered. We sat at a table that needed to be wiped down and waited a while for the wait staff to bring menus and water.
Once we ordered, though, it didn’t take long for our food to come out. My fruit, yogurt and oats dish was fresh and tangy and my boyfriend’s eggs were cooked the way he likes them. With better staff organization, I think this place could be a cool breakfast joint.

Great place to brunch with friends on a Sunday morning! We walked in and were looked after straight away. Staff were friendly and easy going. I had the Stewed tomato, spiced eggplant, chickpeas, zucchini, fried egg, haloumi, tahini yoghurt and it was amazing! Tasty and a good portion size for the price. Definitely recommend trying it with One of their delicious smoothies. They also serve sparkling water which was a nice surprise.

The White Rabbit was recommended by a colleague who’s told me it was a great place for a not too long work day lunch.
I went with a friend to the downstairs less formal dining area. We were warmly greeted and seated and our waitress was a delightful young German woman. My dining companion spoke fluent German, so I was momentarily out of the link but not forgotten!
We were asked about our wine preferences and our waitress was very knowledgeable with her recommendation — and also happy to provide a small tasting if we so desired. I have to say that she knew her stuff and we were both very happy with our selection.
But here’s where the disappointment set in — both of us ordered the tuna salad with a side order of fries to share. Our tuna salads arrived, but they were more like a small appetiser! We counted 3 very small mouthfuls if tuna (uncooked but no complaints) however at $ 20 each, the very small portion with the even smaller, meagre amount of tuna was, frankly, a bit of a joke!
So while we had a perfectly pleasant time with very nice service, there was a real lack of value for money, which puts me off wanting to return any time soon.
Having said that, we wondered if we should have gone for the day’s harpuka special with gnocchi and chorizo, which for $ 26 looked like a way more satisfying option.
We agreed that we would struggle to return even though the service was lovely. What a shame!!!

Went here before a concert at Vector, seemed to be the only place not full on a Saturday night ?
I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign but we were eating at 6 pm when most places full up by 7. The waitress was nice and staff were welcoming, they have a good cocktail list .but as I was driving I just stuck with a low alcohol beer .
We had a mix of entrees as there were 3 of us and didn’t feel like a large meal .
Just go for the goats cheese, it is a cold item that you expect to be hot but suits being cold with this delicious apple/can’t quite place the other ingredients sauce .
Reasonably priced and a good place to go.

Great service, surroundings and food. Although the brand new fit out makes brunching with a toddler there a bit nerve wracking…

The White Rabbit, downstairs is a café in the day and then bar at night. Upstairs is a bistro. This restaurant used to be the Crown, I used to work behind the bar a century ago. Its been fitted out simply in a white décor. I didn’t really see Alice in Wonderland though.
The first waitress we had was great and knowledgeable but the later was sulky and rude.
For mains I had a delightful piece of Snapper with charred sweet corn, fennel, and watercress. It was really fresh and tasty. The brussel sprouts side with bacon was also very good. Everyone else’s meals at my table looked great including the fries which were awesome and had interesting dipping sauces.
Chef Ian Harrison has created a nice fresh menu but I wish he would forget the deconstructed desserts — I am so over them and none on the menu we had were great.
I had heard mixed reviews of this place and I had a mixed experience this time. But as I had a nice main and I liked the ambiance and décor upstairs I would possibly go back.

Meal was nice. Environment was nice too. This is the second time I have been to this place. However if you are hungry make sure you have something small to eat before hand as the waiting time was too long considering the place was not full.

I had heard great things about The White Rabbit and was surprised to find its home in the corner of Customs Street where it used to be a bar. All transformed into a clean, white and modern café during the day.
Feeling particularly carnivorous that day, I couldn’t resist the hand cut duck burger, parfait, apple & celeriac, house chips. I am a burger lover but have never been given the option of a duck burger before. Something relatively non-​greasy suited me though.
Luckily when it came, it wasn’t one of those ginormous burgers that leaves you with juices running down your elbows. It was, however, so juicy and perfectly done with a generous smattering of parfait to elevate the sophisticated flavours. The fries were satisfying huge and being an eager beaver, I ended up being speechless and in pain while tossing the fluffy potato inside my mouth. Burger — 2, Cecilia — 0.
I also tried the chicken with squash, broccoli, almond and farro. It came as a good size and I was surprised the chicken wasn’t overdone even when it came in fine slices.
The service was friendly and genuine, and our water topped up before I got thirsty. Having eaten at so many fine cafes and restaurants around the Auckland CBD I’m starting to develop a real jealousy for those who work around the area! The White Rabbit would be great for lunch or even after work drinks and dinner. There’s an understated simplicity that I like. It isn’t full of smartly dressed important looking corporate people, or people rushing to get their coffees down. Instead, seeing people working with their laptops or reading magazines at the open table brings a welcome ambiance, a state of enjoying themselves without the constant need to tick things off. Something we all need to enjoy more of.

Nice addition to the downtown Auckland dining scene with a quirky Alice in Wonderland inspired bar out the back serving a pretty decent plum cocktail. We sat in the upstairs area. Service was adequate, but not prompt or attentive. The meals were the same, perfectly good but not worthy of much table discussion. I had the snapper with fennel, pinenuts and a citrus sauce. Dessert was the Szechuan pineapple, mango, coconut, marshmallow plate. Although it looked pretty and was exactly as described, it missed on flavour. After a quick browse of the brunch menu, I feel I may return one more time.

Perfect spot by BritomartCentral for the fat Friday lunch out with the office crew, bright an airy interior with outdoor seating for the warmer days.
The café was really busy and we had to wave down staff to the our orders, but once the orders where taken the food was reasonably quick at getting out of the kitchen.
I ordered the tuna salad that was presented like a masterpieces and very tasty too.
Tried some of the couchette fries, crispy n tasty, I will have come back n order these next time.

Initial impression when we walked in was good — warm and friendly on a cold and wet Auckland evening. We chose to dine here before the Rod Stewart concert but had allowed ourselves plenty of time — thankfully! We were shown to our table promptly and beverage orders taken efficiently. Dinner orders of two mains and a couple of sides went in within 15 minutes of sitting down. An hour later we were still waiting for the main courses, despite those around us having arrived later than us, having completed their meals! Several follow up queries were greeted with «they’re not far away».
Two eye fillet steaks arrived — one oozing blood — a clear sign of it having just come out of the pan and had not had time to rest; the other was luke warm as was the red wine jus accompanying the steak. A comment to the waiter resulted in him apologising and advising that he would tell the chef.
By this stage there was insufficient time for us to reorder and still make the concert.
Having picked over the steaks (which were actually quite flavoursome, despite everything); the brussel sprouts were good and the chunky chips were tasty — when the same waiter came to clear the table, he asked «Was there something wrong with your meal?» … AAAAGH!
To compensate, they offered us two free desserts or charge us for one main only.
Despite trying to get the bill to our table, we went up to the cashier who passed the bill over and sure enough it was the full monty! No compensation. A brief conversation resulted in the final bill of one main, the sides and our beverage.
Apologies, this is a rather long and drawn out review, but it perfectly demonstrates how a place can look good; feel good on entry but wait staff and kitchens need to get their act together and ensure that meals are served promptly and as per the order.

Well yes a nice coffee /​brunch place… Menu i believe is slightly expensive in view of the quantity of the food served. but however it is pretty tasty and nice to have with a good glass of sauvignon blanc for the brunch. I am not crazy about that place… May be not intimate enough, and it feels more like a coffee than a restaurant… Any way, if you re around worth to try, but i doubt it will become a favorite

We got a sweet roadside table on a sunny mid morning so it started off well. The coffee was fabulous albeit very strong (so be careful if you are a weakling)
We were so hungry, so looking for a hearty brunch.
The menu is really lovely and has some finer touches which you wouldn’t expect — but to be honest, we struggled to find that jackpot meal. I ended up swapping something out on mine and my partner did the same.
Be aware — this is not to say the menu is bad or anything like that — but just didn’t suit us for the classic brunch. (clearly not the clientele they are aiming to attract which is fine)
We live a stones throw from here, and I often see people enjoying a glass of wine and chatting over dinner which might be what we will try next time.
The interior is PERFECT. Very much my style, and I love the huge tables near the front in the morning sun filled with a mix of workaholics on laptops having their morning coffee meetings. That buzz is very inviting. Staff are great also.

White Rabbit’s interior designer deserves a medal. On the corner, near the still-​dodgy end of Fort Street and on busy Customs Street, its hard to forget the dive-​bar atmosphere of the old Crown pub that used to be here. The space now resembles a spacious city loft.
And thank god for a brunch/​lunch place in the Auckland CBD that serves something exciting. The pigs head sounds scary and kind of gross but at least its not eggs benedict. And what a fabulous dish it is! Beautiful looking, lots of different tastes, and it all hangs together — for $ 16.
Flight coffee! Yes!

Lovely café for a brunch with friends or your family! Clear, charming, there is a good table service and they give you sparkling water, which is quite original!
Food is very good, and you should try a smoothie!!!

I really wanted to be obsessed with this place. It’s just a block or so from home, and is aesthetically dreamy. Particularly because the previous business was an icky dark pub. They’ve done amazing things with the space, completely transforming it while retaining all the nice features of the old building. I watched this happen overnight and it’s quite remarkable. Also, it’s apparently owned by the same folks that run Matterhorn which is a Welly fave.
Also, they serve flight coffee, which is hard to find in auckland, and is mighty dreamy imho. I’ve had the coffee once just after it opened and it was legit.
I headed there for drinks and nibbles last night, however, and was decidedly not blown away. Yes, the environment is nice but there was something bizarre going on with the playlist — awesome jazzy stuff one minute, and weird classical music out of a Disney movie the next. Get it together!
The items we got from the grazing menu were also underwhelming. The feta fritter thingies were very interesting but difficult to eat without inadvertently squirting your neighbor with hot cheese (beware!) The courgette with hummus was missing a zest of some sort. The courgette was nice but it needed a dipping sauce with more pizzaz. I could have used more cheese on the charcuterie board… Maybe the menu is still finding its groove?
I will say, my cocktail — a rhubarb pimm’s cup called the «fruit cup» was nice and refreshing.
This spot is so close to home that I’ll definitely give it another shot. I really want it to be amazing. White Rabbit, you’re on notice.

A light and airy space near the Britomart precinct, the White Rabbit has perfected many tricks such as café design and even flavor, but still needs to work out how to return its staff to full form once it’s sawed them in half. Having to ask for a menu and having to ask to order ten minutes later is a tad dull. When my smoked salmon and avocado breakfast appeared from the invisible kitchen, it was tasty and so was the berry smoothie that came with it. But there are better breakfasts to be had within 50 feet — at Ortolana for one. Perhaps the white rabbit has more surprises up its sleeve. I hope so, or the show is not likely to go on for long. Here’s hoping that someone returns it to it’s lucky footing soon.

The White Rabbit has gone from a dark & dingy pub to a white & bright modern café. Such a transformation! In fact, I’d say as far as décor goes, it’s up there with my favourite dining spaces in Auckland. Big call, I know, but it’s light and airy and they have these rad human sized, stand-​alone lamps.
As for the food, it gets a big tick too. This morning I tried their corn fritters. Super light and crispy. We’ve been loyal fans of Bill Granger’s recipe for years but I’ll admit, these were better (…sorry Bill) — no carb-​induced coma, no wishing I’d ordered the fruit and yoghurt — instead a little pep in my step, ready to attack the day. My only niggle was the bacon they served them with was very salty.
I’ve also noticed that The White Rabbit is open for after-​drinks too — the snack, or «grazing» menu as they call it, looks delicious. CMYE anybody?

By far, one of the best kept secrets in Auckland! We spent hours here drinking coffee, snacking on appetizers (we loved the hummus!), and eventually enjoying a glass of wine. The service was extraordinary and we can’t wait to return!

I’ve never been to a grand café in any major metropolis — but this I can imagine to be a grand café: heavenly high ceilings, top notch fitout, great windows, corner spot. A large rare space. If I had nothing else to do, I could sit here all day, waiting for fate to drop by.
The menu was adventurous, which is how I prefer it. I had the stewed tomatoes dish, which I loved. My wife liked hers — «very yummy».
It had just opened a week before, and they just opened their restaurant upstairs. The cocktail bar was next. They were open all day and till late. It drove my imagination of how the day can unfold, coming back for dinner and cocktails, and then next day again for breakfast.
It felt like a location in a novel, where dozens of stories happened, some scandalous, some life-​changing, some unnoticed.
I think in needs a piano in the corner, opening itself to the chance that some theatre would come in one evening and decide to take over the piano and belt out a few tunes — just like in they old movies.