Malcolm and I went to Takapuna and it was lovely. We went to several different shops and nice places to eat. I will to my best to cover everything. We stayed at Takapuna Beach Holiday Park. This place was nice, you can pick anything from a tent site to a motel unit and it's right on the beach. The place is dog heaven! The owners have two dogs Otto and George. They are super loving and greet pretty much everyone with a smile and lovies. BEWARE: Otto loves to get wet in the ocean and then greet you so you may end up with a wet dog. :D They were so cute. The views of the ocean from the park were really fantastic and the smells and the fresh air were also nice. There was pretty much no noise at night very calm and peaceful.
Right next door to the holiday park is the Takapuna Beach Cafe. I had breakfast here all 3 days of my stay. The people here are very friendly and the dress code ranges from people in suit and tie to people in bikinis. The thing I ordered most was the flounder. (photo on right)
This flounder was flaky and oh so yummy served with their home made sour dough, garlic butter, butter, greens, and a lemon. It's not cheap but is really very nice and so worth it. They also have lemon tea which will be sure to warm you up on a cool morning. Along with that they have a full range of coffee speciality drinks and pastry for you to choose from. They also have Gelato voted one of the best in New Zealand they sold out 100% on every flavour the first day we were there. The servings are huge, a double was far to much for me to finish I had trouble with even one scoop to be honest. Malcolm seemed happy to help me with mine after he finished his.
His favourite flavour is Chocolate Hazlenut. I didn't get to try it cause they were sold out every single time but I think my favourite would have been double chocolate.This flounder was flaky and oh so yummy served with their home made sour dough, garlic butter, butter, greens, and a lemon. It's not cheap but is really very nice and so worth it. They also have lemon tea which will be sure to warm you up on a cool morning. Along with that they have a full range of coffee speciality drinks and pastry for you to choose from. They also have Gelato voted one of the best in New Zealand they sold out 100% on every flavour the first day we were there. The servings are huge, a double was far to much for me to finish I had trouble with even one scoop to be honest. Malcolm seemed happy to help me with mine after he finished his.
They also have a store next to the restaurant part that sells drinks, sandwiches, the gelato and some little goodies.
Love this place!
Second was the beach itself. Right along side the park is Takapuna Reef. Tons of tide pools visible daily.
In the background there is a mountain. It was such a pristine lovely place. Watch your feet! As you can see the rock is sharp and volcanic. Even if you have feet with a lot of padding like mine this hurts after a few minutes. Loads of shells to pick up and cool snails, clams, crabs, plants, and birds to play with. I stood for hours just watching the children play in the water here.
In the middle of the reef and the sandy beach is a boat ramp where if you rent or own a boat you can slip into the water and have a nice day on the waves. Right inland from the boat ramp is a small park with BBQ grills so you can cook up the fresh fish you caught out at sea! (Or the cafe if you didn't manage to catch anything)
On the other side (about 1 minute walk) is the sandy beach. Here is what you picture when you hear the word "Beach". There are little kids and dogs playing everywhere, families out and little kids in training to become lifeguards when they grow up. The water was shockingly warm and very nice to swim around in. I found a huge shell and decided to take it home with me.
Next comes the city!
Right up the street from the cafe is the main road. At that intersection there are about 7 places to eat.
Daikoku is a teppan yaki restaurant. I think my experience here would have been much nicer if it wasn't for the asthma attack I was suffering when I walked in the door. I happened to have a drink on me and I took it out to take a sip and they told me I had to order a drink BUT DIDN'T TAKE MY ORDER FOR ONE. Please keep in mind I was dizzy and could not really breathe. It was VISIBLE that I was unwell. It's not like I had plans not to order a drink just that no one asked me what I would like for about 20 miutes. The steak was a cheap cut and was impossible to eat. The prawns were good and the fish that the other people got looked amazing. I think if I do decide to give this place another shot I will get the fish.
Second is an Italian place. There is a reason I have not posted a review of the Italian places I have eaten at thus far. They were underwhelming... The food was bland and the noodles were not cooked properly. I took the food home and added seasoning to it just to make it edible. I'm happy to say the next place changed all that!
Al Forno is authentic and delish!
I went here because the reviews of the wood fire pizza were really good. However when we got there I saw this on the menu.
$23.90
And had to have it. It's a darn good thing I did too. This is one of the BEST pasta dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I've been into pasta and Italian food since I was about three years old. But this place is REALLY GOOD. This pasta is one of those things that you're totally shocked by and will never forget. We also ordered the Calzone, which was swimming in cheese and toppings. (or fillings in the case) They do it the real way. You even get to watch the guy flip the dough into your nice pizza.
Just amazing if you are ever in New Zealand I would say this place is a MUST.
