Bestie Cafe is a small, easygoing brunch and coffee spot in Shop 13 of St Kevins Arcade on Karangahape Road, in the heart of Auckland's city centre. It serves breakfast and lunch on a seasonal menu, with coffee at the centre of the day. It is open seven days a week. Weekday service runs from 7:30am to 2:30pm, and weekends from 8:30am to 2:30pm. The cafe closes on public holidays.
The pancakes are the dish visitors mention most, and people describe them as fluffy and lovely. The edamame toast gets praise for being tasty without too much heat, and the cheese toastie and the tomatoes on toast are also named by people who came for a quick bite. One visitor ordered the sardines and another the edamame toast, both with a coffee, and called it an easy start to the day. Service is described as prompt and friendly, with diners seated quickly and food arriving soon after. Some people say the view of the Sky Tower from the cafe is a highlight.
The cafe is a neighbourhood spot as much as a destination. It suits a solo coffee, a relaxed brunch with a friend, or a lunch between shopping and meetings along Karangahape Road. The menu changes with the seasons, and the cafe keeps regulars informed through Facebook and Instagram.
Our pick on Karangahape Road for pancakes and a flat white on a weekend morning.
Bestie Cafe occupies Shop 13 of St Kevins Arcade on Karangahape Road, one of central Auckland's best-known strips. The name is a promise of sorts — a bestie is the friend who always makes time for you — and the cafe carries that spirit through everything it does, from its walk-in-friendly door policy to its clear approach to group bookings. Open seven days a week and closed only on public holidays, it has quietly become part of the rhythm of K'Rd life.
Bestie's reservations policy tells you a lot about the cafe's character. Parties of eight or more can book a table by emailing info@bestiecafe.co.nz with their details, which makes it an easy pick for birthday lunches, team catch-ups and other group occasions. For everyone else, the approach is refreshingly relaxed: the cafe says it can usually accommodate smaller groups “easy as”, and it doesn't take bookings for them — you simply turn up and find a seat.
One rule applies to booked tables: be prompt. If a reserved group hasn't arrived within 15 minutes of its booking time, the table is given away. It's a firm-but-fair system that keeps things moving in a compact space, and it's worth mentioning to everyone in your group before the day.
The cafe's arcade setting puts it right in the middle of the Karangahape Road action. Getting there is easy without a car: the site notes that lots of public transport options will get you to Bestie, and a separated cycleway runs all along K'Rd with plenty of bicycle parking for riders.
If you do need to drive, the best parking is a short distance away in the AT Parking Building at 20 Upper Queen Street, or around the corner on Grey's Avenue. From either spot, it's a brief walk back to the arcade.
Rather than a fixed year-round list, Bestie works to a seasonal menu — the website currently features its winter menu. The practical upshot for visitors is simple: check the menu page before you visit to see exactly what's on offer that season, and follow the cafe's Facebook page or Instagram (@bestie_cafe) for updates. It's also a good reason to come back at different times of the year and see how things change with the weather.
Hours are easy to remember. Monday to Friday, Bestie opens at 7:30am and closes at 2:30pm; on Saturday and Sunday it opens a little later, at 8:30am, and still wraps up at 2:30pm. The cafe closes on public holidays, so it pays to plan around long weekends.
Because the weekday doors open early, morning visitors get the pick of the space; weekend starters arrive from 8:30am. And if you're organising a bigger gathering, a quick email a little ahead of time is all it takes to lock in a table for your group.
Bestie Cafe doesn't try to be everything at once. It's a friendly, well-located cafe on K'Rd that opens early, keeps its booking rules clear and its menu seasonal, and makes room at the table for groups large and small. Sometimes that's exactly what you want from a bestie.