HIPPO Cafe

About HIPPO Cafe

HIPPO Cafe is part of Hippo Playground & Cafe, an indoor playground at 451 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany, Auckland that integrates entertainment with professional café food — an amazing fun day out for kids, families and friends. The cafe runs an extensive all-day menu alongside snacks, sharing platters, a dedicated kids menu and pizza.

The menu blends café classics like a big breakfast, egg benedict and burgers with Japanese-influenced dishes such as gyudon beef on rice, teriyaki chicken and Japanese unagi eel on rice. Families visiting with kids are well catered for, with a kids menu spanning toasties, burgers, pizza, pasta and sweet options like hot cakes and croffles.

Beyond the cafe, Hippo offers party room bookings, private venue hire, and gift cards, making it a popular choice for birthday celebrations and group events.

HIPPO Cafe: Indoor Playground Dining for Families in Botany

HIPPO Cafe sits inside Hippo Playground & Cafe at 451 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany — an indoor playground that integrates entertainment with professional café food, built for an amazing fun day out with family and friends.

A genuinely extensive café menu

Unlike many playground cafes, HIPPO runs a proper all-day dining menu. Breakfast options include the Hippo Big Breakfast with kransky sausage, bacon and hash brown, a Hippo Egg Benny with a choice of bacon, mushroom or smoked salmon, and a Creamy Corn Scramble finished with red pepper aioli. For something heartier, the Classic Beef Kiwi Burger stacks a double patty with a sunny side up egg and smoke BBQ sauce, while a Panko Fried Chicken Burger offers a lighter alternative.

A Japanese-influenced side to the menu

HIPPO's menu takes a distinct turn with a run of Japanese-inspired dishes: Gyudon Beef on Rice, Teriyaki Chicken on Rice, an Omurice fried rice with Korean chili sauce, and — as a standout — Japanese Unagi Eel on Rice with teriyaki glaze and Japanese slaw. Pasta lovers aren't left out either, with a Classic Bolognese with Tiger Prawn and a Spaghetti Carbonara both on the menu.

Snacks, platters and pizza

For grazing or sharing, HIPPO offers a full snacks menu — fries in straight, waffle or curly form, popcorn chicken, shrimp twisters, spring rolls and samosas — alongside two sharing platters: a Fried Chicken Platter and a Fried Seafood Platter, both built for the table. A 10-inch Pizza Feast rounds things out, with a choice of Hawaiian, chicken, bacon and cheese, vege, pepperoni or double cheese toppings.

Built for kids

HIPPO's kids menu is a genuine highlight, covering a Kids Burger, Kids Pizza, Kids Pasta and Kids Fish, alongside sweeter options like a Kids Hot Cake and Kids Croffle finished with grilled banana and maple syrup — all sized and priced for younger diners.

More than just a café

Beyond the food, Hippo Playground & Cafe offers party room bookings, private venue hire, gift cards and an online shop, making it a genuine destination for birthday parties and group events rather than just a place to eat.

Visiting HIPPO Cafe

The cafe is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. The playground itself keeps slightly different hours — Monday to Friday and public holidays 9:30am to 5pm, and weekends 9:30am to 5:30pm — so it's worth checking both before visiting. HIPPO is located at 451 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany, Auckland.

The experience

Between a menu that genuinely rivals a standalone café, a distinct Japanese-fusion streak running through the mains, and a dedicated kids menu and party booking service, HIPPO Cafe turns a trip to the playground into a proper meal out for the whole family.

Signature items

• Hippo Big Breakfast
• Classic Beef Kiwi Burger
• Japanese Unagi Eel on Rice
• Hippo Fish n Chips
• Fried Chicken Platter
• Panko Chicken Croffle

Menu

Pizza

• Pizza Feast 10" — Tomato base and mozzarella cheese; choice of Hawaiian, chicken, bacon & cheese, vege, pepperoni or double cheese.

Snacks

• Straight Fries
• Waffle Fries
• Curly Fries
• Solo Nuggets 6pcs
• Popcorn Chicken
• Fried Chicken 6pcs — 6 pieces of marinated chicken thigh.
• Shrimp Twister 8pcs
• Onion Rings 8pcs
• Spring Rolls 10pcs
• Samosa 10pcs
• Garlic Bread

Kid Menu

• Kids Chicken — 6 chicken nuggets, shoestring fries, tomato sauce.
• Kids Toastie — Ham, cheese, tomato crispy toastie.
• Kids Burger — Beef patty or chicken schnitzel, burger bun, lettuce, cheese, tomato sauce, skin-on fries.
• Kids Pizza — Wholemeal pizza base, tomato sauce, ham or chicken, cheese, skin-on fries.
• Kids Pasta — Spaghetti, beef bolognese, parmesan cheese.
• Kids Fish — 5 fish bites, shoestring fries, tomato sauce.
• Kids Hot Cake — Hot cake, grilled banana, seasonal fruits, maple syrup, whipped cream.
• Kids Croffle — Homebake croffle, grilled banana, seasonal fruits, maple syrup, whipped cream.

All Day Menu

• Hippo Big Breakfast — Kransky sausage, bacon, 2 free range eggs your way, hash brown, roasted tomato, button mushroom, tomato chutney, ciabatta or herb turkish focaccia.
• Eggs On Your Way — Two free range eggs your way, classic tomato chutney, greens with ciabatta or herb turkish focaccia.
• Hippo Egg Benny — Potato rosti, hollandaise, poached eggs, baby spinach, cherry tomato; choice of bacon, mushroom (V) or smoked salmon.
• Hippo Open Omelette — 3-egg open omelette with three fillings of choice from ham, bacon, tomato, mushroom, spinach, onion or cheese, served with ciabatta or herb turkish focaccia.
• Hippo Green Bowl — Broccoli, bean, avocado, kale, dukkah, almond and pumpkin seed, poached egg.
• Hippo Cobb Salad Bowl — Mixed greens, pan-fried chicken, boiled egg, cherry tomato, crispy bacon, sweet corn, avocado, halloumi cheese.
• Creamy Corn Scramble — Sweet corn scrambled eggs, corn fritter rosti, red pepper aioli, paprika, herb turkish focaccia.
• Panko Chicken Croffle — Crumbed boneless chicken thigh, homebake croffle, mixed berry compote, seasonal fruits, maple syrup.
• Classic Beef Kiwi Burger — Double beef patty, brioche bun, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, caramelised onion, sunny side up egg, smoke BBQ sauce, waffle fries.
• Panko Fried Chicken Burger — Crumbed chicken thigh, brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, red pepper aioli, waffle fries.
• Classic Bolognese with Tiger Prawn — Spaghetti, homemade beef bolognese, garlic tiger prawn, basil, shaved parmesan cheese.
• Spaghetti Carbonara — Creamy carbonara sauce, bacon, mushroom, cherry tomato, basil, shaved parmesan cheese.
• Gyudon Beef on Rice — Thin gyudon beef with caramelised onion, Japanese slaw, mayo, sunny side up egg.
• Teriyaki Chicken on Rice — Teriyaki chicken thigh, Japanese slaw, greens, cherry tomato, sunny side up egg.
• Omurice (Fried Rice) — Green pea, ham, scrambled egg, lettuce, cherry tomato, Korean chili sauce.
• Hippo Fish n Chips — Two battered hoki fillets, Japanese slaw, homemade aioli, straight cut chips.
• Thai Beef Salad — Marinated thin-cut sirloin, mixed greens, sweet corn, cucumber, cherry tomato, crisp noodle, Thai style dressing.
• Loaded Chips Bowl (V) — Straight cut chips, bacon and cheese topping, sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise.
• Japanese Unagi Eel on Rice — Teriyaki unagi, Japanese slaw, mayo, sunny side up egg.

Sharing Platter

• Fried Chicken Platter — 10 chicken nuggets, 6 fried chicken, 2 large crumbed chicken, large chips, tomato and sweet chili sauce.
• Fried Seafood Platter — 8 calamari, 10 shrimp twisters, 6 fish bites, large chips, tomato sauce and aioli.

Frequently asked questions

What are HIPPO Cafe's opening hours?

Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm.

What are the playground hours?

Monday to Friday and public holidays, 9:30am to 5pm. Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, including burgers, pizza, pasta, fish, toasties, hot cakes and croffles.

Can I book a birthday party?

Yes, party room bookings and private venue hire are both available.

Does the cafe cater to vegetarians?

Some dishes are marked vegetarian, including the mushroom egg benny and loaded chips bowl.

Is there a sharing platter option?

Yes, a Fried Chicken Platter and a Fried Seafood Platter are both available.

Can I order pizza?

Yes, a 10-inch Pizza Feast is available with a choice of toppings.

Tips

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• {"body":"Private venue hire is also available for larger events.","title":"Book the Party Room for a birthday"}
• {"body":"Unagi Eel on Rice and Gyudon Beef stand out from a typical café menu.","title":"Try the Japanese-inspired dishes"}
• {"body":"Choose from Fried Chicken or Fried Seafood.","title":"Order a sharing platter for the table"}
• {"body":"From toasties and burgers to hot cakes and croffles.","title":"Kids have their own full menu"}

Good to know

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