Pikuniku — Japanese for picnic — is a Japanese-fusion brunch cafe on a sunny corner of Great South Road in Greenlane, Auckland. The idea is simple: capture the carefree feeling of an afternoon outdoors, no weather worries required, inside a room dressed with gingham cushions, wicker lights and pops of pastel.
The menu takes familiar brunch classics and gives them a generous, playful shake-up with distinctly Japanese flavours — think the Pikuniku Brekkie with smashed avocado, shiitake mushroom and korokke, Tako Omurice over octopus fried rice, and a donburi served in a rice paper bowl, alongside matcha croffles, miso mushroom noodles and crispy fried chicken sandos.
Coffee is taken seriously here. Pikuniku comes from the team behind Slowlane, and beans are sourced, roasted and profiled entirely in-house — often finished with a bit of cute bunny latte art. For something sweet, there's a cabinet of lush cakes and a dedicated Kohu Road ice cream stand.
Guided by the wabi-sabi love of the imperfect, the incomplete and the transient, Pikuniku is an unhurried neighbourhood spot for a hearty brunch with friends — open weekdays from 7:30am and weekends from 8am, with the kitchen closing at 2:30pm.
Pikuniku (ピクニック) is Japanese for picnic, and the idea behind this Greenlane cafe is exactly that: the easy, carefree feeling of an afternoon outdoors — no weather worries required. You'll find it tucked into a sunny corner site on Great South Road, dressed in gingham cushions, wicker lights and pops of pastel. The team calls it a little slice of picnic perfection; regulars are more likely to call it their neighbourhood brunch spot.
The name was chosen because every great neighbourhood needs a spot to gather, relax and share good food. Rather than hoping for a fine day, the team built the picnic indoors — a bright, pastel-washed room in Greenlane where the picnic-blanket feeling lasts all year.
The cafe's philosophy draws on wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that finds beauty in the imperfect, the incomplete and the transient — captured in their motto: 'The imperfect, the incomplete, the transient — that's where life is.' In the kitchen, that translates to generous, unpretentious plates: familiar brunch classics given a playful, distinctly Japanese shake-up.
Every dish here is a conversation between Japanese tradition and New Zealand's vibrant brunch culture. The Pikuniku Brekkie stacks two free-range eggs — poached, fried or scrambled — with smashed avocado, shiitake mushroom, korokke and slow-cooked vine tomato. The Tako Omurice is a proper fusion showpiece: an omelette over fried rice studded with octopus, prawn, edamame and vegetable mix, finished with bonito flake, Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce. The Pikuniku Donburi keeps things lighter, with coleslaw, stir-fried vegetables, pickled ginger and rice served in a rice paper bowl, while Eggs Your Way does exactly what it says — two free-range eggs with seasonal vege and butter on your choice of ciabatta, five-grain, sourdough or gluten-free bread.
Beyond the core menu, the kitchen turns out some much-loved favourites: mouth-watering matcha croffles, miso mushroom noodles and crispy fried chicken sandos. The full kitchen and drinks menus are on the cafe's website, and they ask guests to flag any dietary requirements so the team can look after them.
Pikuniku comes from the team behind Slowlane, and they bring the same coffee obsession with them: beans are sourced, roasted and profiled entirely in-house to guarantee the perfect cup every time. They don't take themselves too seriously, though — expert baristas are happy to crank out a bit of cute bunny latte art on your brew. If you're after a sweet finish, there's a dedicated Kohu Road ice cream stand for a scoop or two, plus a cabinet of lush cakes.
Brunch here is meant to be unhurried. Doors open from 7:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, with the cafe closing at 3pm (3:30pm on weekends) and the kitchen winding down at 2:30pm — so plan your omurice accordingly. Tables can be reserved online for a lazy morning with friends, or you can simply walk in and grab whatever sunny corner is free.
Whether you're settling in for a hearty brunch, grabbing a coffee topped with bunny ears, or picking up cake and ice cream on the go, Pikuniku delivers on its promise: a neighbourhood picnic with a delicious Japanese twist — tucked away in Auckland, found by those who look.