Willow Cafe

About Willow Cafe

Willow Café is a modern café at 42 Tawa Drive, Albany, Auckland, with a sunny north-facing setting and outside dining. It was selected the best café in Albany, Auckland North by Metro Magazine in 2015, and coffee remains central to what it does.

Willow believes food should balance taste and health, using fresh ingredients — most of them organic — and preparing many items from scratch so they control what goes into every dish. The menu, which changes seasonally, runs from café classics like smashed avocado and eggs benedict through to more distinctive dishes such as a signature butter chicken and kimchi fried rice, alongside cabinet food and a fresh gourmet a-la-carte selection.

Willow Café is fully licensed, with beer and wine on offer alongside an extensive coffee list, smoothies, juices and iced drinks, including gluten-free and vegan smoothie options.

Willow Café: Award-Winning Coffee and Brunch in Albany

Willow Café sits at 42 Tawa Drive in Albany, Auckland, in a modern, sunny north-facing space with outside dining — and it wears its coffee obsession openly, with the café's own tagline simply reading "Coffee is Our Passion."

Recognised in Albany's café scene

Willow's quality has been recognised beyond its own regulars: the café was selected the best café in Albany, Auckland North by Metro Magazine in 2015, a nod to the consistency the team has clearly kept chasing since.

A philosophy built on freshness

At Willow, food is treated as more than something to fill an empty stomach — it's about balancing taste and health. The kitchen uses fresh ingredients, most of them organic, and prepares many items from scratch, giving the team control over exactly what goes into each dish. The menu changes seasonally, so what's available can shift with the time of year.

Breakfast, done a few different ways

Willow's breakfast menu spans café staples and more considered plates. Smashed avocado comes loaded with whipped feta, pomegranate, mint and dukkah, while the Willow Breakfast brings together poached eggs, bacon, roasted tomato, skillet potato and a pork and fennel sausage. For something a little different, the Braised Pork Benedict swaps the usual muffin for bao buns, finished with apple slaw, pickled radish and sriracha aioli. Lighter options include a dairy-free-on-request porridge and a sweet corn fritter with charred corn salsa and sweet chilli yoghurt.

Lunch with a fusion edge

Once lunch service kicks in, Willow's menu takes a noticeably different turn. The Signature Meena Butter Chicken, served with jasmine rice and poppadom, and a Kimchi Fried Rice built around marinated Korean spicy pork belly both point to a kitchen willing to move beyond standard café fare. A seafood chowder loaded with squid, prawn, mussel, fish and clam, and pork belly buns with sriracha aioli, round out a lunch list that's more varied than most cafés attempt.

An extensive drinks list

Coffee is clearly the anchor of Willow's drinks menu, running from a short black through to a coconut matcha latte made with pure matcha and coconut milk, alongside iced versions of most of the coffee range. Beyond coffee, there's a full smoothie list — from a Green Goddess built around avocado, mint and chia seed to a Jumping Monkey blending espresso with banana and cinnamon — plus fresh juices, bottled soft drinks and coolers. Willow Café is fully licensed, also offering beer and wine.

Visiting Willow Café

Willow Café is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm, and on weekends and public holidays from 8am to 3pm, with the kitchen closing daily at 2pm. It's located at 42 Tawa Drive, Albany, and takes table bookings for lunch by phone. Catering is also available for those wanting Willow's food outside the café itself.

The experience

Between its award-winning coffee, a breakfast and lunch menu that isn't afraid to mix café classics with dishes like butter chicken and kimchi fried rice, and a genuinely extensive drinks list, Willow Café offers more variety than its modest Albany setting might suggest — a spot worth returning to for more than just the coffee that gives it its name.

Signature items

• Signature Meena Butter Chicken
• Willow Breakfast
• Braised Pork Benedict
• Smashed Avocado
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Seafood Chowder

Menu

Lunch

• Fries — Served with aioli.
• Glazed Popcorn Chicken — Sesame, pumpkin seeds.
• Seafood Chowder — Squid, prawn, mussel, fish, clam, sourdough.
• Pork Belly Buns — Lettuce, pickled cucumber, coriander, chilli, sriracha aioli.
• Butter Chicken — Signature Meena butter chicken served with jasmine rice, poppadom, coriander. Medium spicy.
• Kimchi Fried Rice — Marinated Korean spicy pork belly, fried egg, spinach. Mild spicy.
• Pasta of the Day — A daily pasta special.

Coffee

• Short Black
• Long Black
• Flat White
• Cappuccino
• Latte
• Mocchacino
• Hot Chocolate
• Chai Latte
• Toddy
• Piccolo
• Vienna
• Coconut Matcha Latte — Made with 100% pure matcha green tea and coconut milk.

Juices

• Orange Juice
• Apple Juice
• Pink Lady — Beetroot, carrot, orange, apple, lemon.
• Orange Gingerade — Orange, carrot, lemon, ginger.

Breakfast

• Egg on Toast — Two free range eggs on multigrain toast.
• Smashed Avocado — Cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, mint, whipped feta, dukkah (contains nuts), sourdough, with a poached egg.
• Open Omelette with Chorizo — Tomato, spring onion, feta cheese and chorizo.
• Open Omelette with Salmon — Tomato, spring onion, feta cheese and salmon.
• Open Omelette with Mushroom — Tomato, spring onion, feta cheese and mushroom.
• Creamy Mushroom — Garlic crumb, parmesan, on ciabatta.
• Sweet Corn Fritter — Charred corn red pepper salsa, sweet chilli yoghurt, avocado.
• French Toast — Grilled banana, seasonal fruit, coconut crumble, strawberry confit, maple syrup, vanilla bean.
• Eggs Benedict with Bacon — On corn fritters, wilted spinach, hollandaise sauce.
• Eggs Benedict with Salmon — On corn fritters, wilted spinach, hollandaise sauce.
• Eggs Benedict with Mushroom — On corn fritters, wilted spinach, hollandaise sauce.
• Braised Pork Benedict — On bao buns, poached eggs, apple slaw, pickled radish, sriracha aioli.
• Willow Breakfast — Two free range poached eggs, bacon, roasted tomato, skillet potato, mushroom, pork & fennel sausage.
• Porridge — Dairy-free on request. Oats, chia seeds, banana, strawberry confit, seasonal fruit, coconut chips.

Smoothies

• Tropical Energiser
• Banana Almond — Honey, almond butter, milk.
• Strawberry Kisses — Mango, strawberry, banana.
• Mixed Berry — Mixed berry, apple juice.
• Mango — Frozen mango, mango juice.
• Green Goddess — Avocado, banana, mint, lemon, coconut water, honey, chia seed.
• Jumping Monkey — Espresso shots, banana, milk, cinnamon.
• Berry Boost — Mixed berries, yoghurt, orange juice.
• Chunky Monkey — Banana, peanut butter, chocolate, milk, whipped cream.

Iced & Cold Coffee

• Iced Chocolate
• Iced Coffee
• Iced Mocchacino
• Iced Americano
• Iced Latte
• Iced Coconut Matcha Latte

Bottled & Cold Drinks

• Allganic Orange + Mango
• Allganic Apple + Feijoa
• Phoenix Lemonade
• Coke
• Diet Coke
• Coke No Sugar
• Bundaberg Ginger Beer
• V Energy Drink
• S. Pellegrino Mineral Water 250ml
• Lemonese Mint Cooler
• Lemon Lime Bitter

Frequently asked questions

What are Willow Café's opening hours?

Monday to Friday 7am-3pm, weekends and public holidays 8am-3pm, with the kitchen closing daily at 2pm.

Is Willow Café licensed?

Yes, it's fully licensed, offering beer and wine alongside its food and coffee menu.

Does the café have outdoor seating?

Yes, it has a sunny north-facing setting with outside dining available.

What is Willow Café known for?

It was selected the best café in Albany, Auckland North by Metro Magazine in 2015, and is known for its coffee.

Are there vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes, gluten-free and vegan smoothies are available, along with a dairy-free porridge option on request.

What's the signature dish?

The Signature Meena Butter Chicken, served with jasmine rice, poppadom and coriander.

Does the menu change?

Yes, the menu changes seasonally and items are subject to availability.

Tips

• {"body":"The kitchen closes at 2pm daily, even though the café stays open until 3pm.","title":"Order food before 2pm"}
• {"body":"A standout on the lunch menu, served with jasmine rice and poppadom.","title":"Try the Signature Meena Butter Chicken"}
• {"body":"The café has a sunny north-facing setting with outdoor dining.","title":"Sit outside if you can"}
• {"body":"The porridge and several smoothies can be made to suit.","title":"Ask about dairy-free or vegan options"}
• {"body":"It changes seasonally, so some items may not always be available.","title":"Check what's currently on the menu"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Gluten-free and vegan smoothie options available; dairy-free porridge available on request; dukkah contains nuts."}