The Sponge Kitchen is a scratch bakery and cafe on Oxford Street in Levin, creating everything fresh from original recipes that have been loved for decades.
The food reflects a blend of tradition and creativity, using only the freshest ingredients to deliver exceptional taste, from hearty breakfasts and satisfying lunches to freshly baked breads, cakes and pastries made daily. The cafe also pours rich, aromatic coffee, including their Victoria Coffee, as a companion to a relaxing visit.
Beyond the cafe counter, The Sponge Kitchen offers catering with savouries, sausage rolls and sweet treats, plus a dedicated bakery and cake range for special occasions. Customers describe a warm, welcoming atmosphere with friendly, helpful staff and generous portions.
On Oxford Street in Levin, The Sponge Kitchen has built its reputation as a scratch bakery and cafe, making everything from original recipes that have been loved for decades.
At the heart of The Sponge Kitchen is a commitment to quality - using only the freshest ingredients to deliver exceptional taste. The food reflects a blend of tradition and creativity, from freshly baked breads to delicious meals and handcrafted treats, all made to bring comfort, joy and memorable moments to customers every day.
The dine-in menu covers hearty breakfasts through to satisfying lunches. The Hunger Buster is a standout for bigger appetites, loaded with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash-browns, specialty sausage and tomatoes, while a simple Mushroom Omelette with toast suits a lighter start. Crumbed Fish, served with salad, fries and tartare sauce, rounds out the savoury lunch options, alongside pie-style options like Steak and Cheese and Bacon and Egg.
Coffee lovers can sip on the cafe's Victoria Coffee, described as rich, smooth and freshly brewed - the ideal start to the day. For something cold, the Cool Drinks menu includes a range of milkshakes in flavours like banana, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and lime, along with an Iced Chocolate topped with chocolate and cream.
True to its name, The Sponge Kitchen's bakery counter is stocked daily with handcrafted breads, cakes and pastries made using quality ingredients and time-tested recipes. The cake range includes classics like Banana Cake, Chocolate Cake, Madeira, Carrot Cake, a Mud Cake covered in ganache, Sponge with Cream, Red Velvet Cake and Cheese Cake - all made in generous 9 inch sizes.
Beyond the cafe, The Sponge Kitchen offers a catering menu built for gatherings and events, with mini quiches, bacon and egg savouries, sausage rolls, mushroom vol-au-vents, pizza pieces, asparagus rolls, large savoury or sweet muffins, and whole cakes including chocolate and Madeira-lemon-orange options.
Customers regularly highlight the friendly, cheerful staff and the generous portions on offer, describing The Sponge Kitchen as a popular local spot for a relaxed lunch, a coffee catch-up with friends, or simply stocking up on baking to take home.
The Sponge Kitchen is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 2:30pm, Saturday from 7am to 2:30pm, and closed on Sundays. It's located at 184 Oxford Street in Levin, with tables bookable ahead through the website.