MELBA Manukau

About MELBA Manukau

MELBA Manukau is an all-day café and restaurant at 1 Ronwood Avenue, conveniently located just across from Westfield Mall in Manukau. Part of the wider MELBA Group — which traces back to the original Café Melba opening in Vulcan Lane in 1995 — the Manukau café is run by licensees Shashi and Kim Bansal, long-standing members of the MELBA family with deep ties to the local community.

MELBA Manukau offers a generous all-day menu, freshly baked treats and consistently good coffee, positioning itself as a welcoming retreat from the bustle of the city centre — a spot for office breaks, relaxed catch-ups, or unwinding after shopping. The café is now also open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday, extending its all-day offering into stone oven pizzas, share plates and larger dinner mains.

MELBA Manukau caters to families with a dedicated kids day menu, and also offers a separate catering menu for functions and events, alongside a full wine, cocktail and beer list for those staying into the evening.

MELBA Manukau: All-Day Café and Dinner Destination Near Westfield

Just across from Westfield Mall in Manukau, MELBA Manukau brings the long-running MELBA café brand to South Auckland. The café at 1 Ronwood Avenue is described as a welcoming retreat from the bustle of the city centre, offering a generous all-day menu, freshly baked treats and consistently great coffee — the kind of spot suited to office breaks, relaxed catch-ups, or unwinding after a day of shopping.

Part of a Bigger Story

MELBA traces its roots back to 1995, when the original Café Melba opened in the iconic Vulcan Lane location and quickly became a local and visitor favourite. That success eventually carried the brand beyond the CBD into the wider Auckland area, and today the MELBA Group operates cafés across the region under the direction of Shawn and Michelle Pope. At Manukau, the café is run by licensees Shashi and Kim Bansal, long-standing members of the MELBA family with deep ties to the local Manukau community — something they bring into the warmth and inclusiveness of the café itself.

From Brunch to Dinner

MELBA Manukau's all-day menu runs from hearty breakfast plates like the MELBA Breakfast and Eggs Benedict through to lunch classics such as the Honey Garlic Chicken Salad, Angus Beef Burger and BBQ King of the Sea — crispy skin salmon with pickled fennel and charred lemon. Stone oven pizzas round out the day menu, from a classic Margherita to The Works, loaded with chorizo, bacon and bratwurst.

MELBA Manukau is now open for dinner too, Wednesday through Saturday from 3pm until late. The night menu leans into share plates like Chicken Bao Buns with Korean fried chicken and gochujang sauce, Salt & Pepper Calamari, and Cauliflower Pakora, before moving into larger dinner mains such as a Scotch Fillet with creamy truffle mash and peppercorn sauce, slow-cooked Beef Brisket, and Pork Ribs. Dessert closes things out with a Salted Caramel Sundae or the MELBA Cheesecake.

Drinks and Coffee

Coffee remains central to the MELBA experience, served as a double shot across the full range from espresso to flat white, alongside chai, matcha and specialty brews. For evenings, the drinks list extends into wine — including a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Martinborough Pinot Noir — plus a cocktail list featuring the Classic Margarita, Salted Caramel Martini and Gin Fizz, with mocktail options like the MELBA Sunset for non-drinkers.

Visiting and Catering

MELBA Manukau caters to families with a dedicated kids day menu, and also runs a separate catering menu for functions and events. Bookings can be made directly, and the café notes a 10% surcharge applies on public holidays, when it opens from 7:30am. Whether it's a coffee on the way through Westfield, a full breakfast, or a dinner out later in the week, MELBA Manukau positions itself as a reliable, all-day option in the heart of Manukau.

Signature items

• MELBA Breakfast
• BBQ King of the Sea
• Fried Chicken Waffle
• Chicken Bao Buns
• Scotch Fillet
• Beef Brisket

Menu

Wine

• Soligo Prosecco — Italy.
• Pinot Gris - Mischief — Waipara.
• Sauvignon Blanc - Ten Sisters — Marlborough.
• Chardonnay - Askerne — Hawke's Bay.
• Rosé - Bieler Père — Provence.
• Pinot Noir - Te Hera — Martinborough.
• Shiraz - Blaxland Chocolate Box — Barossa Valley, Australia.

Sides

• Manuka Smoked Bacon — Side option.
• Creamy Mushrooms — Side option.
• Grilled Mushrooms — Side option.
• House Hashbrown — Side option.
• Mixed Leaf & Parmesan Salad — Side option.
• Smoked Salmon — Side option.
• Grilled Free Range Chicken — Side option.
• Grilled Halloumi — Side option.
• Chips, Parmesan & Aioli — Side option.
• Cheesy Wedges — Served with crème fraîche.

Coffee

• Espresso — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Long Black — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Flat White — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Cappuccino — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Latte — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Mocha — Coffee served as a double shot.
• Chai — House chai.
• Matcha — Contains milk derivatives.

Desserts

• Salted Caramel Sundae — Vanilla bean ice cream, mango, salted caramel sauce, candied cashew & biscoff crumb.
• MELBA Cheesecake — Seasonal fruit, meringue crumb.

Cocktails

• Ruby Picola — Vodka, advocaat, rhubarb syrup, house lemonade.
• Classic Margarita — Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sugar syrup.
• Salted Caramel Martini — Vodka, kahlua, salted caramel syrup, espresso.
• Gin Fizz — Gin, pear & vanilla syrup, lemon juice, lemonade.
• Berry Smash — Mixed berries, rum, triple sec, lemonade.

Mocktails

• MELBA Sunset — Pineapple juice, lemon juice, grenadine, mint.
• Apple Pie — Apple & orange juice, lemon juice, ginger beer, cinnamon.
• Cranberry Sparkler — Cranberry juice, orange juice, ginger beer.
• Basil Babe — Peach purée, fresh basil, lemon juice, ginger beer, chilli, sugar rim.

Stone Oven Pizzas

• The Italian — House tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy pepperoni.
• The Works — Chorizo, bacon, bratwurst, mozzarella, mushroom, MELBA sauce & aioli.
• Tandoori Spice — Free range chicken, mozzarella, spicy tandoori onions, cherry tomato, coriander, raita, mango chutney.
• Margherita — Cherry tomato, mozzarella & fresh basil.
• Garden Delight — Mozzarella, jalapeño, olives, pineapple, mushroom, corn, onions, parmesan, aioli, chipotle.

Breakfast & All Day

• Winter Warming Porridge — Oats, coconut cream, chia seeds, black doris plum, grilled banana, roasted almonds.
• Eggs Benedict — Poached eggs, house hash cake, house hollandaise. Choice of manuka smoked bacon, smoked salmon & baby spinach, or grilled tomato & baby spinach.
• MELBA Breakfast — Manuka smoked bacon, bratwurst, sourdough, grilled mushroom, house hash brown, poached or fried egg, MELBA sauce.
• French Toast — Thick cut brioche, caramelised banana, maple mascarpone, mixed berry coulis, meringue crumb.
• Salmon Mash — Soft mashed potato with dill & lemon, topped with smoked salmon, poached egg & house hollandaise.
• Farmers Feast — Three egg omelette, confit mushroom, chimichurri, marinated feta, caramelised onion, house kasundi.
• Eggs on Toast — Poached or fried eggs on five grain toast.
• Buttie — Organic brioche, house pulled pork, manuka smoked bacon, aioli, fried egg, house bbq sauce.
• Mince on Toast — Baby spinach, crème fraîche, chorizo crumb, fried egg, sourdough.
• Mighty Mushrooms — Grilled mushrooms, fried egg, focaccia, sun-dried tomato pesto, parmesan snow, petite salad.
• Avocado Toast — Crushed avocado, poached egg, marinated feta, greens, toasted seeds, beetroot hummus, sourdough.
• Honey Garlic Chicken Salad — Free range chicken, apple, roasted cashew, aioli, avocado, tomato, balsamic dressing.
• Energizer Salad — Crispy kale, grilled halloumi, quinoa, candied walnuts, cranberries, beetroot hummus, honey lime dressing.
• Angus Beef Burger — Cheddar, dijonnaise, habanero BBQ sauce, salad, caramelised onion, pickle, tomato, chips.
• BBQ King of the Sea — Crispy skin salmon, chive crème fraîche, kale, seasonal vegetables, pickled fennel, charred lemon, crispy caper.
• Fried Chicken Waffle — Parmesan waffle, buttermilk fried free range chicken, red pepper & maple aioli, crunchy slaw, caramelised onion & chips.
• Fish Tacos — Crumbed market fish, organic flour tortilla, mango, chipotle, capsicum, sweetcorn & tomato salsa.
• Creamy Penne Pasta — Free range chicken, mushrooms & manuka smoked bacon, fresh basil, shaved parmesan.
• Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich — Panko crumbed free range chicken breast, brie, house apricot chutney, aioli, tomato & greens, toasted focaccia, chips.
• Seafood Chowder — Thick and creamy with mussels, market fish, shrimp, calamari, toasted sourdough.
• Beef Brisket — Spiced dry rub, slow cooked, cauliflower purée, creamy scalloped potatoes, seasonal vegetables, beef jus.
• Pork Ribs — Slow cooked smoky pork ribs, sesame & apple slaw, chips.

Dinner Large Plates

• Scotch Fillet — Creamy truffle mash, garlic butter, seasonal vegetables, peppercorn sauce.

Dinner Small Plates

• Pizza Bread — Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, mozzarella.
• Cauliflower Pakora — Garam masala infused, maple & chilli aioli.
• Fish Sliders — Pickled lemon, aioli & watercress.
• Crispy Chicken Nibbles — Panko crumbed and drizzled with MELBA sauce.
• Chicken Bao Buns — Korean fried chicken, gochujang sauce, slaw, pickled cucumber, chilli, watercress.
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — Chipotle & lime aioli dipping sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What are MELBA Manukau's opening hours?

Breakfast and lunch are served 7 days — weekdays from 7am, weekends from 7:30am. Dinner is served Wednesday to Saturday from 3pm until late.

Where is MELBA Manukau located?

1 Ronwood Avenue, Manukau, just across from Westfield Mall.

Does MELBA Manukau serve dinner?

Yes, dinner is now served Wednesday to Saturday from 3pm until late.

Does MELBA Manukau have a kids menu?

Yes, a dedicated kids day menu is available.

Can I book MELBA Manukau for catering or events?

Yes, a separate catering menu is available for functions and events.

Is there a surcharge on public holidays?

Yes, a 10% surcharge applies on all public holidays, when the café opens from 7:30am.

Who runs MELBA Manukau?

Licensees Shashi and Kim Bansal, long-standing members of the MELBA family with strong ties to the local Manukau community.

Tips

• {"body":"Dinner service runs Wednesday to Saturday only, from 3pm until late.","title":"Book ahead for dinner"}
• {"body":"Not every ingredient is listed on the menu, so flag any allergies or intolerances with your waiter.","title":"Ask about allergies"}
• {"body":"The crispy skin salmon with pickled fennel is one of the café's signature mains.","title":"Try the King of the Sea"}
• {"body":"A dedicated kids day menu makes it easy to bring children along.","title":"Bring the family"}

Good to know

• {"family":"A dedicated kids day menu is available.","dietary":"Not all ingredients are listed on the menu, so guests with allergies or intolerances should speak to their waiter.","payments":"A 10% surcharge applies on all public holidays."}