Café Zest is a neighbourhood café at 45 Ruahine Street in Roslyn, Palmerston North, holding a 4.5 rating on Google; its Facebook page is the place to check for the latest details. A good suburban café earns its place through reliability: consistent espresso, a well-stocked cabinet and staff who remember the regulars. In New Zealand the flat white is the honest test of a coffee menu, so it is worth judging a new spot on that alone. Cabinet food tends to go early — a late-morning visit often finds slimmer pickings than the counter showed at nine — and weekend mid-morning is the busy stretch almost everywhere. A quiet weekday before ten is the moment for a slower cup. For Roslyn locals and anyone passing through this part of Palmerston North, Café Zest is an easy, well-liked stop for coffee or a bite.