Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe

About Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe

Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe sits down a long driveway lined with plum trees at 280 Botany Road in Golflands, Auckland — a working cafe housed in a cottage built in the 1850s. The cottage, its surrounding fruit-bearing trees, hawthorn hedges, gardens and the 200-metre driveway all form part of the site's historic heritage significance, managed by the Howick and District Historical Society. It is a setting few cafes can match, and the team proudly calls it Auckland's best kept secret.

Inside the historic walls, the kitchen serves everything from traditional cafe food to heartier country dishes, with a menu that changes seasonally. Breakfast is the heart of the offering — think the loaded HD Breakfast, Belgian waffles with berry compote, and the house Signature Creamy Mushrooms — alongside well-built vegetarian plates like Simple Rosti Benedict and homemade sweet corn fritters. Later in the day there are Angus beef and cajun chicken burgers, panko hoki fish and chips, pasta and salads, plus a dedicated kids menu where every meal comes with a drink.

The drinks list runs from a full espresso menu and golden turmeric lattes to milkshakes, smoothies, iced drinks and a thoughtful tea programme, including The Tea Thief organic range — among it Tickety Brew, a butterfly pea flower tea that changes colour with a drop of lemon — and T2 classics. For something more occasion-worthy, the cafe also offers high tea.

Service is relaxed and counter style: order at the counter with your table number, and note that last orders are at 1.50pm. Hawthorn Dene opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 3pm and closes on Mondays.

Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe: Brunch in an 1850s Cottage Down a Plum-Tree Driveway in Golflands, Auckland

Down a 200-metre driveway lined with plum trees, past hawthorn hedges and fruit-bearing trees planted generations ago, stands a cottage that has been part of the landscape since the 1850s. This is Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe, a place its team proudly calls Auckland's best kept secret — a working cafe tucked inside a genuinely historic homestead on Botany Road in Golflands, Auckland.

A Cottage With Real History

The Hawthorn Dene cottage house was built in the 1850s, and much of what surrounds it matters as much as the building itself. The fruit-bearing trees, the hawthorn hedges, the gardens and the long driveway with its rows of plum trees all form part of the site's historic heritage significance, and the whole setting is managed by the Howick and District Historical Society. That makes a visit here a little different from an ordinary cafe stop: you arrive down a heritage drive, sit beside a colonial-era cottage and take morning tea in a piece of early Auckland that has somehow survived the city's sprawl around it.

From the Kitchen

In the kitchen, the menu runs from traditional cafe food to heartier dishes, with a range that caters to all tastes — and it changes seasonally, so return visits often bring something new. Breakfast anchors the menu: the HD Breakfast loads toasted sourdough with bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, rosti and free range eggs cooked any way you like, while the Belgian Waffles come with seasonal fruit, bacon, berry compote, maple syrup and whipped cream. The Signature Creamy Mushrooms on sourdough has earned its title, and gluten-free options are available on several dishes.

Vegetarians are looked after properly, too — Smashed Avocado with beetroot hummus, Simple Rosti Benedict, the halloumi-packed HEAL plate and homemade HD Sweet Corn Fritters all hold their own against the meatier plates. Come lunchtime the kitchen moves to burgers and mains: an Angus Beef Burger Deluxe stacked with bacon and a fried egg, a Cajun Chicken Burger, a crumbed HD Fish Burger, panko hoki Fish & Chips and creamy chicken mushroom pasta, alongside Thai beef, grilled chicken and halloumi-avocado salads. A dedicated kids menu — Kiddie Breakfast, Chickadee and Mini Pancakes, each served with a drink — keeps smaller visitors happy.

Coffee, Tea and Cold Glasses

The drinks list is as considered as the food. There is a full espresso menu — flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and long blacks — plus sweet and spiced chai, a golden turmeric latte and hot chocolate. Milkshakes and smoothies come in flavours from mango and tropical to banana and caramel, iced coffees and blended iced mochas arrive crowned with cream, and a house Tickety Brew lemonade covers the sunny afternoons. Tea drinkers are especially well served: The Tea Thief organic range includes Tickety Brew, a butterfly pea flower blend that calmingly changes colour with a drop of lemon, alongside hibiscus Brewtiful, floral-spiced Kashmiri Chai and the kawakawa-laced Cool Brew, while T2 classics such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey handle the familiar orders.

Planning Your Visit

Hawthorn Dene opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 3pm and closes on Mondays. Service is counter style: order at the counter and give your table number, and let the team know if you change tables so they can find you. Last orders are taken at 1.50pm, so arrive with time to wander the grounds afterwards. Anyone with allergies should flag them in advance — the kitchen works with gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, eggs, sesame and more. For something more occasion-worthy, the cafe also offers high tea; ask the team or get in touch by phone or email to arrange one. Between the heritage setting, the seasonal plates and the unhurried country pace, it is easy to see why regulars keep this plum-lined driveway on their list of favourite secrets — and why it is worth the drive out to Golflands before the secret gets out.

Signature items

• HD Breakfast
• Belgian Waffles
• Signature Creamy Mushrooms
• HEAL (v)
• HD Sweet Corn Fritters
• Simple Rosti Benedict

Menu

Coffee

• Short Black — Classic espresso shot.
• Long Black — Served in a tulip cup.
• Americano — Espresso lengthened with hot water.
• Flat White — Available regular or large.
• Latte — Espresso with steamed milk.
• Cappuccino — Available regular or large.
• Mochaccino — Chocolate and coffee, available regular or large.
• Sweet Chai / Spiced Chai — Comforting chai, sweet or spiced.
• Golden Turmeric Latte — Warm, golden turmeric latte.
• Hot Chocolate — Classic hot chocolate.
• Kids Hot Chocolate — A smaller hot chocolate for little ones.
• Fluffy — Frothy steamed milk treat for kids, with an upgrade to a 450ml bowl available.

T2 Tea

• English Breakfast — T2 classic black tea.
• Earl Grey — T2 classic black tea.
• Peppermint — T2 peppermint infusion.

Kids Meals

• Kiddie Breakfast — White toast, fried egg, bacon, hash brown and tomato sauce. Comes with a kids drink.
• Chickadee — Five chicken nuggets with fries and tomato sauce. Comes with a kids drink.
• Mini Pancakes — Eight petite pancakes with fresh banana, bacon, maple syrup and whipped cream. Comes with a kids drink.

Cold Drinks

• Milkshake — Mango, tropical, mixed berry, chocolate, vanilla, caramel or banana; kids size available.
• Smoothie — Mango, tropical, mixed berry or banana; kids size available.
• Iced Coffee — Chilled coffee classic.
• Iced Chocolate — Chilled chocolate classic.
• Iced Mocha — Blended and served with cream.
• Iced Americano — Espresso over ice.
• Iced Latte — Espresso with cold milk over ice.
• Iced Tea — Lemon or peach.
• Tickety Brew Lemonade — House lemonade from The Tea Thief.
• Soft Drink — Coke, Coke No Sugar or Sprite.
• Phoenix / Charlies Juice — Apple; apple orange mango; apple mango passionfruit; lemon lime bitters; ginger beer.

Snacks & Sides

• Bowl of Fries — Golden fries seasoned with lemon pepper, served with tomato sauce.
• Wedges — Served with sour cream and sweet chilli; bacon and cheese can be added.
• Bacon — Side of bacon to add to any dish.
• Smoked Salmon — Side of smoked salmon to add to any dish.
• Halloumi — Side of grilled halloumi to add to any dish.
• Rosti — Golden rosti to add to any dish.
• Sausage — Side of sausage to add to any dish.
• Hash Brown — Hash brown to add to any dish.
• Egg — Extra egg — poached, sunny side up, fried and flipped.
• Scrambled Egg — Extra side of scrambled egg.

Breakfast & Brunch

• HD Breakfast — Toasted sourdough with bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, rosti and free range eggs cooked your way. Gluten-free option available.
• Belgian Waffles — Waffles with seasonal fruit, bacon, berry compote, maple syrup, raspberry coulis, whipped cream and icing sugar dust.
• Smashed Avocado (v) — Toasted sourdough with sauteed spinach, smashed avocado, poached egg and beetroot hummus. Gluten-free option available.
• Simple Rosti Benedict (v) — Toasted sourdough with rosti, poached free range eggs, spinach, hollandaise sauce and balsamic glaze. Gluten-free option available.
• HEAL (v) — Grilled halloumi, poached free range eggs, avocado slices, rosti, spinach, beetroot hummus, sun-dried tomato, basil and hollandaise.
• Free Range Eggs on Toast — Two free range eggs on toasted sourdough — poached, sunny side up, fried and flipped, or scrambled. Gluten-free option available.
• Signature Creamy Mushrooms — Creamy mushrooms and spinach on toasted sourdough with balsamic glaze and parmesan. Gluten-free option available.

Burgers, Mains & Salads

• Fish & Chips — Two panko-crumbed hoki fillets with fries, small side salad, tomato sauce and tartare sauce.
• Beef Burger Deluxe with fries — Angus beef patty with bacon, fried egg, cheese, beetroot hummus, aioli, BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.
• Cajun Chicken Burger with fries — Cajun chicken with bacon, cheese, beetroot hummus, aioli and chipotle sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.
• HD Fish Burger with fries — Two crumbed fish fillets with gherkin, tartare sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.
• Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta — Linguine with grilled chicken, mushroom and spinach.
• HD Omelette — Free range eggs with spinach, onion, cheese, mushroom and bacon, served with toasted sourdough.
• HD Thai Beef Salad — Schnitzel slices and garden salad with seed topping, crispy noodles and lime ginger coriander and honey mustard dressings.
• Grilled Chicken Salad — Grilled chicken slices on garden salad with seed topping, croutons and the house dressings.
• Grilled Halloumi & Avocado Salad (v) — Halloumi and avocado on garden salad with seed topping, croutons and the house dressings.
• HD Sweet Corn Fritters (v) — Three homemade sweetcorn fritters with garden salad, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.

The Tea Thief Organic Tea

• Tickety Brew (caffeine free) — Organic butterfly blue pea flower, ginger and lavender — earthy, calming and changes colour with a drop of lemon.
• Fairy Dust (caffeine free) — Organic rose petals, lemon peel, chamomile flowers, mint and turmeric; warming and comforting.
• Brewtiful (caffeine free) — Wild hibiscus flower — tangy and refreshing with a fruit aroma.
• Mentalitea (contains caffeine) — Organic deep baked oolong.
• Kashmiri Chai (contains caffeine) — Organic black tea with cinnamon, almond, cloves, green cardamom, rose petals and bay leaf — floral and spicy, inspired by Kashmir.
• Gunpowder Green Tea (low caffeine) — Organic green tea.
• Cool Brew (caffeine free) — Ginger, organic lemongrass, lemon verbena and kawakawa — hints of citrus, pepper and spice.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Hawthorn Dene Historic Country Cafe?

Down the long driveway at 280 Botany Road, Golflands, Auckland 2013 — look for the 200m drive lined with plum trees leading to the 1850s cottage.

What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 3pm. The cafe is closed on Mondays.

When are last orders?

Last orders are taken at 1.50pm, so plan to arrive before then with time to enjoy your meal.

How do I order?

Order at the counter and tell the team your table number — and let them know if you change tables so they can find you.

Can allergies and dietary needs be catered for?

Yes — let the team know in advance. Note there are traces of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, eggs, sesame seeds and others in the kitchen. Gluten-free options are available on several dishes.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes — Kiddie Breakfast, Chickadee and Mini Pancakes, each served with a drink: kids juice, kids hot chocolate or a fluffy (upgradable to a kids milkshake or smoothie).

Does the cafe offer high tea?

Yes, high tea is offered — see the High Tea page or contact the cafe by phone (09 273 9117) or email to arrange it.

Tips

• {"body":"Last orders are at 1.50pm and the cafe closes at 3pm, so arrive earlier in the service for the full menu and a relaxed visit.","title":"Beat the 1.50pm cutoff"}
• {"body":"The cafe sits down a 200m driveway lined with plum trees — part of the heritage setting — so keep going past the road frontage to find the 1850s cottage.","title":"Follow the plum trees"}
• {"body":"Order at the counter and give your table number, and tell the team if you change tables so they can find you.","title":"Order at the counter"}
• {"body":"Hawthorn Dene offers high tea — worth arranging ahead by phone or email for a special occasion in the historic cottage.","title":"Make it a high tea"}
• {"body":"The Tea Thief's Tickety Brew, made with organic butterfly blue pea flower, calmingly changes colour with a drop of lemon.","title":"Try the colour-changing tea"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu with a drink included (juice, hot chocolate or fluffy), plus kids milkshakes, smoothies and hot chocolates.","dietary":"Vegetarian dishes marked (v) and gluten-free options on several plates; kitchen traces of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, eggs and sesame — flag allergies in advance."}