Listen to this while reading: Jacqueline Francois - Mademoiselle de Paris
It's hard to choose one favourite cafe in the area I live in, Ponsonby, Auckland. There are not just plenty to choose from, but they are all just as spectacular as one another, making whittling the list down nigh impossible. Making the decision even tougher, is Marcello, a short, friendly French man who opened a cafe not too long ago half way up College Hill, at the North End of Ponsonby. He named the restaurant after himself, and offers a range of breakfast, brunch and lunch options, as well as an extensive omelette menu.
Upon my visit, I chose the Eggs Benedict. Although a standard cafe option, Marcello's Benedict was fresh and full of flavour, and overall, quite delicious. He sets his perfectly poached eggs on top of some fresh baby spinach leaves (a nice change from the hunk of frozen which has become acceptable), layers of crispy bacon and a lightly toasted english muffin. The dish is then drizzled with the obligatory hollandaise. There isn't too much going on with the plate of food, and that's just the way I like it.
Marcello's use Allpress coffee, a brand I'm more familiar seeing in portable coffee stands, but it is nonetheless still a fine brew. He also offers a range of herbal teas and cold drinks.
Because of his position on the fringe of the city, Marcello's mainly serve the surrounding businesses with take-away coffees and lunches to go, which fill a fairly large cabinet next to the register. All the sandwiches are made fresh onsite and are crammed so full of more-ish filling, that it puts the homemade egg sarnie to shame.
The cafe is small but nevertheless utilises all space available, with a sizable courtyard out front for those weekend mornings spent reading the paper in the sun.
Whether it's brunch, lunch, morning tea or just a cup of coffee to go, Marcello's covers all bases, and covers them well. I have found heaven: a french man who can cook eggs benedict and make coffee!
8/10
Marcello's, 28 College Hill, Auckland - (09) 361 2600
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