The Dairy - Ponsonby Central

Yes yes, I know, another Ponsonby blog post. You see, unfortunately I have a terrible sense of direction so the thought of venturing beyond my stomping ground terrifies me. So please, if you can recommend an amazing eatery beyond central Auckland please send me some very clear directions and I'll be on my way (I'm being serious).

But for now, we are back in Ponsonby at Ponsonby Central's newest eatery The Dairy. Occupying a somewhat awkward, yet appropriate spot in the middle of all the action, the Dairy is a 'Beer and Cheese Room' serving up everything from Swiss cheese toasties to Kapiti ice cream sandwiches.

I ventured there on a sunny Friday for a pre-birthday lunch (any excuse for a lunch) with a bunch of friends from work. The Dairy doesn't have much dedicated seating, so we quickly grabbed one of the big communal tables in Ponsonby Central and sat down with a few menus.

I was mesmerised by the choice of ice-cream and treats on offer and had to dive straight in with a black doris plum and lime ice-cream soda. Oh wow, cue flash back to childhood.

We all had different meals, but the pulled pork burger was the winner of the day. I had some serious food envy after having a brain explosion when I ordered the vegetarian option. Who am I kidding? I could never be a vego (although the goats cheese balls were delish).

Now, to be honest The Dairy had a few teething problems that inevitably come hand in hand with a startup restaurant/cafe. I'm sure they'll be improving by the day but when we went the service was very slow, not ideal for those of us trying to squeeze our lunch into a precious working hour!

However, I would definitely be interested to head back when they've found their feet properly and dig into one of their gooey cheese toasties washed down by a beer. In the mean time I recommend popping in for a deliciously reminiscent ice-cream soda and a few naughty cookies.