Arriving into a town after driving for a couple of hours, I stopped at Tirau for lunch. I parked the car and headed down the main street to find somewhere to eat. There is no shortage of choices with the main street dotted with so many lovely cafes and takeaway shops. After browsing along the many different main street businesses in Tirau, I came across this gorgeous little café that took my fancy. This quirky café made you feel at home the minute you walked into the door. It smelt delicious, had a great menu that would please everyone as well as a specials board. The Cabbage Tree Café ticked all my boxes.
In the Māori language, "Tīrau" means "place of many cabbage trees." Maybe this is what made me decide to stop at this quirky café or was it because my café, Taste of the Country, always gets comments from guests about its quaintness and this one sparked my interest straight away. Walking up the steps, the whole café is decorated by their customers writing on the walls. Note to self – I must bring a Texta with me next time I call in as I will definitely return.
Tīrau is a small town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. The surrounding countryside is full of well-kept farmland, lots of dairy cows and stands of native bush and pine forests. Tīrau is a major junction in the New Zealand state highway network so you pass through this town on your way north or south.
Famously dubbed the 'Corrugated Capital of the World', it's worth stopping at as the large variety of boutique shops, cafes and restaurants are amazing. Tirau has more than its fair share of must-see tourist attractions, including the breathtaking Te Waihou Walkway and Blue Spring. In fact, it is unfair to not stop here for a couple of days and see what the locals have to offer.
Today though I ordered from the specials board a Creamy Cauliflower Soup with a side of Kumera (Sweet Potato) chips. Home cooked deliciousness in a bowl. It was just what I needed to continue my journey.
The soup was well balanced with just the right amount to seasoning and onions to bring out the flavour of the cauliflower. It certainly didn’t disappoint and had my taste buds working overtime to pick out the additions to the soup. Not too creamy and just the right consistency . Needless to say – my kumera chips were dipped into the soup too.
The staff were friendly, efficient and busy with the steady stream of people coming through their door. It’s hard when you have a hospitality businesses of your own to enjoy going into another café without being picky and looking for faults in another café’s food or service. This quirky cafe was delightful and I enjoyed every morsel on my plates. Thank you to the staff and management of The Cabbage Tree Café for such a great experience.
Location: 38 Main Road, Tīrau 3129, New Zealand.
Phone Number: +64 7-883 1153
Email: info@ctcafe.co.nz
Specialises in gourmet food and superb coffee. They are known for their moroccan lamb and big beef burgers, great curly fries, their Cabbage Tree BIG WORKS breakfast and a large variety of fantastic cabinet foods.
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