Grain

Petite, yet oh so beautiful and sleek, Grain is a cafe that keeps things honest and simple. Housed in a repurposed rubber-moulding factory, exposed brick walls, metal reinforcement structures and the original red crane add grit to the white and bright interiors. The building has recently acquired an extension on the northern side, opening up a thoroughfare into the cafe, directly from St Asaph Street.

Keeping true to its name, Grain’s speciality is the daily changing Grain Bowls. These are full of flavour and generous in size, and there is always a vegan option. Another lunchtime favourite is the daily soup, served with a buttery slice of whole grain or sourdough bread. Sandwiches and bagels filled with all sorts of goodness fly out the door, as do the famous scones (get in early if you have a hankering for one of these).

A compact brunch menu adds more puku-filling options to the mix. Everything served at Grain is made in-house (bar the bread, which is left to the pros at Grizzly Baked Goods). Grain also does small-scale catering for that next office lunch or board meeting.

The olive green espresso machine pumps out perfect Allpress coffee throughout the day. Non-coffee-drinkers can choose from a bunch of smoothies and other caffeine-free options, like their house-brewed chai. Pop in, settle down for a moment, and let the friendly folk here refuel you – you’ll be glad you did.