Local Authority

Less about enforcing rules and more about creating a chill place to enjoy good coffee and food, Local Authority is a pocket-sized coffee spot that packs a punch. Husband and wife team Cam and Bronagh are the business partners behind this suave little café, where there’s a real community feel. Bronagh balances the books and Cam makes sure the team is ticking along.

On the menu are toasted organic rye savoury and sweet options as well as a modern take on the classic New Zealand toastie, and if a liquid breakfast is more your style then the generous smoothie options should fuel you up for the rest of the day. Coffee drinkers are now well accustomed to Local Authority’s expert brews, made with Flight Coffee from the capital. Offering single origin and filter coffee, the cool, calm baristas are happy to acknowledge that sometimes a mocha with extra choc is really all you want—there’s no coffee judgement here.

The big map of Porirua on the wall leaves no doubt that this is a business proud of its region, and Cam reiterates that starting a café here was an obvious choice for a tight-knit family who sees the potential for the area to be ‘so much more than just a shopping mall.’