Jafa

The term JAFA is a negative reference to Aucklanders from "the rest of New Zealand". JAFA cafe has embraced the positivity of Auckland and accepted the JAFA title with a humorous perspective.

The owner/ operator is a fantastically friendly guy called Tim and it seems that everyone who walks through the door is a close personal friend (though I expect that they are just patrons that feel welcomed). Tim used to own and run a cafe called Benediction which was in my opinion one of the very best in Auckland. The story goes that the conditions of sale restricted Tim from opening another cafe within 10KM of Benediction. Jafa appears to be within meters of that 10KM mark!

I would say that the steak sandwich at Jafa is the best that I have ever had. There are many brunch and lunch options which I am told are all fantastic and it's all reasonably priced.

The service is unbeatable. We tried to get lunch on a Tuesday, but there were no seats available and we couldn't wait. The next day we phoned ahead and were greeted with a table prepared especially for us, with said steak sandwiches arriving moments later.

Coffee was excellent. At our table we drank espresso, strong flat white and a short-pour strong flat white. All reports were good that day. The best coffee I've had in Auckland - better than Altezano. I'm sorry to say I didn't note which beans they use, but I'm sure that they don't roast their own.

The building used to be a cafe called Craft and Jafa haven't really altered the interior. The interior is not to my personal liking. There is art from local artists on the wall which is a nice touch, but this clashes with the multi-coloured upholstery on the bench seats. The colour scheme I felt was too much also. I wouldn't tempt fate by visiting Jafa with a hang-over. The decorating is a surprise, since Benediction was a minimalist building with retro furniture, stained glass windows and concrete everywhere, so interior-wise, Jafa is worlds apart. There is upstairs dining on a kind of mezzanine and outdoor tables and umbrellas. My recommendation would be the outside seating, if Auckland is kind to you with the weather!