Cafe Byzantium Ltd

Good lord, you must try the amazing paninis at Byzantium. So tasty, and a lovely view of Ponsonby Road. Perfect Sunday fodder.

My husband and I went on a brunch date to Byzantium over the weekend, and found the food to be really good. They have all the classic brunch dishes, and they do them extremely well, my husband had faultless vegetarian eggs benedict with loads of delicious mushrooms (which we paid $1 extra for) and fresh avocado. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the hollandaise was really good. My french toast was also really good, with four big slices of french stick, with banana, bacon and lots of maple syrup - really good value at $13.50, I think it's the cheapest good breakfast you will find in Ponsonby. Our food came out extremely quickly. The hot drinks were only average however, my husbands tea was just a Twinings tea bag, and my coffee was fine, but nothing to rave about. Street parking is generally easy to find.

This is one of my favourite Ponsonby cafes. The walls are painted beautifully with murals, and the tables seem to have different themes... very subtle... my fav table has a medical theme (anatomical illustrations decopaged over oxblood red) - somehow not off-putting while eating. The mosiacs and candle holders in worn golden shades are lovely; the interior looks a bit like a Byzantine painting and perfectly suits its name. The food is fantastic - they have a great selection of salads, sarmies, tea time snacks etc. A bit on the pricey side if you want a full lunch, but worth it for the lovely atmosphere.