Husband and wife Annabelle Guinness and Phil Randle, co-founders of the Leigh Sawmill, together with Tim Mercer, have taken over legendary late night cafe Verona, revamping the decor, but leaving the iconic sequinned sign unchanged.
The menu has had a complete makeover. Many of the ingredients featured come from the suppliers to the Matakana farmers market, where for the past three years Annabelle has had a stall.
One thing hasn't changed however, and that is the clientele. Still creative, still cool. Sit down and watch K'Rd's colourful cast wander by.
Reviews
Verona Cafe sticks out from Karangahape Road like a neon road sign in a remote town. And all for good reasons. Brimming with personality and remaining vibrant at any time of the day, Verona Cafe has been a classic go-to place for locals. Whether you're meeting some people over breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the cafe always has something good to offer. But it comes alive the most from afternoon to night, where its selection of craft beers, wines, and cocktails really shines. Along with a medley of music that ever changes, you will find yourself either in the mood for all-night partying or just chilling out after a long week of hard work.
Verona has been an institution on K'Rd for a very long time and the site of many first, second, third dates (and more), meetings and celebrations. It's open from early in the morning till late every night - one of the few places that does so. It's a cafe, a bar and a restaurant all in one. The coffee is great, the food is delicious and the atmosphere awesome.
There are so many things to love about Verona: great food, great coffee, great atmosphere, great decor. But this 'love' is dedicated to a little item on their menu called a Whisper Ball. My friend and I first tasted them about a month ago and we haven't stopped raving about them since! We're going back tonight to order a huge plate of them... I can't wait.
When I was younger I can remember being amazed at discovering that Verona Cafe was the same Verona mentioned in the Elemenop song of the very same name. Going there with my sister was some kind of holy pilgrimage through Kiwi rock'n'roll history. The establishment, which has been there for over twenty years, has had a facelift since I first started going there but the cosy vibe and great service remain the same. If you're in the mood for food they do a great selection of tapas and if you're just popping in for a beverage there is a good selection of wines and beers on tap. Choice.
Verona on K Road has always been a rad haunt to go when it's late and cold and you're looking for a nibble and a coffee, or a nibble and some beer/wine - I love the atmosphere inside, although I have to admit - I normally sit outside so that me and my friends can people watch - there sure are some really interesting folk walking up and down K Road in the middle of the night!! My favorite experience at Verona was actually when Flick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hTB0PvDLxI) was busking for a few hours there one night!! MORE BUSKERS AT VERONA PLEASE!
