Bitton Cafe & Bistro

David Bitton's delightful urban cafe has an almost cult following among stroller-pushing locals. They come for coffee and cake, for the all-day breakfasts, for the good, solid bistro cooking, and for the sheer luxury of letting the littlies loose in the kids' playroom. There's nothing fussy or formal here. Grab a table on the front or back terrace, or among the shelves of preserves and the fruit and vegetable displays, and tuck into a very clever breakfast salad of rocket, haloumi, tomato, bacon and egg, or a nicely spicy organic chicken and leek pie. Recently appointed Kiwi chef Stuart Masters is stamping his mark with some fine dishes including a simple beetroot and hazelnut tart with goat's cheese and a well-put-together orecchiette pasta dish with tuna, peas, tomato and rocket. At night, things step up a notch with offerings running from hazelnut-crumbed lamb with pommes puree to a must-have chocolate fondant with berry compote and vanilla ice-cream.