No buts about Batch

06. Feb, 2012

It’s a rare occurrence, but sometimes there are those people in your life that you cannot say a bad word about. They’re good, better than good, dependable, likeable and they NEVER let you down.

The same philosophy applies for your favourite cafe, they can never do a thing wrong, the coffee’s brilliant, the staff are nice, the food is amazing, they use the best ingredients (I sometimes wonder if they hand pick the blueberries in their fruit salad!) And this rare cafe my friends, is Batch Espresso in Balaclava.

Hang on, I lied, they did put a foot wrong once, they overcharged me for a coffee (I didn’t even notice), and the next week when I returned they let me know and took the difference off my next coffee (honestly where do these acts of kindness happen anymore)?

Their menu is updated seasonally, which can be sad if you’ve grown attached to one dish in particular. There are however, some items that will always be there, their signature Corn Fritters ($14), fresh fruit with maple crunch and lavender yoghurt ($9.5), the smashed avocado and feta ($12), and one of my all time favourites, the baked eggs ($15).

They also offer seasonal variations of their incredible buttermilk smoothie ($5.50). And what you will find without fail despite the calendar month, is the coffee. Being a Kiwi-run cafe, it is no surprise they use the super, Supreme, which always makes for a strong, flavoursome coffee.

If you’re doing a morning coffee run or you’re just having a drink and a snack, their counter is always stocked with baked goodies like muffins, slices and sweet treats, as well as sandwiches. If you like the coffee as much as I do, you will find their beans for sale at the counter.

Northsiders, if there’s any reason to make the pilgrimage South this would be one of them. To their existing fans, you are now friends of mine.

Notes: I’m not the only avid fan, Batch is always packed so try and get there early, if not they can pop you on their waiting list. The Corn Fritters always sell out, so just another reason to get there early. The baked eggs are a must, as well as the avocado and feta smash, and the fruit salad. If you’re just having a drink, definitely go the coffee or the smoothie of the season.