Café
Allpress Espresso Roastery Café
The Freemans Bay home of Allpress Espresso, a light-filled roastery café near Victoria Park Market with its own art studio, pastries and light lunches on weekdays.
Kōkako Commercial Bay
City outpost of Kōkako, the Fairtrade organic coffee roaster founded in 2001 from a cart in Aotea Square, by the air bridge in Commercial Bay.
At a glance
- Type
- Organic coffee bar
- Area
- Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Opening
- Open daily
- Official site
- kokako.co.nz
Good to know
- Fairtrade organic coffee
- Milk alternatives
- Early weekday opening
Why we recommend it
Kōkako is one of Auckland's best-known coffee roasters, and its Commercial Bay outpost is the easiest place for visitors to try its coffee in the city centre. The company was founded in 2001, starting out by selling coffee from a cart in Aotea Square, and it has since grown into a roaster supplying specialty coffee across Auckland.
What sets Kōkako apart is its commitment to ethical sourcing. All of its coffee and drinking chocolate is 100 per cent organic, and it has been Fairtrade certified since 2009. Its packaging is home compostable, and the company has published a sustainability report every two years since 2016. For travellers who care about where their coffee comes from, it is a reassuring choice.
The Commercial Bay outpost is on level 1 of the shopping and dining precinct at 7/21 Queen Street, right by the original air bridge that crosses Lower Albert Street. It is a coffee-focused stop rather than a full brunch café: expect espresso drinks, drinking chocolate, milk alternatives and treats from local artisans. It works well as a quick coffee on the way to a ferry or between shops.
Opening hours suit early starts. On weekdays it opens at 6.45am and closes at 3.30pm, on Saturdays it opens from 8.30am to 4pm and on Sundays from 9am to 4pm. The early weekday start suits commuters and anyone heading for an early ferry.
If you want to buy beans, Kōkako's roastery in Mount Eden has a roller-door counter at 9 Charles Street for retail sales and click-and-collect orders, open on weekdays from 8am to 4.30pm and closed at weekends. Coffee and drinking chocolate can also be ordered online through the Pantry section of the website, along with milk alternatives and other products, and Kōkako supplies its coffee to many other cafés around Auckland.
The outpost suits commuters, shoppers and visitors staying near the waterfront who want reliable, ethically sourced coffee. Because it is inside Commercial Bay, it sits in the same complex as Ahi restaurant, so it is a natural stop before or after a meal there. Look for the Kōkako name on level 1 near the air bridge if you have trouble finding it in the precinct.
Kōkako Commercial Bay FAQs
Where is Kōkako in the city centre?
On level 1 of Commercial Bay, 7/21 Queen Street, by the original air bridge over Lower Albert Street.
What are the opening hours?
Weekdays 6.45am to 3.30pm, Saturday 8.30am to 4pm and Sunday 9am to 4pm.
Is Kōkako coffee organic?
Yes. All its coffee and drinking chocolate is 100 per cent organic, and it has been Fairtrade certified since 2009.
When was Kōkako founded?
In 2001, starting with a coffee cart in Aotea Square.
Is there food?
The outpost offers treats from local artisans rather than a full brunch menu.
Are milk alternatives available?
Yes.
Where can you buy beans?
At the roastery roller door, 9 Charles Street, Mount Eden, on weekdays, or online.
Is the packaging sustainable?
Kōkako's packaging is home compostable.