When you walk into an establishment and you struggle to find a table amidst a space teeming with people, you know you’re onto something good. Take into account the fact that said establishment is yet to be open for a fortnight and is far from being located on the beaten path, and this initial finding is even more impressive.

Two weeks ago, the proximate verdancy of Greenhithe became home to The Collins. For those who don’t know where Greenhithe is, rest easy – neither did we. All we can tell you is that this is an address worthy of putting into your GPS. Assuming the tenure of a weather beaten old bungalow, this newly minted cafe and restaurant ought to be a destination in its own right. Serving up some amazing lunches and brunches by day and various delicious offerings during the later hours, we were lucky enough to stop by and bask in the hospitality of this newly established eatery.

Already full to the hilt with in-the-know punters, we ordered a selection of moreish dishes including the home-made crumpets with berry compote and whipped butter. What materialised was something quite heavenly; the crunchy golden parcels delivering a heady sweetness with every bite. For those wanting to forgo the saccharine, we suggest you try the trojan eggs or huevos benedictos. The former comprising two poached eggs served atop greek yoghurt with turkish chilli butter, while the benedictos is set to satisfy boasting a herb rosti topped with spicy chorizo, avocado, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and salsa.

Furthermore, there are various ready-made offerings designed to satiate those with little time to stop and eat during the day while an alternative evening menu seamlessly transitions to cater to the afternoon and evening crowd. With an enticing range of small and large plates designed to be shared alongside a myriad of craft beers and craft wines, we’re quite sure there’ll be a steady congregation here from day’s beginning to end.

The Collins’ characteristically generous outdoor area is already licensed, making this a destination to keep an eye on over the summer as it’s poised to host live music, mini food and wine festivals and an outdoor open air cinema. One thing we can vouch for is that our knowledge of Auckland geography has certainly improved since The Collins’ arrival.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday 8am ’til late.