Cafeography
Auckland · Grey Lynn & Westmere

Cafés in Grey Lynn & Westmere

Great North Road and Richmond Road cafés, Ozone on Westmoreland Street and Garnet Road in Westmere.

Photo: Kaz Lau, Pexels License

Grey Lynn lies about 3 km west of the center. It was first known as Newton, was renamed after Sir George Grey around 1900, and was a separate borough until it joined Auckland City in 1914. The land was part of a 3,000-acre block given by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in 1840, and its early industries were farming and brickmaking.1

It stayed largely working-class until the 1970s, when young professionals began restoring its run-down kauri villas; renters rose from 31% of residents in 1961 to 45% in 1981 as prices climbed. The Grey Lynn Park Festival, held since 1984 on the third Saturday of November, began as a community get-together with working-class and Pasifika roots and now draws about 100,000 visitors.1 Its cafés sit on two long roads, Great North Road and Richmond Road, with Westmere's on Garnet Road.

Local tip: On festival Saturday in November, get coffee before the crowds: La Belle Poste on Great North Road opens at 07:30 and Better Me at 08:00.

At a glance

22Cafés listed
4With opening hours
06:45Earliest opening
15:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Better Me, from 06:45 (Mon–Fri 06:45–14:00 · Sat 08:00–14:00).
  • Closes latest: Charlie Boys, until 15:00 (Mon–Thu 06:45–15:00 · Fri 06:45–14:00).
  • Most listed streets: Great North Road (7), Richmond Road (3), Great N Rd (2).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (5%), brunch (5%), specialty (5%).

La Belle Poste Café

  • 537 Great North Road
  • Mon–Fri 07:00–15:00 · Sat–Sun 07:30–15:00
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Great North Road

Great North Road was once lined with brickyards; it now carries shops, St Joseph's Church and the Grey Lynn Public Library, a Neo-Georgian building opened in 1924.1 Its cafés start near Newton with Club Sandwich at 73 and Ripe Deli at 119, then Charlie Boys at 163, Hardware Cafe at 276 and Avi's Pies & Patisserie at 295.

Further west are Better Me at 333, Most at 410, La Belle Poste Café at 537 and Urban Jungle Cafe at 573. Charlie Boys and Better Me open at 06:45 on weekdays, the earliest starts in the area; La Belle Poste opens daily, from 07:30 at weekends.

Richmond Road and Westmoreland Street

Creative businesses moved onto Richmond Road in the 1980s; the Gow Langsford Gallery opened on its corner with Warnock Street in 1987.1 The Brunchery is at 318 and Richmond Road Cafe at 320, and at the Westmere end Honey Bones and Were Bros share 480 Richmond Road, next to Savour & Devour at 478. Honey Bones serves brunch and has outdoor tables.

Ozone Coffee Roasters, a New Plymouth roaster with a flagship in London, has its Auckland café at 18 Westmoreland Street West.3 Nearby, Grind Café at 3–5 Burns Street opens 07:00–15:00 on weekdays only, Neighbour is at 2A Hakanoa Street, and Josy Cafe is at 135 Williamson Avenue.

Westmere and Garnet Road

Westmere sits on the southern shore of the Waitematā Harbour, about 6 km west of the center by road, on what was once a peninsula. The name arrived with the Westmere Estate in 1923; "mere" is a British English word for a lake, after the water held back by the West End Road causeway.2

Its ridge road was called Wolseley Road until 1917, when it became Garnet Road, and from 1923 to 1953 trams ran through to Auckland Zoo.2 Coffee Defora is at 7 Garnet Road, near the Grey Lynn end, and Garnet Station at 85.

Grey Lynn Park and weekend hours

Grey Lynn Park, set aside in 1883 because the land was too steep and wet to sell, was drained and levelled for playing fields in 1915 and is home to the Richmond Rovers rugby league club.1 Better Me on Great North Road is the closest early opener, at 06:45 on weekdays and 08:00 on Saturdays.

Weekends need some planning: Grind Café and Charlie Boys close on Saturdays and Sundays, and Better Me closes on Sundays.

Sources

  1. Grey Lynn, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Westmere, New Zealand, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. A guide to New Zealand's coffee roasters, Neat Places, accessed October 2026
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In Grey Lynn & Westmere, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Bakery cafés

FAQ

Grey Lynn & Westmere cafés: questions

When is the Grey Lynn Park Festival in Auckland?

The Grey Lynn Park Festival has been held since 1984 on the third Saturday of November. It began as a community get-together with working-class and Pasifika roots and now draws about 100,000 visitors a year to Grey Lynn Park. On festival Saturday, La Belle Poste Café on Great North Road opens at 07:30.

Where is Ozone Coffee in Grey Lynn, Auckland?

Ozone Coffee Roasters, the New Plymouth roaster that also has a flagship in London, has its Auckland café at 18 Westmoreland Street West in Grey Lynn. Elsewhere in the suburb, The Brunchery and Richmond Road Cafe are at 318 and 320 Richmond Road, and Grind Café at 3–5 Burns Street opens 07:00–15:00 on weekdays.

Why is Grey Lynn in Auckland called Grey Lynn?

The area was first known as Newton and was renamed around 1900 after Sir George Grey. It was a separate borough until it became part of Auckland City in 1914. Westmere next door was named in 1923, when the Westmere Estate was launched.

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