Elevation Cafe and Restaurant

It was a glorious sunny autumn morning, so I thought we would drive out here and see what all the fuss was about.
We we impressed by the cool views of Auckland CBD, Bridge, Sky Tower, and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The food was quite nice and enjoyable, I had the Moroccan Baked Eggs, and my wife had the Tuna Melt Sandwich. Both our meals had reasonable size portions and left us contently full. The staff often checked on us to make sure if everything was OK or if we needed anything else.
It was well worth the over an hour drive to sample both the food and view of Auckland.

We drove from Auckland to Piha and on the way came across the Elevation Café. The view from the outdoor patio is spectacular and one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever had the pleasure to view. The food is reasonably priced, the portions are generous and the flavor is delicious. We met the owner who is one of the most friendly people you are likely to encounter, his knowledge of local culture and craft beers is extensive and he was a joy to talk to. We enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much on the way over to Piha that we stopped back in on the way home for a drink. Call ahead to make a reservation as this place is so fantastic that it cant be missed.

Came here after a day at the beach and it was perfect! Had an amazing view of Auckland while enjoying a cold beer and a pizza! We will definitely be back!

One of the best places to relax and grab something to drink and eat, then continue on driving towards Piha. A+

Beautiful views, friendly staff and delicious pizza! This place is worth a special trip into the Waitakere Ranges or a great stop over on your way to Piha or Kare Kare. I’ve stopped over several times & the management are really accommodating for special arrangements and make me feel like a regular when I hardly ever go (too far away!) Highly recommended!

Elevation has been a bit up and down over the years as menus and management changed. It seems to have persevered as a venue with it’s excellent views being a long standing attraction. That said, the menu these days is pretty bold, with a wide selection of fare. I had some rather nice Moroccan eggs, the only negative the lateness of their arrival at our table and the generally inattentive service staff. What was even later than the eggs was the hot chocolate, ordered just after we arrived, and the salt pissaladiere turned out to be hot bread and not pissaladiere at all. Good effort Elevation — but needs work.

We stopped off at elevation café for a coffee and ended up trying their desserts. The menus where paper printed and getting a bit ragity around the edges.
Two of the orders made it to the table quick smart, but it seams like the order for ice cream was left off the docket, but the reason why I still feel like I can give this café a good review is because When asked for the missing desert the manager/​staff where quick to apologise, great at fixing the issue and the food was amazing just like the view.
I had The chocolate fondant, was amazing, cooked In a coffee cup with fluffy milk foam on top, was a rich and indulgent desert for chocolate lovers.

I am giving this place a 5 star review alone for the view, what an amazing find!
My husband and I stopped in on our way back to Auckland from Piha Beach and we were delighted to enjoy a drink and a pizza out on the patio and enjoyed the view. The drinks were reasonably priced which we loved!
The curry chicken pizza could have had more flavor, but believe me, we chowed it down and enjoyed it. Definitely worth stopping by for a drink and a snack, can’t beat it!

We came out here for lunch as we were between Muriwai and Karekare beaches. I honestly had no expectations for this place because the real reason why we ended up here was exactly due to the fact that we didn’t plan ahead of time, and only saw this place advertised on a West Auckland Map along our route.
We walked in and were literally the first to sit down (the coffee wasn’t even ready at the time) since it was just about noon-​time. No problem, we weren’t in a rush. I wasn’t particularly «wowed» by the lunch menu items… little did I know that my taste buds were in for a pleasant surprise.
Here are a few things we had:
Chicken and Salami Club sandwich– Toasted Chia Bread, Chicken, Salami, Aioli, Lettuce, Avocados, Tomatoes, Fried Egg and caramelised onions. Textures and flavors came together rather well. The caramelised onions were more like part of a sweet onion sauce. Also, the fries that came with this sandwich was done very well– crispy shell with a deep bronze color salted just right, with fluffy potato on the inside. (4.5 star)
Margherita Pizza– Sliced tomatoes in homemade tomato sauce, oregano, mozzarella, parmesan. Simple, and surprisingly solid. Thin crispy crust, not too much tomato sauce– no «wow» factor, but not bad at all. (3.75)
Wild rice salad– Black Rice, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds, Cos Lettuce, Carrots and Beet roots Dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette. For the health nut among you, this will definitely do the trick to satisfy a healthy appetite, yet maintain a trim waistline. :-) (obviously I didn’t order this one) (3.75)
Veggie club sandwich– 9 Grain Bread, Hummus spread, Avocados, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Bean Sprouts, Caramelised Onions and Haloumi Cheese. The hearty bread really held all the elements of this sandwich together. Again, surprisingly good, and again, accompanied with knockout fries/​chips. (4)
Oh yea, and the view is pretty nice too. We were there on a rather cloudy day with some clearing as lunch progressed. So we count ourselves lucky. This isn’t a destination-​type restaurant– but if you’re out exploring the Waikatere ranges, you’ll be glad you came by here for a rest stop.

One of the more upmarket restaurants out West — it’s probably more suited to the locals as is a very long drive if you are coming from say, the North Shore. I guess as the name implies this place is all about the view. A breathtaking view of the city, you can really see the beauty of Auckland when you are viewing it from these lofty heights. I haven’t had a meal here as the prices are pretty hefty for a main course. I looked at the menu and didn’t think it was all that inspiring — just the basic fare really. When my family were here for my wedding a couple of years ago, we took them here and they loved it. They often mention it when I phone them up for a chat and I think this is probably the best thing about Elevation — bringing people who are visiting Auckland up here for the view. I think if they improved their food, it would really be a stunning venue for a night out.

We stumbled across this place on the way back from visiting some West Coast beaches with a visiting American. As the name suggests, it’s a pretty good place to take a tourist because the place has amazing views from the Waitakere Ranges all the way over into the city. We sat out on the deck at first but it ended up getting too cold so we ventured inside to a warmer table.
For dinner, everyone ordered a massive plate of pasta or a pizza. We were carb-​loading for a game the next day and chowing down on bready goodness was just what the doctor ordered. I didn’t finish my entire vegetarian pizza in one sitting, but I did soon enough afterwards! We won the game too, and that can in part be put down to the fuel we put into our bodies. Thanks, Elevation!

Probably one of the priciest restaurants in West Auckland, but probably the nicest too. Before I had any money, I would look at this place in awe every time I drove back from the beach along Scenic Drive, wanting to go in there and see what all the rich fancy people were having for tea, while they looked across the entire city from a big hill in my hood.
These days, you’d go to Elevation to show it off. To show West Auckland off to people who don’t live here. Take them for a coffee during the day, or if there is a special occasion, this place is perfect. The views are absolutely ridiculously awesome. The coffee is nice too, and the food is pretty tasty, and not as expensive as I once thought back in the day of minimum wage.
It’s a pretty far drive from the city, but it would make a pretty decent first impression if you’re taking someone special out. Just make sure you don’t drink too much wine if you’re the one making the windy trip home down Scenic Drive. Love it.

If you have friends or family coming from overseas and you are taking them out to the West area or beaches then you must bring them here, even if its just for a coffee, beer or wine. The views of the bush with Auckland in the distance are spectacular.
We have been here a number of times, sometimes just for a coffee and others for lunch, I wouldn’t say the food is as spectacular and could be a bit better to go with the great views but sometimes you just can’t have it all.
The views really do make up for everything and are definitely worth it.

This is a special ‘date’ restaurant in my opinion. I have been there with my husband for an evening meal, coincidentally around Guy Fawkes Day, so we got to see some fireworks whilst we made some fireworks!
The dinner menu only had a small choice, mostly universal favourites like a fish of the day, quality cuts of steak and at least a couple of vegetarian options. Our meals were exceptionally tasty, which was to be expected when dining at a restaurant like this. The mains were all around the $ 30 mark, give or take. As of March 2013 they will be updating the menu, probably good for the chef, I would imagine that he/​she would get tired of doing the same thing repeatedly. The service was great, ambience is what you might expect, quiet, mostly couples out together and all together a serene lovely way to spend an evening. The restaurant is quite a distance to drive if you are coming from Auckland’s CBD or surrounding suburbs, so more likely utilized by locals out West I am guessing. I also read that it is the highest restaurant bar and café in Auckland, even topping the Sky Tower, which will give you an idea of the beautiful views to take in; the greatest draw card parallel to such great food.