Scarecrow

My review is for Scarecrow on Victoria Street. I posted this on the High Street one by mistake so I’m reposting here because It’s so good it deserves it! Recommend this for many reasons. Firstly, there were 3 of us all with different palates. I’m vegan but will compromise socially (call me a «cheagan» or a cheating vegan). My brother can’t eat dairy and my friend loves venison and all other meaty things. Scarecrow had something for everyone with a mouthwatering menu that suited all our requirements, as well as grocery items and organic fruit and veg to purchase. I had the lentil ragout and it was so good I refused to share. My bother had the chile verde chickpea dish that he also kept to himself and my friend had the seared venison that he devoured with enthusiasm and gave high praise. We shared a raw cheesecake and handmade chocolate selection for dessert. There’s also a very good wine selection available.
Scarecrow has great staff, a very enjoyable ambience, and is thoughtfully designed with great lighting and generous space. It’s modern, artisan, supports local produce and is open for breakfast through to dinner. Delish!

Service: ¹⁄₅
Décor /​Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ³⁄₅
There were four of us and we all had something different. Two of us had vegan options. We each sampled each other’s and we all agreed that two of our meals were fantastic and two were rather ordinary. The person who served us was clearly not cut out for a customer service environment as her manner was sullen, unfriendly and uninterested. In fact her manner was so bad that it brought the entire experience down considerably. Scarecrow has a lot going for it and we could have had a fantastic time, however the service and the poor quality of two of the meals mean we probably wouldn’t return.

We visited Scarecrow on a trip to New Zealand and ended up eating there once everyday for the rest of our stay in Auckland!
The café style setup for the restaurant and store is very pretty. The store offers interesting food, candles, flowers and potpourri. The staff is very courteous and sweet. Helped us pick their best dishes on every visit.
The highlight ofcourse was the food. The large variety of delicious fresh salads and soups were our favorite. We also got the croissant toast with berry and it was sinful. So good that we ordered it again on the last day of our trip as a parting indulgence!

Enjoyable healthy food. Right next to Albert Park and the art museum. Decently priced. Nice spot to relax and have something healthy if you’re a tourist like us walking around town all day.

Delicious food. Very quaint little place. Not much seating available inside, that’s kind of a down side. The fresh flowers and produce inside make the place smell heavenly (: will definitely come back!

I am honestly surprised Scarecrow doesn’t have more reviews — it definitely deserves to be raved about :)
My search criteria: vegetarian, local
I wandered over from my downtown hotel in the rain, and was so pleasantly surprised. I had anticipated a totally packed brunch location, where one is pushed to order, eat quickly and get out — so someone else can take the seat and start the process over again. Wow, was it ever lovely to just come in, discuss my breaky options (ordered at the till) and then grab some magazines to flip through!
I ordered the toast and avocado as a main, but wanted something extra; they were very accommodating and were happy pair it with a half order of their fresh broccoli and zucchini soup.
It was a lovely meal — I was able to just sit there and truly enjoy and relish my meal, sampling little bits of their variety of available hot sauces with each part of my meal. All the while… I was enjoying the quaint furnishings.
I definitely recommend Scarecrow.

Scarecrow is a great place to grab a bite and a drink as well as to peruse its succinct grocery aisles.
Occupying a sunny corner, plenty of natural light streams into the lofty space making it a great spot to chat or read. I was hoping Scarecrow would offer wireless but perhaps its wise that they don’t, because people might never want to leave.
A large communal table accommodates about 10 people, with a couple of more seats by the door. For those wanting to dine with a large group of friends during rush hours may want to get food to go and eat at the park.
The menu is diverse with wide appeal, including hot, cold, sweet, savory items. You can get a light bite, a small snack, as well as substantial meals. $ 10 for their salads, which rotate on a daily basis. I had a serving of each including carrot & red cabbage slaw, tahini roasted vegetables, purple rice and almond, and roasted cauliflower –all served on a lovely vintage plate and with vintage cutlery. Cute touch.
Great to see trending items (Little Island coconut milk) as well as staples (bunches of bananas) in the grocery section. It’s a little difficult to differentiate produced sourced from local vs. conventional farms but there are plenty of interesting products in stock!

Wow good experience… First the welcome is surely nice and friendly with a big nice smile ! you feel already at ease and comfortable ! The place is surely relaxing and nice surrounding by organic products and arts. The menu is pretty dense with a lot of choices. I chose the beef and the Paleo slice and it was simply and straight forward delicious… Could not believe the taste of each dish elements. Felt awesome. Price was also fine. However my friends who chose the bagel and stuffed potatoes were slightly disappointing, not by the taste which was delicious, but a bit with the light quantity for the price. A bit more full plate will be better. Otherwise a very nice place and will go again for sure.

An adorable little eatery with a simple and stunning menu. Great for those with an eco conscience, it’s all sourced as local as possible, fair trade, the works. You’ll be surprised by the range of groceries they have too, for a little store they pack a punch with some very hard to find goodies. Great for city slickers who don’t want to trek to the ‘burbs to find something.

What a refreshing find as an alternative to all the fast food and processed food establishments all around. We were looking for good food that was made or grown locally and this is the place. SC has a commitment to using all locally sourced food and making New Zealand meals that taste great. Besides the great food mentioned by previous reviewers, there is a sense of community by eating at a common table. One doesn’t have to engage with others, and there are a few more private spots available, but we had a good time engaging in authentic conversations with other guests and the owners. The food was so good and the community so interesting that we returned for a second night during our two night stay in Auckland. Highly recommended.

Crows may be scared of scarecrow, but I certainly am not! Scarecrow has been on my «to try» list ever since reading many awesome reviews (including a super detailed one by fellow Unilocaler, Georgie B.), and I’m so glad I went for lunch the other day. And yes, those reviews are extremely well-​deserved.
The quirky bike-​riding scarecrow on display at the main window definitely had many passersby doing a double take, while the space inside is comfortable and inviting. It’s decorated with rustic, wooden furniture — a large shared wooden table that inspires community, wooden shelves filled with locally made products and grown produce, and wooden ladders that add to the whole artisan café and grocer theme. If not for the sound of traffic, I would have totally forgotten that I was still in the city!
Scarecrow has a handful of wholesome and healthy selections for breakfast, lunch and dinner (the menu changes daily), as well as teas and Kokako coffee to match. I tried a mixed plate of four salads ($ 10), and it was completely satisfying and delicious. Also, a huge thank you to the lady at the counter who recommended a pot of herbal tea ($ 4) — it did wonders for my sore throat!
I really hope Scarecrow is here to stay because I’m totally a fan, and even better that it’s located mere steps from campus. I think I’m going to ‘treat’ myself to a slice of vegan cheesecake on my next visit…

If my friends and I ever started a hippy commune this is exactly what i’d imagine our «general store» would look like. Freshly cut flowers, delicious vegetarian salads, raw cheesecakes and of course all the basics… kombucha, sauerkraut, coconut yoghurt, muesli.
Seriously though, Scarecrow is a great and much needed addition to the CBD. Whether you want to pop in for a quick salad plate and Kokako pour over or peruse the shelves full of goodies sourced from all around NZ, it’s a one stop shop for all those who are health conscious and want to support local business.

Walking into Scarecrow reminded me a bit of The Wizard of Oz, probably because there’s a giant scarecrow on a bike in the window! Aside from that, this new pop up grocer/​café has just re-​opened up on Victoria Street (corner of Kitchener Street) and is seriously the coolest place I’ve been to this year!
Scarecrow is a collaboration between POPdining, Kokako, Karma Cola, Nice Blocks and the AUT Hospitality School. The concept is to showcase seasonal produce and artisan products from around Auckland and beyond, whether it be trying out one of their breakfasts, lunches, dinners or cabinet food from their café or fresh produce and breads from their grocer.
Chef Ben Barton is the mastermind behind all the meals — he prepares them all the night before at the AUT Kitchens and puts them together the next day at a small workstation (which is located at the back of the grocer). Today as I was trying to figure out what to have for lunch (not many options, but still hard to choose!), I got talking to the owner. He was really friendly and very passionate about Scarecrow, which he also runs with his wife. He highly recommended the ‘Beef Brisket on Rye Bread with Sauerkraut’. And it was absolutely divine! The beef was succulent and the rye bread perfectly toasted. The sauerkraut also added a lovely freshness to the dish.
They also do an AMAZING heirloom tomato and burrata salad and also baked potatoes with eggs, Gouda cheese and salad. They serve many more meals, but I am yet to try them! Vegan cakes, mousses, chia puddings and pastries are also available, plus chocolates from Criollo, made by Bjorn Svensson, an experienced patisserie chef. I couldn’t help myself, but I just had to buy a chocolate — all three front of house staff recommended one of Criollo’s salted caramel chocolate balls. O M G. Amazing! Melt in your mouth! They’re only $ 2 each and absolute heaven!
The grocer on-​site will also help fix your foodie cravings! My favourite products were the Wild Wheat breads, Waiheke Island honey, Nice Blocks, Ceres Organics, Culley’s Hot Sauce and so much more!
But possibly the most exciting thing about Scarecrow (for all you coffee lovers out there) would have to be their ‘Kokako Slow Brew Coffee’ station — the first of its kind in New Zealand. They have all the equipment and an amazing little set up, and I think this will become very popular in time!
Furthermore, they have a small area for making up flower bouquets and they also sell flowers by the stem and can do CBD delivery too.
So, if you love coffee, healthy food and fresh local produce, then I highly recommend heading to Scarecrow now — you won’t be disappointed!!!