EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY
The Beautiful Little Garden Eat and dine where you couldn’t get any more local. It’s an indication of the loyalty of the close knit community of patrons of Little Garden that when covid lockdown happened they were more concerned about the well-being of its owner Chris, and manager Leyla, than about the lack of their regular morning coffee. Now as we wallow in our post-covid economy, the cafe is back refreshed, up and running, and enjoying its well-earned reputation as “the little cafe that could”. Set just around the corner from the hustle and bustle of Ponsonby Road, the now licensed cafe at the top of Franklin Road, has morphed from Agnes Curran nearly 20 years ago, later to Fred's, and now to Little Garden. This name reflects the renaissance from a previously functional courtyard to one full of flowers, plants and embellishments matching the sunny and welcoming disposition of the cafe's Iranian manager, Leyla. Ownership of this intimate cafe has always attracted exotic personalities and its current management is no exception. Since taking over the business just “pre-covid”, the owner Chris, has madeover the interior, adding a fire and bringing back the large centre table supplementing the other smaller ones spread around the room where the effervescent Persian, Leyla, holds court.
Popular with the morning commuters who call in for their first coffee of the day, then followed by daytime punters sitting at the large picture window overlooking “the strip” through to the late afternoon locals who call in for a tipple in the garden courtyard or to chillax in front of the fire in the main room, this cafe has all of its bases ticked. Where Agnes Curran’s famous signature dish was lamingtons, amongst the highlight dishes of Little Garden, is the mountainous lemon meringue pie with its bright yellow tartness peeking out from a snowy mountain of white meringue, along with enormous fluffy cheese scones and oversized sausage rolls. Accompanying the ever popular and sultry Atlas coffee bean, there is plenty of choice from the select menu either to banish the coldest of winter blues or to accompany that PN relaxing glass of chardonnay before the walk back home. LITTLE GARDEN, 179 Ponsonby Road, www.facebook.com/littlegardencn
56 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2020
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
