Ciabatta Café and Bakery

As the day wakes Rotorua up, early-morning workers make their way to Ciabatta Café and Bakery to treat themselves to a coffee and a pastry before hitting the office or building site. One of those places that is deceivingly large, Ciabatta has plenty of room: big tables, booths, or little nooks if you feel like dining alone. The tables are cleverly made from a map of Aotearoa's North Island. Owners Alex and Sue say the shared tables are a way to create a sense of community in the space – have a seat beside someone new and see how easy it is to start a conversation over a coffee and a cronut.

A wall plastered with notes from fans of all ages makes an impressive statement – you know you’re in popular territory when the accolades are literally written on the wall. Ciabatta is the kind of place where the food is so good that hardly any marketing is needed. Word spread quickly, and now the bakery and café has regular customers from all around New Zealand (and even some from Sydney, who make sure to pop in whenever they’re in town).

At the heart of all bakeries is the food, of course, and it's no different here. Come early enough and you’ll be privy to the glorious sight of fresh pastries being wheeled out of the kitchen and into the display cabinet. Choose from an array of cronuts, filled tarts, croissants, turnovers and streusels, or if it’s a savoury lunch you’re after, a Swiss-inspired filled ciabatta sandwich should do the trick.