You'll spot this little cafe floating at the Waiheke Marina on Donald Bruce Road in Surfdale, a short hop from the car ferry and a world away from a standard island pit stop. You'll find a calm spot with a pontoon swim deck right outside, so you can sip a flat white while the kids jump in, feed the snapper off the other end, or just watch the water.
It's all gluten free here, with house baked rice breads and rice bagels, and the food leans Japanese: egg mayo sandos, toasties and a confit fish melt, plus counter baking and cookies made on site. You order at the counter, settle inside or out, and take your time over coffee and something from the cabinet. It's worth the trip for the setting alone, but the rice bread and bagels are what'll bring you back. It's open 8am to 2.30pm Wednesday to Monday, closed Tuesday.
Written from 71 Google reviews, every one we could get, on 12 November 2026. Rated 4.9 from 70 Google reviews.
You'll struggle to find a happier little cafe on Waiheke, with a 4.9 rating from 71 reviews behind the coffee, gluten free food and floating marina setting. You'll feel like you've found your own little world, and the food is far more interesting than you'd expect from a counter cafe.
The rice bagels are the thing to order, because their light, chewy texture makes them stand apart from a normal bagel. Then try a Japanese egg mayo sando or the confit fish melt, both on house rice bread, and finish with a cookie or something from the cabinet.
The staff are kind, friendly and genuine, and they make the gluten free side of things easy to understand without any fuss. You'll get a warm welcome whether you're grabbing a takeaway coffee or sitting down for lunch, and the easy service sets the relaxed tone.
You're right on the water at the Waiheke Marina, with a pontoon swim deck out front and a view that turns a quick coffee into a mini holiday. Sit outside if you can, because the water, boats and snapper off the pontoon are half the reason to come.
You'll feel it was worth the trip, whether you've come off the ferry or driven across the island for lunch. The sandwiches are made with care, the coffee is properly made and the setting gives you a lot more than a standard cafe stop.
This is a great shout for a leisurely breakfast or lunch, a coffee before the ferry, or a summer swim with the kids. Bring your partner, your kids or a small group, because you can sit inside or out and the water keeps the little ones happy.
Come expecting counter food rather than a full cooked breakfast, because the menu is small and built around rice bread sandwiches, toasties and bagels. Check the hours before you set out, since it closes at 2.30pm and doesn't open on Tuesdays.
Every fact on this page was checked on 8 November 2026 against Google, Floating Cafe KOKO's own website and 71 of its Google reviews. The photo is from the eatout library, not taken here, and no venue pays to be listed or ranked. Something out of date? Tell us
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