from 96 Google reviews
Follow the smell of freshly roasted beans down the side of True Blue and you'll find this little roastery and café tucked behind the shops in Ostend, a short walk from the Countdown car park and the Saturday market. Island Coffee has been roasting on Waiheke since 1999, working only 100% Arabica beans from growers around the world, and the espresso that comes off it is why locals queue before work, with a cabinet of Little Tart Bakery treats alongside: galettes, cheese scones, cinnamon brioche. It's a mornings-only operation, so you want to arrive between 7.30 and noon Monday to Friday, or from 8.30 on Saturday, with Sunday closed. Seating inside is tight, which is fine because the garden out the back is where everyone settles in with a brew, a record spinning and the easy, slightly grungy feel of a Melbourne corner roaster. You can also buy beans to take home, or set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly subscription that ships straight from the roaster so you never run out.
Written from 97 Google reviews, every one we could get, on 12 November 2026. Rated 4.9 from 96 Google reviews.
Coffee is what you come here for and it's very good, with plenty of people calling it the best cup on the island. It's a small, family-run roastery doing one thing properly, which is why locals stop in before work and visitors count themselves lucky to have found it.
Order a flat white or a long black and you get something smooth and full-bodied, less acidic than most, and just as good black as white. From the cabinet, the Little Tart galettes are worth grabbing, whether that's the leek and cheddar or the fruit one, and the warmed cheese scones go down easily too.
The team is friendly and welcoming, and there's a family-run feel at the counter that has people calling it a community spot. The queue at the counter moves quickly and the coffee comes out fast, which is why locals happily wait in line.
It's a tiny spot tucked behind the shops, with only a handful of seats inside, so most people spill out into the garden with a brew. Vinyl plays from a serious collection, and on a sunny morning the tables outside fill up and the whole place turns convivial.
Prices are modest, so a scone or a galette with a flat white makes a cheap breakfast. A bag of freshly roasted beans to take home stretches the visit out for weeks.
Coffee lovers passing through and locals after a pre-work flat white, and the small, intimate room suits a couple better than a crowd. If there's a few of you, claim the garden seating where there's more room.
It closes at noon, so don't leave it late or you'll find the doors shut, and the seating inside is very limited. Parking is tight at the best of times, especially on a Saturday when the nearby market is running, and one or two people have felt like an outsider walking in among the locals.
Every fact on this page was checked on 8 November 2026 against Google, Island Coffee - Waiheke 'Island Coffee' Roasting Company ltd's own website and 97 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
Ostend · $
★ 4.6 from 327 Google reviews
You'll find it in the small run of shops on Belgium Street in Ostend, a takeaway counter turning out pizza, kebabs and fried rice for pickup or delivery right across Waiheke Island.
Indian · Ostend · $
★ 4.6 from 58 Google reviews
There's a small curry shop on Belgium Street in Ostend that Waiheke has quietly taken to its heart, and the butter chicken is the reason most people first walk through the door.
Cafes · Ostend · $
★ 4.5 from 33 Google reviews
Six thirty in the morning is when the first shots get pulled, which tells you plenty about who Hotshot Espresso is for: anyone on Waiheke who wants a proper coffee before the day gets going, whether that's a ferry to catch or a job to get to.
Cafes · Ostend
★ 4.8 from 111 Google reviews
On Belgium Street in Ostend, a family-run concept store and cafe shares its space with a little yoga room upstairs, so your coffee stop can easily stretch into an hour of browsing.
Cafes · Ostend
★ 5.0 from 52 Google reviews
The croissants coming out of this Ostend oven are the sort people compare to a good French bakery, and more than one local will tell you they're the best on the island.
Pubs and bars · Ostend · $
★ 4.4 from 155 Google reviews
Walking into the RSA on Belgium Street in Ostend feels less like a restaurant and more like a club that's been part of Waiheke since 1950, and the routine takes a minute to learn: if you're not a member, you sign in as a visitor at the bar, where they'll give you a free trial membership on the spot.
