Amano Bakery, Auckland CBD

This is my go-to place for an epic baked treat. They're quite expensive, but they do some gorgeous tarts and pastries. My favourite is the strawberry custard tart, piled with fresh strawberry slices. They also do a great $12 takeaway pasta special at lunch with a meat and a vegetarian option that they cook up fresh when you order. The pasta is perfectly Al dente and very flavourful every time, no matter how under the pump the cooks become during the lunch rush, although it can be a bit on the oily side. Perfect for a quick sweet treat near work.

Have heard lots and lots of the famous Amano. But i have to say i was a little disappointed with the pastries today. Overall, all of them seem to be a little over baked? As you can see from the photos, they were quite dark and brown. They were crispy on the outside but it was really hard to tear them apart. I actually had to use a knife to break it apart which was a surprise as these were their signatures. The chocolate twist was probably the worst, tough and chewy...

Amano never disappoints. I’m a big fan of their almond croissants so crispy and not that sweet. Their donuts were super delicious as well. But they do need to improve their coffee skills. The milk foam was too thick every time and coffee was normally lukewarm.