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Scotts Epicurean  We moved to Hamilton five years ago from Wellington and were genuinely worried about our ability to maintain our Sunday brunch routine, seriously concerned about the calibre of cafes and coffee we tried.
As soon as we tried Scott's our worries were completely mitigated. We still go elsewhere from time to time but have been regulars now for almost five years and without question, they have the best brunch and by far the best coffee, particularly when barrista Dave is on deck.
The service is good, the atmosphere good, the value is good and the food and coffee are great just like a great cafe should be. You could pick up this business and plonk it in Wellington and it would thrive.
Review by Tim Babbage, 13 May 2010.
Think you can do better? Everyone's a critic... if you disagree with the review, or think you can write a better one, then submit it here now.
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Other Reviews for Scotts Epicurean
| Rixy, 13 February 2010 (5 stars). This place is just the best...our family and all our extended whanau have been coming here for years because it is the only cafe where we know we will get great service and great coffee and food. This is the place we take any visitors or friends - we have never had an issue with Scotts and those who complain just do not have a clue...clearly :) | | Glen McLeod, 17 November 2009 (5 stars). If you're reading this review and looking for a reason to go or not to go to Scotts Epicurean then let me share with you my view of this Waikato landmark, arguably the first real contemporary cafe in Hamilton. I worked for Mandy, studied under her at Waikato Polytech and have the highest regard for both her and Jason's personal and professional ethic and sense of style. I've now worked in the industry for ten years and have owned my own restaurant in Melbourne for over one year and if I can achieve half the success and do it with as much poassion, style and heart as J & M then I'll consider myself a successful man. The food at Scott's wowed all my 'foodie' friends when I was back for my wedding recently and all agreed that it punches well above its weight in the local market. Hamilton is blessed to have had such a great cafe contributing to the culture, inspiring others to start their own places in the city and training, nurturing and developing so many young staff to continue in such a rewarding (and low paying) field. If you have any complaints about this place then just look at the thousands of satisfied customers and regulars that have supported this Mecca for so many years and ask yourself 'maybe the problem is me?' Thank you Mandy and Jason and all the wonderful crew whom have worked at Scott's over the years - I've still never found a better Aglio Olio... | | Anonymous, 11 September 2009 (5 stars). Friendly staff and atmosphere, fantastic coffee and delicious food. I always recommend to friends and family when in Hamilton. | | Jeff, 3 August 2009 ( stars). I used to work there back in 2004 and I can only write that this is the place to go. The coffee is just perfect and the food is exceptional. The staff were all the time very helpful and supportive. Greetings from Germany. | | satisfied coaster, 2 June 2009 (4.5 stars). Scotts is the one place I chose to meet out-of-towners for a coffee or brunch. The service is always something special.. a bit like Cheers where everybody knows your name, and if they don't they make you feel like they do! The menu is always relatively simple but done very well and the cabinet food always looks tempting. Best coffee in town to be sure! | Mandy Scott, 14 April 2009 ( stars). I find it interesting that you highlight a detrimental comment that is over a year old on our site. Further, a friend of mine replied to the comment made by a disgruntled customer who posted a negative review regarding plugging his i pod into our power point and it has never been posted.
Firstly, we have never disputed the comment made by the person who claims our barista used full cream milk instead of trim, when even if this occurred, none of our staff would ever reply in the manner suggested. As for the man who plugged in his i pod, our regulars are welcome to recharge their equipment, but most have the courtesy to ask. This is the use of something that does cost money and I am sure we are not the only cafe that finds this an annoying presumption. The man concerned has never been seen by any of our staff, and I can't imagine that he thought plugging in his i pod for 3 mins was going to actually recharge it. I doubt that he was meeting friends at Scotts or he would have chosen a table where they could sit instead of the single seated table next to the power outlet.
We have many considerate and wonderful customers and if, as he says, he has worked in the hospitality industry he would know that cafe staff also put up with poorly mannered customers who don't deserve the attentions of hard-working staff. Balancing the needs, assumptions and demands of these people come a poor second to showing great staff that they are valued and respected too.
| Jim, 5 February 2009 (1 stars). I will NEVER go back there. I hate the place. I plugged my iPOD in for 3 minutes to quickly recharge and someone ran up to me telling me I was stealing his power !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I paid for my coffee, didn't touch it and walked off.
What I didn't tell them was that 5 of my colleagues were en route for breakfast and we were set to stay there for an hour or so, a corporate breakfast that I was going to pay $150 for. | | Deborah, 25 June 2008 ( stars). Recently I went into Scotts to order a take-away trim latte. I specifically made this point clear on the trim though the barista decided against trim and frothed up blue milk instead. As I have previously experienced non-trim coffees from this place I watched as he poured and got ready to serve the blue milk against my wish. As I argued that he was about to pour in blue milk he said to me he didn't think it would matter and that blue milk froths up better. However, having worked in the hospitality industry for a few years, the golden rule is that the customer is always right and usually what you order is what you expect to receive. He continued to argue with me and reluctantly remade a trim latte. Poor poor experience where he should have listened firstly to what I ordered and not have been so lazy in using what was closest at hand. Scotts have lost a loyal and frequent customer out of me. | | Tim, 2 June 2008 (5 stars). Best coffee in Hamilton by a long stretch, not even close. Best brunch also, could pick this place up and drop into Auckland or Wellington and it would be very successful because of the quality. Great variety, good for gluten, or dairy free and good for families but not a child crazy place. | Alaina, 14 March 2007 (4.5 stars). Went for brunch with some girlfriends last weekend.
We had a great time and took up a table in the lovely courtyard for a good two hours.
The menu had a good selection for brunch although it would have been great to have one or two more sweet options.
Scotts lost a point in the value stakes as I thought $12 for the field mushrooms on toast would include more than two portobello mushrooms.
The waitstaff were all very attentive and friendly. Overall, a lovely experience. | | Anonymous, 28 November 2006 (4 stars). Love this place ... FANTASTIC!!! | | Sarah, 6 July 2006 (5 stars). Oh my goodness..the best coffee I ever had...I love this place, as well as the hazelnut cake. The hazelnut cake was damn nice...something you've got to try in this amazing cafe. The service was excellent...so polite and sparkling. A very good place to relax or start your day with. | | Wayne, 2 June 2006 ( stars). I very much enjoy the coffee at Scotts Epicurean - it is amongst the best in Hamilton. I was a little bit disappointed that this morning (Friday) I arrived at the cafe and asked for a takeaway coffee and was informed that they don't open until 7:00 am -(it was 6:55) and that they would not serve me. I have been coming to Scott's for 2 months and getting my coffee fix - not very impressed. By the way - I also own a cafe and would never do this to a customer. | | Anonymous, 31 January 2006 (3 stars). I must be the only person in Hamilton that has had bad experiences here. The service is not that great and the flat whites are weak as piss! The food however is always excellent. | | Sara Wells, 21 September 2005 (5 stars). I have never had a bad experience here. The staff are always so friendly and welcoming and the food is always perfect! What more can I say, by far the best in Hamilton if not New Zealand!!! | katie, 19 May 2003 (4.5 stars). After being regulars at Scotts since it opened, but also never shy to check out all the other Hamo restaurants and Cafes, the thing that has put Scotts at the top my list is CONSISTENCY!
There is nothing worse than going back to a cafe/restaurant that WAS great to find the service is bad or the food not as good. This has not happened once at Scotts (The only thing I wish was for bangers and mash with that yummy beetroot relish to come back on the menu.....).
The Food, the servive and the coffee is always fantastic.
| PeterLang, 12 August 2002 (4.5 stars). Scotts is by far, the best place in town for brunch. The atmosphere is vibrant, the staff are very attentive and always friendly. The food is nothing short of fantastic. Offering much more than the standard fry up which appears to be all the go at the rest of Hamilton's cafe's.
Choices ranging from alioli, quesidilla, bangers and mash, to the good old favorites, mushies on toast and eggs and bacon. All to die for. The quality of the ingredients is superb, they must source their meat from somewhere special; their bacon and sausages are truly devine, and you have to see the wonderful goodies on display in the cabinet. Wow!
Scotts is unique to Hamilton, perhaps even to NZ. The closest thing to a European cafe I have seen, but with nicer staff and better coffee.
Metropolis, Iguana, Cullens...... watch and learn!
| | rockchic, 6 August 2002 (4.5 stars). Argh the sweet smell of the oh-so-good Scotts Coffee and the ever classy atmosphere... I've been away from Hams for 2 years now (living in London, doing the big OE..blah blah) and compared to the shite coffee in London, Scotts rates number one!!!! | David Nicholls, 20 June 2002 (5 stars). Scotts. Well what can one say about this place except that it's a completely fantastic gastronomic experience with extras on the side. Those extras being great staff and fantastic service. The whole experience of going to Scotts is an interesting one because you are not just going there for the food ("a quick bite and then we're off"), you're going there for the interaction with the wonderful, quirky and really neat people who work there as well. These people remember you after work hours (one whizzed past me waving madly from her new motor scooter the other day and another constantly asks after my mother as when she comes in they talk opera together). But the food...
The food is fantastic! My partner and I regularly go to brunch on a Saturday and these are some of our mouthwatering favourites: Wok Chicken, Bircher Muesli, Aglio Alio (spelling?) - for definate garlic lovers :), Creamy Mushrooms on Toast (my partners favourite), and Grilled Chicken (my favourite).
We also have friends that join us on these journeys into gastronomic heaven and we often draw straws as to who does the reconnaissance to the dessert cabinet. here are are just a few: Citron Tart, French Chocolate Cake (known by us as french chocolte, chocolate, chocolate cake), Mediterranean Orange Cake, Chocolate Brownie, Black and White Cheesecake, Pecan Pie. The list goes on and on.
A brunch here for two with 3 drinks, 3 mains (embarrassingly I was the piggy here trawling through 2 mains and 1 piece of pie), and 1 dessert will set you back about $35-$40. This also included (ahem) the extra sides I ordered. Finally one thing you have to to take into account here is that although it looks as though I've ordered lots of food because the portions are small, I'm 6 foot 5, need filling and couldn't help stuffing myself completely full on the fantastic food here (mind you... nor could our flatmate who is 6'7 and did exactly the same as his eyes were bigger than his stomach). Oh, and they do takeaways. All up? Excellent value. Go here, it's a must. You'll be hooked for life :)
David
| Tracey, 20 June 2002 (5 stars). Going to Scotts on the weekend has become a ritual for me and my friends. It isn't just about the great coffee or the yummy food but the staff. The staff are fabulous. They make the atmosphere. They are friendly and inviting and they always manage to find us a table no matter how busy they are.
The food is a real treat and very good value. I am well fed and watered for around $15.00 every week. The menu has a range of wonderful treats; I have to say that the creamy mushrooms are just divine, not to mention the wok chicken, waffles and Turkish sandwiches.
Oh and the cakes are just magic. My only problem is fitting in a piece after my meal but funnily enough my partner is happy to help polish one off.
If you haven't been yet you are missing out on one of Hamilton's best cafes.
| | bun, 15 May 2002 (5 stars). It's so great to see a place where you always receive the same great service, great food and great atmosphere. By far the best in town. The food is so tasty without being expensive. Love it. | | Andy, 23 November 2001 (4.5 stars). Yes, Scott's is most excellent. | Bridget, 13 September 2001 (4 stars). Sensual Pleasures for the Taste Buds
Thursday dawned bright and sunny. I remember this, as this was the day of my laser eye surgery and I was a tad worried about never seeing the sun again. No such worry now, looking back in hindsight (with far better vision I might add!).
Between the consultation and the surgery itself, there was time for lunch and Scott’s was the choice of the day. Now to write this review I had to do a little homework. Erudite readers can skip to the next paragraph, but I was interested in the word Epicurean - not used to hearing it in modern conversation. Something to do with food I so cunningly deduced. What a mind! But so much more than food, avid readers…yes, epicurean is the devotion to sensual pleasures, particularly those of food. Epicurus believed that pleasure was the supreme good and the basis of morality…smart dude.
So tally on to this sensual experience. Scott’s is a narrow elongated place seemingly surrounded by the behemoths of the Hamilton food scene (Lone Star, Iguana, Great Wall), but what it lacks in size it makes up in big personality. The food is simple with stylish ingredients, the staff are attentive, efficient and friendly, the coffee is supreme and the cost is extremely reasonable. They have a great courtyard out the back, which gives you the lovely feeling of picnic dining in a secret garden. Lots of ferns and shady trees.
We sat outside (road-side) in the sun and watched the lunchtime crowd go by. Water arrived promptly. Maverick ordered a salad…we were most interested in the idea of ewe’s milk cheese…and I had the quesadilla with chicken and salsa and a yoghurt sauce. Now I have to say Mav did good on this, whole roasted cumin seeds added wonderful things to the flavour and if I couldn’t tell the difference between sheep’s cheese and the average feta, than I put it down to surgery nerves. After this we had mocha’s which were sublime (very keen on our mochas are we) and after eyeing up the sweet nothings in the cabinet, I had the citron tart with berry coulis, while Maverick had the brownie. He cheated on this, he’s had it here before and knew it was going to be good. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and I love the current craze for citrus desserts, as they are far better suited to my palate. Everything we tried was yum.
So if in search of sensual pleasures of the gastronomic kind, Scott’s Epicurean should certainly be on the list. Short of giving massages to weary patrons, it couldn’t get much more epicurean without being a whole lot more pretentious. A place I would certainly visit again.
Overall: Always classy, never pretentious.
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Scotts Epicurean
181 Victoria St, Hamilton Fully licensed
Cuisine Type: New Zealand/New Zealand
Open 7 Days, Mon -Fri from 7am for Breakfast, Lunch . Weekends from 8.30 for Brunch
Tel: 839-6680
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