Tomorrow's Brunch – Amano, Auckland

The brand new gem in Britomart’s culinary crown, Amano, is an on-site artisan bakery celebrating beautiful food made with one special ingredient: love. 

In Italian, Amano means love. And Britomart’s newest addition Amano, a beautiful artisan bakery, is full of the stuff.

But it’s a love that runs deeper than just the kind of love one might have for a favourite television show or the cool side of the pillow. It’s a love that celebrates traditional yet innovative baking methods, a love of premium, fresh produce, a love of simple, stunning food. And a love of the details; an ethos long upheld by Amano’s parents, HipGroup.

Nestled in a beautifully curated space on Tyler Street, Amano’s appearance alone stole our hungry hearts within seconds of entering. And we hadn’t even spied the glossy lemon tarts or perfect Martitozzi (think sumptuous vanilla bean custard in perfect pastry) yet. Centred around a striking pearl counter – designed by Jack Mckinney of Mckinney + Windeatt Architects ­– dotted with meticulous pastries, fresh sandwiches, pizzas, juices and other goodies, the entire space is devoted to the food and ingredients within it. Freshly baked crusty loaves of sourdough and rye are tucked into stunning high wooden panels, and the ceiling is even lined with perfect dried bunches of golden wheat. The details.

We were overwhelmed with the choices when it came to choosing our snack – there were breakfast pizzas topped with oozy fried eggs, crusty buns stuffed with meatballs, pickles and provolone cheese and a lovely selection of sugar speckled doughnuts, chocolate tarts, and pastries. But if something in the cabinet wasn’t grabbing us (no chance) we could have toasted our own bread ­– brioche toast anyone? And chosen a topping ranging from house-made ricotta and honey to soft-boiled eggs with cultured butter.

After much pondering and the comforting knowledge we could return tomorrow, we opted for one of the warm rolls filled with soft folded egg, wilted chard and provolone cheese. This was just as gorgeous as it sounds and was the perfect balance of smooth, salty, crunchy and soft. What a way to start the day. We followed this with an apple doughnut and a buffalo milk piccolo, a perfect ending to the first of many visits to Amano.