Itameshi is a Grey Lynn cafe and bistro built around the meeting point between Japanese and Italian food. The Williamson Avenue dining room carries that idea without visual clutter: dark green and brown tones, Japanese artwork and a light, spacious layout create a calm setting for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Advance reservations suit an evening meal, although the daytime service remains inviting for a spontaneous plate.
The daytime menu introduces the concept through recognisable cafe formats sharpened by carefully chosen Japanese ingredients. Eggs Benedict arrives on rosemary focaccia with furikake, while an okonomiyaki omelette brings pickled ginger, spring onion, bonito and kewpie mayonnaise. Truffle unagi don layers grilled eel with fried rice, scrambled egg and yuzu kosho; salmon soba takes a cooler route with sashimi, shredded vegetables, herbs and fresh ponzu.
Pasta and noodles make the Italian-Japanese exchange even more explicit. House-made pasta is paired with creamy miso carbonara, crisp pancetta and a runny yolk, while lobster bisque pappardelle carries tiger prawn and pine nuts. Seafood chilli udon draws Calabrese chilli butter, clams and garlic crumbs into a Japanese noodle dish, and mentaiko tripoline combines scallops and caviar. Beef ragu macaroni, meanwhile, is finished with Japanese curry and parmesan.
Dessert continues the same cross-cultural conversation through matcha tiramisu, Tokyo crème pudding and a Sicilian pistachio burnt cheesecake. Drinks cover coffee, matcha, tea, smoothies, cocktails and wine, giving the room a different character as the day moves on. Itameshi also hosts business lunches, cocktail parties and family celebrations, with bespoke set menus and full-restaurant bookings available when a gathering needs a more deliberate format.
Address: 4 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021, New Zealand
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