Neat Cakes

218 Dominion Road has been home to quite the slice of Auckland's food history. 

A portrait of an iconic mutt marked the breakfast burrito-slinging era of Vinyl Coffee Shop (find its contemporary spinoff around the corner at Ralph's). Then came the soothing aroma of The Midnight Baker's gluten-free seed loaf. 

Fast forward to today and you'll find yourself in an urban cakery where bold, sassy plant-based delights come into being. For the past two years, 218 has been Neat Cakes territory. And 'neat' doesn't even begin to fully capture the joyfulness of this chapter.

The dream-brought-to-life of Jack Osbourn, Neat Cakes first opened as a private cake studio with cake decorating classes and the occasional pop-up which would see lines down the road and all manner of plant-based treats up for grabs. Never had there been a more compelling reason to skip the Sunday sleep-in. 

As of 2025 Neat Cakes is no longer exclusively made-to-order. Its doors are now wide open Wednesdays through Saturdays with a cabinet that’ll meet any sweet-toothed craving (even where dietaries are concerned). 

The offering is ever-evolving but, for the uninitiated, you might find multi-tiered cakes, cake tubs, custard squares, glazed cinnamon twists, cookies, ginger kisses and brownies—all of which are plant-based—plus Flight Coffee for that all-important kick. 

Even better? Neat Cakes is pet-friendly and, if you don’t have a pup of your own, pop down and you might meet Jack’s adorable doggo Lenny. 

Image credit: Neat Cakes | Words: Alice Rich