What can be more indulgently delicious than whiling away the morning over brunch in a beautifully tranquil spot with stunning views?
The Swan Valley is a perfect spot for brunch in a beautiful setting and we have some suggestions as to the which Swan Valley restaurants and cafés offer some of the best breakfasts on Perth’s doorstep. Once you’re there, you won’t want to leave, so why not make a full day of it and explore the Swan Valley Trails?
Oakover Grounds
The highlight of Swan Valley restaurants is the focus on fresh local produce. Unless you feel like indulging early or splashing out on a champagne breakfast, wine takes a back seat at brunch time, and the delicious food and coffee take over. Oakover Grounds is a great choice for families, the name suggesting both coffee and the picturesque grounds that form the backdrop to your brunch. This is quality family time, where you have room to play on the lawn, enjoy boating on the lake or join in one of the organised treasure hunts. Weekends are the best time to sample brunch here, as food and Fiori Coffee are served from 8.00am. The menu has something to suit everyone, from a hearty farmhouse brekky to granola with seasonal fruit. A particularly delicious option is the Smokehouse Eggs Benedict with pistachio dukkah, field mushrooms and Persian feta.
Homestead Brewery, Mandoon Estate
Even less likely as a brunch choice are the Swan Valley breweries, but there’s one that does a great job of serving up breakfast in a brewery, homestead style. At Homestead Brewery, you immediately relax with views overlooking the vineyards of Mandoon Estate. Breakfast is served from 7.30 to 10.30am every day with coffee by Typika artisan roasters, and hearty food such as egg and bacon burger, buttermilk pancakes or home-made granola with seasonal fruit and Swan Valley honey. Try some Manjimup truffle patatas bravas with your eggs or even a quail egg or two for something a little more gourmet. Beer is served after 10.00am so why not stay on and relax while the kids have fun in the playground? There’s a children’s breakfast menu too for smaller appetites, and a range of juices and mikshakes.
Taylor's in the Valley
A Swan Valley café that serves up fresh organic produce and good coffee in homely, rustic environment is Taylor’s Art & Coffee House. The Taylors grow their own produce in the garden, source local fruit and veggies and insist on a quality custom house-blend coffee from Darkstar. Not only that but the cafe is part of an art studio run by Jude Taylor, so you can choose to sit in the courtyard shaded by vines or in the cafe surrounded by artworks. This is the ideal brunch stop for locavores, which means the menu is created from local produce and therefore changes with the seasons, complemented by a range of juices, smoothies and milkshakes. Menu items range from traditional brekkie, bacon sarnis or pancake stack, to truly imaginative creations like baklava chia and quinoa porridge or carrot hummus on toasted spelt with roasted beetroot, toasted almonds and smoked yoghurt.
Taylor's is open from 7.30am Tuesday to Sunday, and also located right next door to Whistler's Chocolate Company.
Continue north after breakfast to take in The House of Honey, finishing with a refreshing walk along the river at Bells Rapids Park.
