Situated in the verdant surrounds of the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, WHH is a delightful and intimate cafe.
Inside, WHH has lovely areas for a casual meal.
There's the impressive silver-blue mural of wombats in the main dining area (with lots of statement lamps and chandeliers)...
...the cosy fireplace with comfy couches and chairs...
...the light and airy (and family friendly) seating outside.
The vibe and the way WHH is decorated reminded us that it looked similar (though, admittedly, not as lavish) to the Petersham Nurseries Cafe in London (which was previously headed up by Skye Gyngell but Greg Malouf has now taken over the reins).
Unfortunately, due to a hearty breakfast, neither the Lawyer and I were hungry enough to try any of the larger dishes on offer. Instead, we opted for a chai latte and regular latte to start. The chai was okay but a tad weak in flavour.
The Lawyer opted for a pheasant terrine w cumberland sauce and grilled sourdough. He really liked the terrie. The deliciously sticky and glistening cumberland sauce helped bring out the tender flavour of the pheasant. Propz for the incredibly thin slivers of orange peel in the sauce.
Trying to be healthy, I went for the warm red quinoa, chickpea and cauliflower salad. Chickpea and caulis aren't usually what I order (or cook!) but despite that I really liked the salad. The caulis heads were tender and sweet, and the chickpeas were nicely al dente. The yoghurt and a nice lemony zing which helped give some richness to the salad.
And because I was so good, what with the chickpeas and caulis, I felt it was only fair to myself to go for the vanilla pannacotta w raspberry couli. This was one of the best pannacotta I've ever had. It was so smooth and velvety and vanilla-y and raspberry-y. Thank goodness the Lawyer is lactose intolerant because it meant I didn't have to share (although he did try one tiny spoonful and was ever so jealous of my tolerance for lactose).
Verdict
Food – 8.5
Ambience – 10
Service – 7.5
Price – 7
Overall
A very lovely cafe in an equally lovely surrounds. The service is friendly - in particular, one eagle-eyed waitress is always there to welcome diners as they enter the cafe.
The food is great and I'm definitely coming back (with Beaker and Mother Hen in tow, as they are most interested in trying WHH themselves). They also have a great pizza range.
I don't know what the Lake House is like, but I couldn't help but notice that most of the clientele here were femme d'un certain âge. While there was a good sprinkling of couples with and without young kiddies.
Address
Wombat Hill House
Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
Daylesford VIC 3460
Telephone: 03 4373 0099
2 comments:
An interesting post)
Thanks Inna :)
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