About 25 minutes north-east of the city, is Warrandyte. If you haven't been to Warrandyte, let me paint you a picture: it's a haven for those with an artsy, folksy, sporty, green-thumbed bent. Think bushy surrounds and the Yarra River burbling alongside it. I've only been there once before, and I did enjoy meandering my way through the main strip of shops - with gourmet offerings (including the lovely
Warrandyte Bakery, crystals and New Age-y things, secondhand bookshops and gorgeous homeware stores.
Salmon bagel
This time around, I was there on a two-day New Age-y training. And while I was there, our group had lunch at the very picturesque cafe at the Warran Glen Garden Centre (which is about five minutes drive away from the main area).
Warran Glen certainly knows its target markets - there's something to entice gardening types; there's plenty of manicured green space for kiddies to run around in; there's a big gift shop (replete with homewares, jewellery, women's clothes, baby/children's things and knick knacks galore); and for foodies, there's a beautiful cafe that's serving delicious fresh food. The whole set up very much reminded me of
Petersham Nurseries in London.
The cafe is an "order at the counter" sort of place. It's huge and has lots of seating, including along the verandah (which gives you view of the nursery) and this gorgeous indoor-outdoor space. The menu is a mix of a la carte dishes and ready-made meals (lovely salads, quiches, etc).
I ordered a ready-made roti and smoked chicken wrap. This came toasted and with a side salad. It was nice and tasty but nothing exceptional.
I managed to snaffle some of the fish and chips - this was yummy! Lovely fresh fish and gorgeous fat chips!
Others in the group ordered a vegetarian quiche, which was spot-on.
I had actually wanted to order the lamb souvlaki but I thought it'd be too heavy a meal for a sunny day. When the dish arrived, I had serious food envy. I was told this was delicious - the lamb fillet was tender and the pita was soft.
Other dishes included a tart...
...a potato and bacon salad...
...Vietnamese style noodle salad and a cauliflower and pearl barley salad...
...raspberry and vanilla tart.
Verdict
We loved it.
Mid value.
Overall
A gorgeous spot! Something for everyone here - from young families, golden oldies and everyone in between. Everyone was happy with their meal, and the food is certainly fresh. The service is quick (considering how big and busy the place can get) and friendly. It's probably best to book a table if you're travelling to Warran Glen to visit to avoid missing out.
Find it at
Warran Glen Garden Centre & Cafe
373 Ringwood-Warrandyte Road
Warrandyte VIC 3113
Phone: (03) 9844 3027
Nice blog.. thanks for sharing
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