Sweetwater cafe
| Where | 42 Melba Highway, Yering, Yarra Valley—View map |
Contact | 03 9237 3333 |
Website | — |
Open | Breakfast Monday to Sunday 07.30 am to 10.30 am |
Payment | EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, Cash |
Diet | Check with venue |
Seating | Inside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Unwelcome |
Long drive, great eggs
Kate Jones 1 June 2008
Trekking out to the Yarra Valley for an early morning brekkie seemed like too much of a sacrifice on a foggy Sunday morning, especially when this café only takes seatings before 10.30am.
But after sampling the fresh fare at Chateau Yering's Sweetwater Café, there were no regrets. The food is first-rate.
This grand Victorian mansion dates back to 1854 and sits on a 250-acre estate. The historic homestead boasts the café, a restaurant, and is a well-known luxury hotel.
After a greeting at the reception, guests are shown to a lounge area-complete with open fire and adjoining library-before being taken to their tables. In the light and bright atmosphere of the conservatory, Sweetwater has a formal, but cheery, atmosphere.
The café offers a full breakfast buffet with a vast selection of everything from donuts to salami. There are fresh and poached fruits, cold meats, delicious Bircher muesli and seven types of cereal. There is so much on offer; it's hard to know where to begin. Try the sheep's milk yoghurt-it's creamy, sweet and perfect with any fruit.
While the thought of sampling everything on the buffet menu is tempting, the hot breakfast is too good to miss. There are four choices: traditional eggs on toast with a wide choice of sides; omelette of the day; smoked mackerel with house-toasted brioche and truffle-scented scrambled eggs; and pancakes with banana, berries or maple.
Whichever way you order them, eggs on toast at Sweetwater is hard to top. The eggs are fresh and hot, and the bread is lightly toasted. Every mouthful-even of plain old spinach-was a delight.
Coffee, tea and juices come as part and parcel of the $30 full breakfast. Sweetwater uses Lavazza coffee, and my husband, a coffee connoisseur, was full of praise. The café is child-friendly-our six-month-old bub was happy in her highchair, and a change-table was also at the ready.
The staff are falling-over-themselves friendly. They have to be-most breakfasters are well-heeled hotel guests, paying as much as $1105 for one night's accommodation. Outside guests are welcome, but bookings are a must.
For such a tasty and wholesome brekkie, your money is well spent here. The grand setting and unique surrounds of the Yarra Valley also make Sweetwater Café the perfect place to show off to international or interstate visitors.