The long-awaited opening of Woodcutters Restaurant at Nikola Estate has delivered the venue a sophisticated food offering to match winemaker Damian Hutton’s award-winning wines.
Head chef Trent Dawson’s menu is inspired by the region’s rich agricultural heritage, drawing on an abundance of locally-grown seasonal produce. Smoked, charred and flame-kissed vegetables complement meats dry-aged at the estate.
Pizzas and breads are baked in the woodfired oven, while the historic original wine cellars now house a preserves program featuring pickles, ferments, vinegars. This gives the kitchen access to out-of-season flavours derived from produce harvested in its prime. Woodcutters is open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday and for dinner Friday and Saturday.
After years of speculation and much anticipation, the former Cheese Barrel site next to Olive Farm Wines finally reopened over Easter 2024 as The Tapas Bar.
Owner Mark Harrison, who runs popular tour businesses Pink Bus and Black Swan Tours, has added a new commercial kitchen and extended the building. The tapas fan says he saw a unique opportunity in the Swan Valley to “offer something different to pub fare without being ‘high-end’ food.”
Expect to find patatas bravas and chorizo alongside popcorn crocodile with Asian spices, and Shark Bay tiger prawns with saltbush, pepper berry and garlic.
The emphasis is on WA produce, with the crocodile from Queensland an exception.
Wines at The Tapas Bar are exclusively from Olive Farm, with offerings from Swan Valley beverage makers including Funk Drinks Co, Sin Gin, Old Young’s, and Swan Valley Brewery.
The Tapas Bar is open daily from 11am to 5pm with extended trading until 9pm Friday and Saturday.
With its parasol-lined entry, abundance of greenery and flowing artificial wisterias, Little Vines is arguably the most Instagrammable café in Guildford.
“We added them with the intention of creating a beautiful, unique setting — we must admit, we didn't know how popular the spot would become,” says owner Luke Milanko. “We love to see all the photos online from everyone.”
Part of the Gardens of Guildford development and a sibling to Little Guildford, Luke said he was inspired to open the former family garden (his parents Lou and Elaine of the once, but now closed, local's favourite Louie’s Pizzeria still live upstairs) due to customer curiosity. “We always had people coming down the alley wanting to sit out the back, and we thought the area was too beautiful to let sit unused,” Luke explains.
Little Vines offers à la carte breakfast and lunch and bottomless brunch and lunch options, with the spicy margs the most popular cocktail to sip among the vines.
Down the track Little Vines will open on Friday and Saturday nights, with spit roasts and barbecues on the cards for winter.
Giving new life to the wasted and unwanted has reaped early rewards for Damaged Goods Distilling Co. Just a few months after launching in 2023, its Smashed Apple Aperitivo made the WA Good Food Guide’s top 10 spirits list among established competition.
“To get recognition for our products so early on is incredible,” says co-founder and distiller Tim Laferla. “Some distillers take years to finesse their product to a level of achieving that kind of success. Awards may or may not mean a lot to fellow distillers … but to us, it takes on an extra meaning. It’s vindication. We might make spirits from food “waste”, but quality and flavour are at the heart of everything we do.”
Damaged Goods distinguishes itself by working with product such as apple pulp from Funk Cider, citrus husks from Citrus WA and unsellable Sweeter Bananas.
Want to get a taste of what Tim’s talking about? Book in for a 45-minute tasting from Friday to Sunday, which for $15 includes spirit tastings showcased neat, mixed and with garnish.
Go down a rabbit hole of sweet delights at Mrs Rabbit Tearooms. Previously the Cottage Tearooms, this quaint cottage offers guests the chance to indulge in baked goods and high teas inside, on the verandah or in the garden.
Owner Katherine Kissack was inspired by farmhouse life in Corrigin, her love of Georgian and Edwardian history, and a pet dwarf lop rabbit she had for eight years. “They are very curious, selective and charismatic animals yet very nurturing and loving,” she says. “I have always collected rabbit ornaments and envisioned creating a fictional house stuck in time of sorts.
“Many love the name and often say ‘oh yes, it is like a rabbit warren in here isn’t it’ as they make their way around the different rooms ... either way, it is certainly memorable.”
Mrs Rabbit’s most popular items are scones with homemade mixed berry jam and double cream, available every day.
High teas are bookable Wednesday to Saturday. You will also find classic cakes, sandwiches, gifts and homewares.
The Vines Resort unveils a distinctive experience for visitors eager to admire Australia’s national animal up close, the Kangaroo Safari. This new attraction offers an intimate encounter with Australia’s iconic kangaroos on a sunset buggy tour across the resort’s golf course. Visitors will learn about kangaroo behaviour from expert guides against a backdrop of the sun casting a golden glow over the landscape.
General manager Phil Richards emphasises that the safari blends adventure with the luxury and hospitality synonymous with The Vines Resort.
Finish the day with optional dining or time upon its state-of-the-art mini golf course.
Taking full advantage of the stunning outlook over vineyards that run down to the river, The Treehouse Bar at Upper Reach was the realisation of a longstanding dream for owners Laura and Derek Pearse.
Just a stone's throw from their Upper Reach Restaurant, the relaxed setting offers an alternative ambiance with equally as outstanding wines.
Open weekends only, it offers woodfired Neapolitan styled pizzas using local ingredients, straight from a handmade oven. Linger for a beer or wine and cheese, in a casual deck setting around a giant Marri tree.
The Swan Valley’s newest wedding venue, Lily Farm House, has come to life following a major transformation — turning what was the home of The Lily Farm owners into a fully licensed function centre.
"We built a space that complemented the natural beauty of the Swan Valley; choosing rammed earth, glass and timber, we created a timeless space,” says Tracy Hoffman.
With soaring ceilings and an ample natural light, the venue is available for birthdays and engagements, although weddings are the main focus, with evening weddings the most popular.
Wedding menus include Italian, Indian and vegan options served on custom wooden boards down the centre of the tables. Contemporary beverage packages include regional wines sourced from Clandestine Vineyards, including sister brand Break Free’s natural and lo-fi wines, including the Bliss Bomb Swan Valley Pet Nat.
Tracy and husband Tim have been married for more than 30 years and were thrilled the first wedding they hosted took place on their own anniversary, marking the official opening of this captivating space.
The newest kid on the block in the spirits world of the Swan Valley, AmberChes Spirits opened its distillery in Baskerville early March, welcoming visitors for a tasting of its award-winning range. Taking over the site that was once Swan Valley Gin Company and Pandemonium Estate, this lush setting is the ideal spot to sit back with a good cheese board and gin and tonic in hand.
When it comes to its spirits, co-owner and distiller Alicia Rheeston-Stewart has been honing her craft since 2020 when she first began distilling, and says supporting local is key to her recipes.
“Our fruit gins are produced using local fruit that is distilled, and unlike a lot of fruit gins we don’t add any artificial flavours or sugars to sweeten them, so all the fresh fruit flavour comes from the real fruit through the distillation,” she says.
Of its range, the Botanical Gin is its most heavily awarded, having won multiple international gold medals as well as a Master Medal at the Global Gin Masters in 2022.
Try your hand at distilling and visit AmberChes for its Gin Making Masterclass.
Finding accommodation in the Swan Valley can be tricky during peak season when visitors flock to bask in the sunshine among the vines. The opening of Swan Valley Serviced Apartments is helping to welcome more guests to enjoy the spoils of a Swan Valley staycation.
Strategically located between Midland and the wineries and attractions of the Valley, there are 20 one- and two-bedroom apartments offering flexibility of bedding configurations and “self-catering serenity”.
With short and long stays available, the apartments offer all you need for a relaxing stay including full kitchen and laundry facilities.
swanvalleyapartments.com.au
If you’re familiar with the Swan Valley, there’s a good chance you know Funk Cider and have sampled some of its tasty apple-based beverages. What you might not know is Funk have been producing some equally as tasty beers since 2019. To acknowledge the expansion of their beverage offerings, Funk rebranded as Funk Drinks Co in December 2023.
“As we moved to this amazing new site where the Brewshed (in Henley Brook) is, our portfolio of drinks expanded. We started making more beers and we also started making preservative-free wines to honour the history of the centenary vines on site and the Swan Valley,” says the Funk team.
As Funk’s foray into beer progresses, its next move is to release its first batch of beers in cans, available as takeaways from its venues and through select bottle shops. “Our first beer to be released is the Passionfruit Fresh Ale — made with 75kg of real passionfruit in each batch. This beer won seventh best beer in WA at the WA Good Food Guide Awards. We were stoked about that!”
From humble roadside stall to European market and café, Tony Tolich last year realised his dream of reinventing his family’s produce stand. Originally known as Tolich’s - and renamed in honour of his parents, meaning grandparents in Croatian - Baba and Dida’s Café Marketplace is one of the Swan Valley’s longest-running original fresh fruit and veg vendors.
You’ll still see the smiling faces of Tony’s parents Mira and Mate around the store, while Tony is busy serving customers seeking freshly-picked figs, rockmelons, watermelons, grapes and more. You can now stay for a coffee, cake or toastie under the vines, with plans for more regular events, entertainment and Balkan food underway.
The café is generally open Friday to Sunday and the market, which also sells olive oils, bread and condiments, trades Thursday to Sunday, subject to change.
Please note: The cafe is temporarily closed for an upgrade and will re-open in December 2024
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