You can’t miss the welcoming two-way fireplace when you enter Homestead Brewery at Mandoon Estate. On weekends, enjoy smoked brisket with corn bread, red cabbage slaw and barbecue sauce from 12 to 3pm or until sold out. For a quick introduction to Mandoon’s food and beverage offering any day, try the seated Wine and Food Flight for $29, offering six premium Mandoon Estate wines paired with canape sized dishes, or the Reserve Wine Tasting of seven wines and a cheeseboard for $35 per person.
If you’re looking for something family friendly with a fireplace, The Henley Brook is the place to roost. Half-prize pizza night on Thursdays and regular kids’ activities make it a firm favourite.
Get snug beside one of two pot belly fires at Oakover Grounds. Sunday roast with all the trimmings is offered during July and August, served share-style for $130 to feed four. From Wednesday to Sunday, the $115 Smokehouse Pit Board has beef brisket, lamb ribs, pork ribs, chicken wings, charred corn, chips and slaw for four to graze on.
Warm up by the fire at Woodcutters at Nikola Estate with premium sharing menus priced at $75 per person for two courses and $99 for three. During winter, enjoy a free coffee with dessert. Next door, the cellar door offers the guided Epicurean Experience of five premium wines paired with European cheeses and providore for $35 per person.
Sandalford Wines has a stunning two-way fireplace between the restaurant and alfresco, and a cosy fire by the bar in the cellar door. The weekday cellar door seasonal wine and food pairing for $55 per person includes five canapes and five current release Sandalford wines. On Saturday, splurge $210 on the Ultimate Sandalford winemaking experience with a behind the scenes tour, opportunity to blend your own wine, extensive wine tastings plus a three-course meal in the award-winning restaurant. Sandalford’s winter menu is now available to enjoy this season.
Grab some friends, order some grazing plates or boards and spend an afternoon on the deck at The Tapas Bar. Patio heaters will be turned on so guests can still enjoy the views down to the Swan River while nibbling on WA produce served with a Spanish twist. Before or after your visit, drop in to neighbour Olive Farm Wines. For $15 per person, receive up to eight tastes from innovative wine delivery system “Frank the Tank”.
The fire is crackling Thursday to Monday at Talijancich Wines, where the Aged Fortified Experience is now $45 for two over winter. Available between 11am and 3.30pm, it includes four premium, aged fortified wines paired with a delicious cheeseboard.
When you visualise pubs with roaring fires, Guildford often springs to mind.
At the historic Rose and Crown Hotel, there are two original open fireplaces in the 1841 restaurant, one in the private dining room, and a double-sided fire in the Posh Convict Bar and Restaurant. Enjoy live music on weekends by the beer garden firepit, while tucking into a classic pub meal like Beef and Guinness Pie with mash and peas for $30.
Over winter, upstairs at The Guildford Hotel transforms to Northern Lights, complete with twinkling lights and hearty fire. Specials include a family lamb shank pie for four with house salad, mash, chips and gravy for $64, Sunday winter roast plate for $32, and winter-themed cocktails. From July 19 to 28, Winterville returns to The Guildford for a fifth year, where for $99 per person, guests will enjoy a three-course feast and two interactive cocktails. The venue’s new Vaudeville Hall expansion with kids playground, beer garden, and outdoor barbecue kitchen has recently opened for guests to enjoy.
A classic Guildford experience is to have a burger or a cup of pea and ham soup by the fire outside Alfred’s Kitchen.
Sip a hot chocolate in the café at Whistler’s Chocolate Company, then take home one of three drinking chocolate flavours for $12.95 — natural cocoa, spiced chai, and chilli and cinnamon. New hot chocolate spoons for $9.95 allow you to dip a cute koala or teddy bear, and voila, hot chocolate, complete with mini marshmallows.
Chocolate tasting is available every day at Margaret River Chocolate Co, or take home an Ultimate Drinking Chocolate Pack for $49.95 including a tin of premium drinking chocolate, mug, and box of chocolates.
Mondo Nougat’s Deluxe Hot Chocolate comes with a topping of its famous Vanilla Crunchy nougat.
Oscar’s, formerly of Guildford, is now Oscar’s in the Valley. Dine on the best seasonal WA produce and sustainably sourced seafood at its new home, Limeburners and Giniversity in the Valley. Meat is aged in-house and cooked over a wood fire for a deliciously smoky flavour. Order share plates or let the chef decide with three and four course tasing menus for $60 and $66. Oscars is open for lunch from Thursday to Sunday, dinner on Saturday nights, with a Friday closing time of 7pm to allow guests to enjoy the sunset.
Award-winning Perth markets favourite AmberChes Spirits Distillery has taken up residence at the former Pandemonium Estate/Swan Valley Gin Co. Let the team teach you how to blend your own 500ml bottle of gin at a two-hour distilling class, bookable from Friday to Monday for $170 per person. It includes a G&T on arrival, gin tasting, distilling and cheese platter lunch. AmberChes is always adding to its grazing menu, with warming items including baked brie for $28.
Yahava KoffeeWorks is helping the next generation make a decent coffee, supplementing regular adult classes with July school holiday Intensive Barista Training for teens aged 13 to 19. Keep an eye out for new dates for the Gourmet Cheese and Coffee Pairing Experience offering six delicious cheeses from The Cheese Shop in Kalamunda paired with espresso, a cappuccino and cold brew coffee. These one-hour classes cost $79 run Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Sampling of three coffee of teas is always free at Yahava’s Tasting Bench.
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