Wombat Hill House

Basic Info:

Name: Wombat Hill House
Address: Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, car entry off Central Spring Rd, Daylesford
Phone: 03 4373 0099
Website: www.wombathillhouse.com.au

Opening Hours:

Open Thursday to Monday for breakfast & lunch - 8.30am - 5pm

(& 5 - 7pm for aperitivo on Sunday)

Little Eats ‘soundbite review’:

A warm and cosy spot nestled in the middle of the Botanic Gardens. Great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a gourmet picnic, or just an awesome Single Origin coffee, babycino and freshly baked sweet treat. A MUST visit if you are Daylesford bound.

Highchair: Yes
Change table: Yes
Pram access: Yes
Separate kids menu: No
Normal menu suitable for kids: Yes
Friendly staff: Yes
Play area for kids: No (but it is located in the middle of the Botanic Gardens)
Activities provided for kids (eg: crayons): Yes
Vibe/atmosphere: Warm, cosy and super relaxed... a breathe of fresh air!

Prices: Totally reasonable given the excellent quality (and pedigree!)

Little Eats detailed review:

Nearly 30 years after opening Daylesford institution the Lake House, Alla Wolf-Tasker and team now bring us a more affordable, more casual, more relaxed venue... and a more suitable spot for visiting foodie families to dine when their little ones are in tow.

Situated in the middle of the picturesque Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, in the old care-taker’s cottage, Wombat Hill House is by far (for me, and my travelling companions) THE stand-out cafe in this neck of the woods, and perhaps the best cup of coffee in Daylesford too (did someone say Single Origin?)... and not a single doily in site! Hurrah!

This cafe offers country style, charm and warmth, but it also still has the cool factor - All-press coffee, a fancy pants coffee machine that wouldn’t be out of place in an inner urban city cafe, groovy staff and a drool-worthy menu full of foodie faves and local produce including Red Beard Sourdough, Istra meats, Mt Zero olives, Jonesy’s milk and cream, Meredith yoghurt, O’toole’s honey and Alla’s very own “A wolf in the kitchen” jams and preserves.

With the late afternoon sunshine streaming down and just a hint of that cool crisp evening air starting to come through as the day ended, we popped in for afternoon tea. Fresh chai with honey and organic soy, espresso’s, babycino’s, and one killer Valrohna chocolate milkshake, all followed by brownies and blondies for the big kids, and a bag of gingerbread ducks for the wee ones. We were in love.

In love with immediate warmth the place offered and the overall relaxed vibe. In love with the food and menu, and in love with the fact that this place was so fresh and different to anywhere else in Daylesford we had dined, and so great for kids too.

Inside is cosy and homely, with various seating options including comfy couches with scatter cushions by the open fire place, which would be heaven to snuggle up on with a glass of Pinot in the winter time. And out the back was the space that the kids fell in love with... just a chilled out backyard vibe, amidst the kitchen garden where the chef’s and kitchen staff occasionally wandered out to pick a sprig of something or a pinch of that, Adirondack sun loungers, quirky country touches like the wheelbarrow and the gumboot rack and a good healthy dose of fresh country air.

The little ones ran about amongst the courtyard, playing with their new racing cars purchased with their own money that morning at the Daylesford Sunday market, and the littlest ones happily sat in their highchairs and scribbled away with the jars of coloured pencils and big A3 wombat colouring sheets that were provided.

We loved this place so much that a single visit just wasn’t enough, so on our last day, before heading back home to Melbourne, we stopped in again for spicy and refreshing Virgin Mary’s with horseradish and celery (we had consumed too much French champagne the night before to indulge in the bloody version), espresso, babycino’s and Brioche French Toast complete with poached pears, Meredith yoghurt, honey and walnut crumble.

With the unique Botanic Gardens location, the fun kitchen garden out back, highchairs, change table, coloured pencils, kid hit sweet treats including old school lollie bags, meringues, Belgian chocolate crackles and gingerbread biscuits, babycino’s, and other menu items that can easily be adapted for tiny tastebuds (think macaroni and cheese, and ricotta hotcakes), this spot definitely serves up a good dose of cafe culture for little ones.

Head there for breakfast, head their for brunch and a cheeky Prosecco, head there for a picnic (you can purchase “The Lunchbox” - a sandwich or baguette of your choice, Meredith yoghurt and poached fruit and a sweet treat slice from the daily bake and enjoy the glorious surrounds) or even head there for Sunday afternoon aperitivo. Whatever you do, just make sure you definitely head there on your next trip to Daylesford. You’ll love it too.