Goanna Bush Cafe & Gallery, Dunsborough, Western Australia

HONESTLY’S VERDICT

In a word: Native

Food: Delicious, flavourful dishes made using local produce

Service: Friendly and patient!

Presentation: Simple and unfussy

Ambience: Very relaxed

Location: Off the beaten track; hidden away amongst the eucalypts

Value for money: Yep, below average prices for the region

Worth a visit?: Yep, the 15 minute drive out of Dunsborough is well worth it to discover this little gem hidden away in the bush

I was tipped off about this little café by KT, yoga teacher at Zen Den Collective in Dunsborough, WA. Had I not asked for her foodie go-to’s, I would never have discovered this hidden gem by chance, and I am so glad I did, as I loved everything about Goanna: the cafe, bush setting, shop and gallery.

Goannas amongst the foliage

The cafe in the bush

Goanna Bush Cafe & Gallery is run by chefs Duncan Timmons and Tim Meikle, a Kiwi and a Scot, who met whilst working in a Michelin star restaurant in London. The guys have a passion for simple and honest food and are committed to putting out the best of local produce from the region and also showcase local talent in the gallery and the shop.

The low-rise single story wood-clad building compliments the ‘as nature intended’ setting perfectly, sitting comfortably in the bushscape of lofty eucalypts and scrubby native shrubs.

Seating at the front of the cafe

Some of the outside seating

Seating out the back

The café has a selection of indoor and outdoor seating along with a little play area for the kiddies, and in the grounds of the café is a little sculpture walk; perfect for keeping little and fidgety big ones ones amused.

Checking out the goodies in the gallery-cum-shop

Shelves of hand crafted local, regional and aussie-made goodies

For the adults, Goanna has a tastefully curated shop packed with handcrafted goodies; from ceramics to wood cut coasters, jewellery to creative children’s toys, natural body care products to kitchen utensils, all from local, regional and aussie artisans. There is also a changing display of art on the interior walls of the cafe.

Food:

From the breakfast menu, we chose the Housemade Toasted Muesli, two Bush Breakfasts and the Indo Breakfast.

The Indo Breakfast

I opted for the Indo Breakfast; spiced coconut rice, fried egg, spinach, avocado, coriander, pesto and a sweet soy dressing. I loved the exotic flavours of the spiced rice and sweet soy dressing, such a welcome alternative to my breakfast plate; a delicious alternative to my usual and pretty bland homemade eggs, toast and avo. The fragrant basil pesto added a rich contrast to the Indonesian flavours of the dish.

The Bush Breakfast

Both the husband and father-in-law went for the Bush Breakfast; scrambled eggs, garlic mushrooms, tomato, pesto and woodfired toast. A simple veggie breakfast executed very well.

The Homemade Toasted Muesli

My mother-in-law had the Housemade Toasted Muesli served with poached pear, milk, honey and yoghurt. A beautifully presented classic, which hit the spot for Barbara. The honey was dreamy with a very delicate flavour and not too sweet.

Green tea for one

The dessert chiller, love the shelf of rocky road!

Service:

Friendly and patient; you order from the front desk and it took us a while to pull the order together as a number of us were distracted by the dessert counter, beautiful design pieces and the extensive range of knickknacks in the shop area! Table service was as attentive as it needed to be.

Presentation:

Metal work decorated with foliage

The trees surrounding the cafe

Cut metal work goannas decorate the exteriors

Walls covered in art

Simple and stylish. The café sits comfortably into it’s natural surroundings of eucalypts and bush land. So much to look at in the cafe/gallery/shop, it’s a little distracting, in the best possible way, and I didn’t want to leave!

The food looks great; it needs no pimping, and comes to you on white crockery. The muesli was probably my fave visual; bowl of muesli with pear on top, sat on a wooden board with milk in a little glass bottle, honey in a small dish and yoghurt in a little jar.

Value for money: