Valencia Vineyard Restaurant

We have been to this little café a few times now and enjoyed our visits – set in the grounds of the old Valencia Vineyard we have always sat out in the sunny courtyard, but on the most recent trip it was a bleak, cold and drizzly day so we went inside to the rustic dining area where a heater was struggling manfully to warm up the room.

We have been to this little café a few times now and enjoyed our visits set in the grounds of the old Valencia Vineyard we have always sat out in the sunny courtyard, but on the most recent trip it was a bleak, cold and drizzly day so we went inside to the rustic dining area where a heater was struggling manfully to warm up the room. The menu is country farmhouse style hearty food which was just the ticket on the day we were there. A dish of Thai style fish cakes which we have had before appealed so they became our starter the cakes had a crumbed exterior, crisp and firm, while inside the mix of fish, coriander and lemon grass, was delicately spiced, moist and with a little chilli sauce to provide a little sweet zing very pleasant indeed and as we had remembered them. For our mains, Lady FWO went for a chicken and leek pie while I ordered the vegetable parcels. The pie cooked with a cream and white wine sauce had plenty of tender minced chicken breast along with chopped leek to provide a mild oniony element. The cheese pastry was well cooked with a crisp base making for a pretty good pie; served with some fresh salad it was an enjoyable vineyard lunch. My parcels a couple of largish triangles of crumbly pastry were filled with a mix of vegetables cooked in a mild curry sauce which gave them a bit of a boost from the norm again with a fresh salad, and also a sweet chilli dipping sauce, it was a warming meal for a cold day. The restaurant is licensed and the small wine list centres on Swan Valley wines we decided on a carafe of house red, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Pinelli a near neighbour plummy aromas, and a chocolate and blackberry palate soft tannin made for a smooth, easy drinking lunch companion. The grounds surrounding the restaurant are attractive with plenty of shade trees for summery days and with a cidery and juicery right next door, and a brewery a hop step and jump away, this is well worth a visit when out in the Valley.

I have walked and drove past the sign for Valencia Vineyard Restaurant so many times in the last 12 months and have always wanted to give it a go for a bit of wining and lunching. I FINALLY managed to get there when my parents were over recently and I must admit, I am now kicking myself that I didnâ€t get there soon. What a gorgeous little gem nestled off Benara Road in Caversham.

Set in the grounds of the old Valencia vineyard and winery on Benara Road, alongside a brewery and a “juicery”, with a shady pergola and patio area, the Vineyard restaurant proved to be a very pleasant place to spend a sunny spring day earlier this week. The dining room has been constructed from recycled bricks, with slate flooring and exposed beams, giving it an old style, rustic feel.

I read some reviews on this place and was undecided if it would work for my family lunch but you never know until you try so we went in for a lunch. The wait staff were very pleasant and attentive but the interior felt a bit cold and dark. Paper table clothes, no background music and as we were the first there, no background noise at all. The beer selection was what I call Standard issue for a pub. Food menu has something for everyone but when it arrived at the table I was a little unimpressed. The schnitzel was plentiful but.. boring. Unfortunately, I ordered steak and when I was presented with something of less quality than I can make at home.. unimpressed. Overall the bill was fairly priced, the staff were nice but the food just didn 't work for us.