Tuck into contemporary, seasonal food while soaking up wetland views at this unique restaurant.
Review by Carla Caruso
There’s nothing like a house, or an eatery, with a view. And The Watershed Function Centre & Café at Mawson Lakes certainly has this, and more.
The café is located uniquely within the serene Greenfields Wetlands – a 114-hectare, constructed attraction north of Adelaide, with a 1.3km walking trail, bird hutch for bird watchers, and interpretative signage.
A key to access the gated sections of the wetlands can be obtained from The Watershed Café, between 8am and 4pm daily. Up to 160 bird species, fish, frogs, yabbies, turtles and other creatures are reported to live in and around the water.
But back to the café itself… We dropped in for some lunch recently on the way back from reviewing the new TreeClimb Salisbury.
The café’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers seasonal fare, wine, locally roasted coffee, and personalised table service — in a tranquil setting.
You can enjoy your meal on the outdoor deck overlooking the wetlands (although this can sometimes get windy) or indoors. Dogs are also welcome in the outdoor seating area. As well, the café is fully equipped with wheelchair and pram access.
For lunch, one of my 11-year-old twins had chicken nuggets and chips from the kids’ menu. (Also on the children’s menu is fish and chips, spaghetti, and pancakes with Nutella and ice cream.)
His brother had Korean fried chicken, on salad, with lime and sweet chilli sauce. Meanwhile, I tucked into an entrée of salt-and-pepper squid and my husband had a beef burger, which included a pattie, salad, cheese, pickles, and bacon in a brioche bun.
What most had us raving, though, was the starter – a warmed, whole brie with cranberries in syrup and crisp pita bread. I’m not sure what they did with the buttery pita, but it was divine!
Other scrummy dishes on the menu included entrées like cheddar-stuffed mushrooms and chargrilled king prawns with mango coulis, and mains such as a seafood grazing platter, Moroccan lamb salad, and an open steak sandwich.
There are also vegetarian-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free options, and the prices are reasonable.
For a dose of nature, 20 minutes from the CBD, and family-friendly fare, this café is well worth a try.
The Watershed Café is open every day – Sunday to Wednesday 8am to 4pm, Thursday to Saturday 8am to 8pm, and public holidays 9am to 3pm (closed Christmas Day and Good Friday).
Location:
665 Salisbury Highway, Mawson Lakes
For more information, please visit The Watershed Cafe website.
All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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