I have driven past this little cafe a few times and always been curious to what it's like. Today I…read morewent for a quick morning coffee and cake. Unfortunately coffee isn't the best I've ever had but it's not the worst. I tried the cinnamon tea cake, it was okay but I'm not sold on it. Customer service out standing, lady who served me was friendly and welcoming and informative of the selection of cakes (side note - they have delicious GF options for those who live GF). The shop itself, I see what they are trying to do with the vintage look and it's kinda cute and quirky. I will come back mainly to try their all day breakfast menu on offer! I'll add to my review when that happens.

A bit daggy and not the best coffee ever, but their homemade cake and biscuits are always yummoread more

We had the Benedict Diablo and the Breakfast Burrito. They we both delicious. Good value for money…read moreand the coffee was good too. Definitely worth a stop for a bite to eat.

First time in McLaren Vale. We chose this Cafe due to a number of people inside, seemed to have…read moremore than the other cafe's in the area. We enjoyed a very nice pepperoni pizza, with a well made tasty coffee. We found the service was friendly and helpful. Understandable a number of customers enjoying lunch, as the menu had good affordable options. We left very satisfied and pleased this was the Cafe we chose.

What a great restaurant with nice eco-friendly ideas. The food is wholesome and delicious, with…read morereally nice touches. The all day big breakfast is big and delicious, with the best mushrooms I have eaten for many years. And the tea was lovely. A really nice touch is the free and self serve still and sparkling water. Will be back!

We stayed at the caravan park down the road & remembered this place from last time we passed…read morethrough. Absolutely great coffee & the Eggs Benny is to die for. Would recommend to anyone.

Penny's Hill has been a South Australian fave for many years, famous for their reds and for good…read morereason. Check out their awards when you get into this Cellar Door. Hats off to the wine makers! Just outside of the main strip in McLaren Vale, you will be greeted with a lovely old homestead, vegetable patch, chicken shed and an array of buildings for different styles of entertaining. This is what we wish all our homes to look like. Oh, the country Life. Take note of the barn in front of you with the massive pizza oven. What a great space for functions overlooking the rolling hills and vineyards. Also, just next to it is an outdoor fireplace under a gazebo. I would love a Friday arvo knock off or Sunday sesh in there. And just over to the right, you will find the entry to the Cellar Door. Make your way through the front doors and you will find a large open space with one long bar. Great to handle a few group tastings at once, which is a must for the busy weekends. The staff here are ever so friendly and you can see that they are proud of the produce. They will share the story of each wine and educate you on why each wine earned it's name. Going through the flight you will have a range of options to suit your palate. After trying them all I would have to say my favourites being the Chardonnay and Skeleton Key Shiraz. The Chardonnay here is called the Minimalist and is true to it's name. It is lighter than most, with a light peach fruit flavour. It does not have the heavy oak flavour that the old varieties have which is great. The Skeleton Key Shiraz is bold, but it has a spiced slightly sweet berry flavour through the wine. Perfect for winter! Pop Penny's Hill on your list of wineries to visit next time you are in McLaren Vale. You will not be disappointed.

What a fab winery..... great location, great service, great food and great wine!! The winery is set…read morethe fields and vineyards of McLaren Vale and includes several out buildings, as well as the main building including wine tasting area and restaurant. The restaurant serves fantastic food from full meals to seasonal tasting plates paired with the wines, the menu changes every few months and reflects lots of the local produce. The restaurant has excellent table service and helpful staff. The tasting area is large and includes a bar like area and a few seating areas to relax with a glass and a cheese plate. The winery not only has the Penny HIll range of wines but also Mr. Riggs and Black Chook. This leads to an extensive tasting list and there will be something for everyone. The bottle prices are very reasonable too and will be one of the reasons you go back for more!!

Awesome cheese shop selling both imported and local adelaide hills cheeses (Woodside Cheese Wrights…read more& Udder Delights). Coffees are also great. Atmosphere is nice and relaxed with nice art work on the walls. There is a big open space good for groups and kids and some more secluded areas out the back if you need a quieter space to chat.

What a lovely spot! We came here on a Saturday afternoon for coffee, and were not disappointed…read more Delicious long black (yay!), another of our party reported that their cake was fantastic too. They stock a lot of cheese (duh!), as well as a lot of local produce - we stocked up on cheese and sourdough bread ... but will definitely have to come back for lunch, since the menu looked very enticing. Brekkie looks good too, but I have heard that it gets very busy!

I'm not sure what this place was before, but it now has a really lovely little cafe retrofitted…read moreinto it. The coffee is at a solid good level but not outstanding. Importantly though they're one of the few places open on public holidays who do all day breakfast. I was there late - around 3pm when they close at 4 - after a very late New Years party. They had unfortunately run out of the beans for a fantastic sounding Moroccan breakfast, so I went for the big breakfast. The price difference was on the house, which sets the tone for this place - they care about their customers. The food is very obviously good quality, and while the breakfast was more than large enough, the quality is what really stood out. With the exception of a pre-processed hash brown, every piece was perfectly cooked and utterly delicious. A final stand-out are the staff. This is how staff at every cafe should be - energetic, smiling and super friendly. I'll definitely be back whenever I want to treat myself :)

As we were heading down south I decided to pull in here to grab a coffee, namely because the last…read moretime we were in Willunga, it was the evening and all the coffee shops were closed. I rather liked this place, namely because of the service, but also having good coffee helped as well. This was one of those charming places on the main street, though it was rather quiet when we passed through. Still, as a place for coffee it is pretty cool.

I have had a number of coffees here lately, and they do vary…read more The best coffee maker I would say is the owner. I just wish she would train all the junior burgers up to make them just as good!! Wish list!! Her coffees are close to perfection so I'm not giving 5 stars until the others are up to scratch

Bracegirdles is an excellent place to grab something nice and chocolatey. They make sweet and…read moreabsolutely amazing (sugary and unhealthy) chocolate that just melts in your mouth. This store is probably the closest to my house, even though it is around 20 mins South, however when I am down here for a break at the nearby caravan park, I am sure to pop in. No matter what you choose off the menu, you can be sure of two things: 1) It will most likely contain sugar 2) It will be awesome I have had their hot chocolate once, and it was very nice - I wish I could make one as good at home. I have also tried their iced chocolate, which was just as good. Service is ok and staff are generally attentive, with not too long a wait for what you ordered. It is nice to sit out in the sun at McLaren Vale on a nice day. Bracegirdles is also a very nice location on the main street which provides a good view too. I really probably shouldn't come here too often for my health but the heart wants what the heart wants (even if what the heart wants is bad for the heart).

The amazing hot chocolate is saving this from a 2 star review…read more I went for a friends birthday breakfast on a summer morning so it was quite hot outside. I was the first to arrive and was directed to an outdoor table by a friendly waitress and was given menus and upon request table water. The birthday girl and the rest of the group arrived and she wanted to sit inside with the aircon. This time an older, very grumpy looking waitress came out and didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance at us wanting to move tables. We went inside and she angrily dragged tables around as loudly as physically possible and threw the chairs in the general direction of the table and stormed off. We were shocked but just ignored it and sat down. We waited about 10 minutes but she didn't go and get our water and menus from outside so I had to do that. There isn't table service so you have to go to the counter and order. I ordered the big breakfast and a hot chocolate. I felt like a coffee but I've been her once before and the coffee was not good. Once again I had to deal with the terrible service from the waitress whilst ordering. She just seemed so angry to be there and made everyone feel very uncomfortable. We were in a large group so with all of us chatting we were being fairly loud. When the waitress came with my hot chocolate I mustn't have heard her the first time because I turned around to her yelling 'HELLOOOO ARE YOU LISTENING?! Here's your drink!' by this point I couldn't help laugh at how unbelievably bad this service was. I wasn't even offended anymore it was just comical. The hot chocolate was divine though. It's just pure melted chocolate, no syrups or powders and you can really taste the difference. I ordered just a basic milk hot chocolate which was quite pricey at $6 but worth it. They had chilli hot chocolate on the menu too and another exotic sounding one. I would have chosen one of those but had heartburn at the time but I'd like to come back and try them. When my breakfast came it was a very generous serving size. It was very average tasting though and far too salty. I was expecting something great for the price so I was disappointed. The homemade baked beans basically just tasted like canned tomatoes which was very disappointing because the Green Room in Willunga has the most amazing homemade ones ever at a cheaper price and I was expecting that sort of standard. Overall I would return for hot chocolate and maybe to try a desert but won't bother for a meal again. Just be prepared for terrible service and avoid the middle aged blonde woman if possible.

Three cheers for Three Monkeys…read more Under the relatively new helm of Frieda (ex Flying Fish at Pt Elliot way back and now embarking on her own business) Three Monkeys has crossed the cafe divide from ho hum to well worth a visit. On a holiday Monday recently, Three Monkeys was brimming with other holiday makers lunching on their very simple but scrumptious gourmet items. The menu is based on local produce - and why wouldn't you be with McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu on your doorstep - and all freshly cooked. This quaint and quirky cottage has limited seating inside but a lovely outdoor area seating probably about 20 out back. There is also a delicatessen specialising in a very thoughtful and extensive range of cheeses and gourmet produce. Fantastic coffee also. I have my sights set on a weekend in Willunga soon to revel in this gorgeous town's over abundance of eateries. Friday night - Russell's Pizza, Sat morning Willunga Organic Market, Sat arvo drop into Three Monkeys for a delectable coffee and cake and pick up tasting plate supplies for a night in with a good drop of local Cab Sav by the fireside of a cute B & B (or a booking at Fino if I can't be bothered cooking) and finally breakfast Sunday am at the Green Room on High Street. Drive back along Aldinga Beach via the Victory Hotel at Sellicks and I have a weekend made in heaven!! Willunga in my opinion now beats McLaren Vale for a foodie weekend (excluding of course the legendary wine appeal of McLaren Vale)!

No really, I wasn't that hungry when I walked in here. And…read morethen I saw the cabinet of cheese, glacé cumquats and deli meats all from the Fleurieu in the cabinet. Then I read the menu (luckily breakfast finishes at 12pm otherwise I would have totally doubled up on my egg allocation for the day). And then the waitress apologised for serving a double shot of coffee to the customer, because that's how she always did it. And I knew my sensible eating plan for the day wasn't going to work. So instead of the planned "I'll just have some cheese and crackers," coming out of my mouth, I uncontrollably asked if I "could have the quinoa and carrot salad with fetta and flatbread please?" Before it arrived, I had talked myself into "just eating half of the salad and having the other half for dinner." And then I began to shovel piled forks of carrot and quinoa salad with dates and a white bean puree into my mouth and before I knew it, there was no doggy bag required. Even better was that they had run out of flatbread and so served me a couple of slices of their tomato polenta bread. It is now official, they should charge more than $13 for the salad and then ALWAYS serve this warmed and crispy with it in the future. Do not be fooled by the few seats inside and out the front, they have a lovely garden area out back for you to dine in with friends. This place would be delightful on a sunny autumn day or cold winter's morning and is one for the "bookmark" list of places to eat in Willunga.

We stopped in for lunch as a part of a wine tasting tour. While it doesn't look like much from the…read moreoutside it is very welcoming once you walk through the front door. While it is pretty casual inside the food is much more than you might expect from what looks like a shack on the beach. We enjoyed the fish of the day, grilled served with a few chips and salad. We also shared a tomato salad entree and some bread. Food was fresh, high quality and perfectly prepared. Portions were very reasonable - this is not a place where you need to order an appetizer instead of a main course to avoid over eating. Service was very warm and welcoming and you just can't beat the view. If you want to eat inside away from the heat, advance reservations are essential. Recommended.

The white building on the top of the cliff, known to us all as the Star of Greece…read more The Star of Greece is famed for its' view of the ocean, being perched right on the cliffs above Port Willunga Beach. It is also famous for its' seafood, and seasonal, local produce driven food and wine menu. Recently, the Star had a makeover which has resulted in even better views of the ocean from every table, and a contemporary, bright feel. Local art adds colour. Before perusing the Autumn menu, we opt for a glass of bubbles out on the deck, which you can also book to dine upon. Service is friendly, chatty but not obtrusive. We are kept informed and engaged in chat when there was a bit of a delay for our mains to come out, which was good customer service. Tables are set classically with white cloths, and a little bit of nature in the form of a potted succulent. Nice glassware for sparkling, whites and reds is offered. Chef sends with his compliments an amuse bouche of tiny smoked potato cubes, smoked mascarpone, and a lightly spiced potato crisp. A little mouthful of heaven smoky, crunchy, potato still al dente with bite, and not over seasoned with salt. Crumbed croquettes of 'brandade' or salt cod are served with fresh crab meat, potato mousse, smoked roe and sprinkled with spiced powders ($18). My MIL loved it! Mr Wino's special of the day ($16) was white anchovies presented in their own tin, with a garlic mayo and toasts. Gone in mere seconds! Pumpkin tofu ($16) is not a 'true' tofu as there is no soy in it. In fact, this is far better! You can taste the pure flavour of every ingredient. The tofu is silken and wobbling and rich with pure, savoury pumpkin flavour. Seed crisp is crunchy and studded with roasted pepitas. Savoury Japanese pumpkin is also served roasted over coals, with just a hint of sweetness. MIL opts for the Star of Greece classic, Kangaroo Island battered whiting, chunky hand cut chips, watermelon salad and sauce gribiche ($33). Pretty in pink, my house made fettuccine is stained with an earthy but not overly flavoursome pink beetroot sauce, sprinkled with toasted walnuts and adorned with a slice of heirloom yellow beetroot ($29). As pretty as it was, it was a little cold, and while I polished off the lot it wasn't as flavoursome as my pumpkin starter. Glorious greens. For an extra vitamin boost we also have a serving of the seasonal veggies, with truffle oil and roasted walnuts ($10), which is perfectly cooked, glossy and fragrant from the truffle oil. We were all happy to eat our greens! Afterwards or before, the beach beckons. A stroll along the orange cliffs with sand beneath your toes is very good for the soul, and for digestion!