Think the Swan Valley is just for wine tasting and brewery hopping? Think again. Just a 30-minute drive from the city, this delicious pocket of Perth dishes up mornings worth getting out of bed for.
Before you dive into the wine or beer, I highly recommend fuelling up at one of the Swan Valley's many top-notch brekky spots. Here's where I'd be getting the most important meal of the day.
Taylors In The Valley
510 Great Northern Hwy, Middle Swan WA 6056
I couldn’t write a list of Swan Valley’s best brekky spots without mentioning Taylors In The Valley. A true institution in the area, this family-run cafe and art gallery is a long-standing favourite amongst locals and visitors alike.
Each dish is as Instagram-worthy as the last but don't be fooled—these plates offer more than just a pretty face. Almost everything is free-range, local and organic, with plenty of vegan-, gluten- and dairy-free options available and a big focus on sustainability. Take a seat in the shaded garden and dig into the indulgent white chocolate and pistachio brioche French toast.
Image credit: Taylors In The Valley
Mrs Rabbit Tearooms
8560 W Swan Rd, Henley Brook WA 6055
Mrs Rabbit Tearooms is as special and sweet as the name suggests. I felt like I was walking into a storybook on my first visit to this timeless, cosy cottage, half expecting Peter Rabbit himself to come out from behind the dainty fine china and bunny-themed knick-knacks.
On the menu, there are fresh, fluffy homemade scones smothered in cream, berry jam or lemon curd; hearty sandwiches and toasties if you need something more substantial; and pot after pot of tea in every imaginable flavour, all served in delicate floral china.
Padbury's Cafe
114 Terrace Rd, Guildford WA 6055
I felt like I was intimately acquainted with Padbury's Meringue Munro pancakes before I'd every tried them. This towering stack has been plastered all over the internet: impossibly thick, fluffy pancakes topped with a mountain of meringue, shards of crispy honeycomb, and generous lashings of lemon curd.
I'm pleased to confirm they taste even better than they look. One of Perth’s must-try dishes, these pancakes alone are worth a Swan Valley detour.
INSIDER INTEL
- The sizzling garlic prawns also deserve a spot on your IG feed
Image credit: The Swan Valley via Padbury's Cafe on Instagram
Lavender Bistro
6 Cranleigh St, West Swan WA 6055
Lavender: you either love it or you don’t. If you’re in the former camp, you're in luck. Lavender Bistro is basically a love letter to the fragrant flower. Nestled in the heart of the Swan Valley, this French-inspired café leans into its namesake with lavender-infused ice cream, desserts and drinks.
There's freshly-baked lavender scones, lavender macarons, lavender cheesecake, lavender milkshakes... you get the idea. But don’t worry, not every dish comes with a purple twist. I’ve got to admit, even for a lavender sceptic, this place has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes purple very appealing.
INSIDER INTEL
- On a hot day, the lavender lemonade is a refreshing, fragrant sip worth stopping for
- Pinky fingers up—Lavender Bistro's High Tea is a classy way to sample a bit of everything for arond $40 per person
Image credit: Lavender Bistro
Wild Swan
10 Harris Rd, Caversham WA 6055
You know you’re going to have a great day when it starts with an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast at a winery. Located on the same sprawling site as Mandoon Estate winery, Wild Swan's self-serve breakfast buffet is served daily from 7:30am to 10am. Here you'll find a generous spread of fresh fruit, cheeses, meats, homemade pastries and cereal and all the hot classics like scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and more. And yes, the filtered coffee, tea, and juices are on endless refill—no one leaves hungry (or thirsty) from Wild Swan.
I don’t need to tell you that a wine tasting afterwards is practically mandatory Swan Valley behaviour. With the cellar door opening at 10 am, you can roll straight from coffee into cabernets with zero judgment.
INSIDER INTEL
- Walk-ins are more than welcome for the buffet brekky
- It'll set you back $39 per person
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Maison Saint-Honoré
100 Benara Rd, Caversham WA 6055
Macarons for brekky? Oui, merci! At Maison Saint-Honoré, restraint is not on the menu. This family-run French patisserie brings a little slice of Paris to the Swan Valley with towers of pastel-hued macarons, buttery croissants in every possible form, and crêpes that’ll have you plotting a return visit before you’ve even finished your café au lait.
I always stop in here on my Swan Valley adventures, if only to grab a box of macarons to take home (though if I'm being honest, they almost always disappear by the time I'm back home in Freo).
INSIDER INTEL
- The epic playground will let the kids run off their sugar high
- Not into sweets before noon? The savoury breakfast crêpes are the bomb
Image credit: Maison Saint-Honoré
Yahava KoffeeWorks
4752 W Swan Rd, West Swan WA 6055
When I know a long, boozy winery lunch is on the horizon, breakfast starts to look less like eggs and more like an oat latte. If you’re with me, follow your nose straight to Swan Valley's specialty coffee roasters Yahava KoffeeWorks, where the aroma of freshly roasted coffee hits before you even step inside.
Though there's not a traditional à la carte menu, the café’s cabinet is loaded with all-day goodies for when the hunger strikes: hearty brekky burgers, ham and cheese croissants, and sweet-tooth temptations like cinnamon scrolls and freshly baked muffins. Grab a takeaway for the dream or linger lakeside and soak it all in.
INSIDER INTEL
- Take a seat at the tasting bench for a guided (and highly caffeinated) crash course in coffee
- Keen to elevate your barista skills? The Koffee Academy offers hands-on training sessions to help you perfect your pour
Joey's Diner
766 Great Northern Hwy, Herne Hill WA 6056
Joey's serves nostalgia with a side of chaos and a generous dollop of fun. This Herne Hill hotspot mashes up retro Americana with Swan Valley charm, dishing out everything from double-bacon breakfast paninis to dessert burgers that somehow justify ice cream on a brioche bun. If you’ve ever wanted your fries loaded with more toppings than you can name, this is your scene.
It’s not just about the food, though. The outdoor seating is perfect for people-watching and the play area keeps tiny diners entertained for hours. I'll definitely taking my nephew here to cement my title as favoruite aunty.
Keller’s Farm
104 Victoria Rd, Dayton WA 6055
Fresh air, wide-open spaces and more farm-fresh produce than you can shake a basket at—Keller's Farm is where I go to embrace my inner farmer without getting elbow-deep in mud. Each weekend, the whole fam can come here to feed the cute, cuddly farm animals and stock up on fresh fruit and veg for the week, but it's the baked treats that I look to most.
Breakfast at Keller's could be a freshly baked cinnamon scroll, croissant, pie or quiche alongside some seriously good barista-made coffee.
INSIDER INTEL
- Be sure to grab a loaf of jalapeño sourdough before you leave
Swan Valley Sisters
1715 Gnangara Rd, Henley Brook WA 6055
Tucked at the northern end of the Swan Valley and just a stone’s throw from Edgecombe Winery, Swan Valley Sisters is a cosy café and local produce hub that I can happily spend hours at.
Inside, you’ll find comfy chairs, a help-yourself bookshelf and plenty of sunshine streaming in as you sip on coffee and nibble homemade cakes or indulgent breakfast toasties. The café champions small-scale farmers and sustainable produce, making every bite feel a little bit better for you and the planet.
Come the weekend, the spot transforms into a lively local market. Locals and visitors flock to stock up on organic eggs, fresh bread, honey, olive oil, and a rainbow of fruit and veg grown right on the property.
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Main image credit: Slate Cafe