The vine covered Carmel Tea Rooms, is found at Cosham Winery, in the lush Bickley Valley. The new spot caught my eye on social media, thanks to its vibrant rooster logo and cheffy plating of its brunch dishes. I’ll take any excuse to head up the hill, and checking out the quaint café was the perfect reason.
My “good feeling” about Carmel Tea Rooms was validated by a full deck of people enjoying brunch, as well as coffee and cake. The elevated spot enjoys sweeping views over horse paddocks and vineyards. It has big country vibes, only 35 minutes’ drive from the heart of Peth’s CBD.
Coffee at Carmel Tea Rooms is a smooth Crema roast, there are quality loose-leaf teas available too. The menu is small, but there are some tasty dishes to choose from, as well as GF, vego and vegan options.
Carmel Tea Rooms – The Food
The smashed avo is a bit spech here. The avocado is home grown by the Carmel Tea Rooms, and moosh-ed into whole grain toast (in my case GF toast). Topped with two gloriously runny free-range poached eggs, purslane greens, tahini dressing and a generous sprinkle of dukka. And just WHAT are purslane greens I hear you ask? Well, apart from being a pretty garnish, this member of the succulent family is highly nutritious and loaded with antioxidants, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and more vitamin A than any other green leafy plant. It adds a good crunch to the dish too.
The salmon scramble is a big hit too. The scrambled eggs are served on sourdough bread, layered with lashings of lemon herbed cream cheese, seasonal leaves and smoked salmon. I love the pretty fennel flower garnish on this.
If you’re a fan of a big brekkie, the “full vineyard” is a plate chock-full of crisp bacon, chipolatas, two eggs (cooked how you like), grilled roma tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato jam and sourdough.
We were well and truly stuffed after that, so we took a few takeaway cakes home. A GF chocolate, almond and Baileys slice, as well as this key lime pie – yum!
As well as brekkie and cake, there’s a tasty looking lunch menu, mainly featuring grazing platters, to accompany the Cosham wines. You can try these at the cellar door at the cafe.
You’ll get a warm Perth Hills welcome at Carmel Tea Rooms. The service was so friendly, the food delicious and it’s in a stunner of a setting. Be sure to drop by and check it out. I know I’ll be heading back!
Find out more on their Facebook page.
Open between 8am and 5pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.