Studley Park Boathouse, Kew

8/14/2016 brunch , kew , lunch/dinner 0 Comments

Studley Park Boathouse Cafe is as the name suggests, located in the Studley Park area and overlooking the Yarra River. A great place for a weekend brunch or afternoon tea session, particularly when the weather starts to warm up again.

There's seating both inside and out at the cafe, and the outside area is sectioned off into two; a shaded deck area for warmth with heaters around, and the patio style seating outside with large umbrellas. We chose to sit in the heated outside section which gave us a really great view of the park, but ensured we didn't freeze in the chilly weather! The use of pink and green pastel colours made for a very homey, holiday style decor, and together with the scenic view made for a really relaxing atmosphere. The staff were extremely friendly and attentive, with good service and not too long of a wait for food.


The menu seems to be Italian inspired, with a range of pizzas and pastas as well as mains. We decided to go with the soup of the day ($12.50), a tiger prawn pasta dish ($26), the pasta of the day ($24) and a trio of dips to share ($10.50). My friend also got a hot chocolate drink ($4.80), which was quite milky and not as sweet, but perfect for warming you up in this cold weather.


The trio of dips consisted of hummus, tzatziki and beetroot & feta, and was served with warm grilled pita bread. The bread was extremely soft, with a slightly smokey flavour that contrasted really nicely with the grainy dips. My favourite would probably have to be the beetroot and feta dip, which had a sweet, nutty flavour that mixed well with the salty feta for a delicious entree dish.


The soup of the day was a parsnip and swede; a really hearty dish that is great for this wintery weather. The soup was quite sweet with chunky bits, which was balanced out nicely by the celery. The consistency of the soup was just the right thickness and not too watery, and was served with two slices of grilled bread to make it more filling.

The tiger prawn fettucine was served with cherry tomatoes, parsley, chilli and lemon. The prawns were succulent and had great elasticity, and the pasta had a subtle chilli taste to it which added that extra hit to it. The dish was quite light overall; it didn't have a creamy or tomato based sauce, but the mixture of the tomatoes and spinach still made for an enjoyable yet filling dish.


The pasta of the day was linguine tossed with cherry tomatoes, smoked salmon and a saffron cream. Unlike the fettucine, this was a creamy dish; the portion didn't look very large but because of the creaminess, it turned out to be just the right amount. The smoked salmon flavour came through nicely, and the salmon itself was soft and tender. The cherry tomatoes were extremely juicy and added acidity to the dish, though I couldn't quite taste the saffron cream, as it is quite light and perhaps it was overpowered by the other stronger flavours of the dish.

We also got a dessert to share, the chocolate decadence ($10.90), which was a chocolate souffle-esque dish served with cream on the side. The souffle had a rich, dark chocolate sauce that oozed out when you cut into, that contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the cake itself.


Overall, this was a really enjoyable experience, though the food here is a little pricier than some of the other places I blog about. If the weather was warmer (and not as rainy like when we went), it would have made for an even better experience, worth a visit on a weekend to get out and about for a walk in Studley Park before a bite or two!

Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Food: 8/10
Price: $$$

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