Hothouse Cafe

Location: 46 Adventure Bay Road, Bruny Island

Phone: (03) 6293 1131

Website: Hot house cafe

Opening hours: Open from 10am all day breakfast, lunch, and dinner 

Kids menu: No
Adult menu: Lunch menu: damper, picnic platters, beef burger, lavishes, foccacias, home made steak and guinness pie, and sandwiches.  Fully licensed, and excellent coffee.
Prices: Starting at $5.50 for sandwiches, up to $28 for the picnic.

Mumma Review:

Last long weekend we took a little family day trip down to Bruny Island.  It was a great day out.  Our toddler loved the boat trip over, especially since the Hobart Regatta was on, which meant there was no shortage of boats out on the water.

We drove towards Adventure Bay and paid a visit to the Bruny Island Fudge factory outlet in the "Hiba" gardens then popped across the road to the Hothouse Cafe for lunch.  Hubby and I had been there for dinner a few years back when we were staying the weekend at the property "Morella" on which the Hothouse is situated.  We absolutely loved the dinner we were served back then and have often tried to reproduce the pork dish we had there in our kitchen at home!

I was hoping for a nice meal today, but I didn't remember the place being particularly child friendly last time we were here (as if I would have, I didn't have children then!) so I was pleasantly suprised to discover that it is!  A highchair, nappy change facilities, and most importantly a huge basket of lego which was spotted early on by bubba.

The cafe is set in a former hot house, with a gravel floor and garden furniture, in a beautiful garden setting with stunning views across the neck back towards Mt Wellington.  There is a lovely outdoor dining area, and a grassy patch which is just perfect for lazing about on a sunny day.  The warm sunny weather, and the lovely garden setting instantly made be dream of a nice cold pinot gris.... but I decided to be a good pregnant mumma and opted for a strawberry milkshake made with fresh local strawberries instead. Yum!

There is no kids menu, so bubba picked at our meals, but mostly filled his tummy up with my milkshake!  For lunch hubby had a beef and guinness pie which he thoroughly enjoyed.  I opted for the beef burger, and while the chips and salad in the bun were good the actual burger was not really a formed burger and tasted a bit much like lasagne mince for my liking, so I was a little disappointed given my high expectations after our last delicious meal there.

On a more positive note I have to mention the service here.  The Hothouse is a family run cafe, and Michael who runs the front of house will literally run between tables and kitchen to ensure you are served as promptly as possible, while still managing to fit in a friendly chat, and maintain a relaxed vibe as though there is no rush in the world.  You certainly feel well looked after when you eat here.

After lunch we made the short drive down the road to the beach for a stroll and a swim in the sparkling blue waters of Adventure Bay.  The water looked so beautiful today, you could have been forgiven for thinking you were on a tropical island...until the swimming bit.  Refreshing!!

Love Mumma Kel x