10581a West Swan Road, Henley Brook
Ph: (08) 9296 2604
www.rustiqueswanvalley.com.au
Picturesque in the Valley
It was almost the end of winter. The rosemary bushes buzzed with bees as the loquat trees dripped with fruit. Snowdrops bloomed beneath the sunny sky with fluffy white clouds – it looked as if it was already a beautiful spring day at Rustique Swan Valley. As it was too nice a day to be sitting inside, we found a warm spot in the garden beneath the grapevines.
We started off with Rustique’s signature dish – the Ultimate Rustique Platter – abundant with a great selection of finger food including pork belly, grilled marinated prawns, crumbed fish, spicy cumin chicken wings, tender-crumbedcalamari rings with zingy mustard aioli, sweet crunchy apple slaw, and several slices of tasty olive sourdough bread from a nearby local bakery. Thiswould make a hearty lunch for two people, or a great starter for a group of three or four.
Then out came the Grilled WA Barramundi served on a bed of creamy mash potato, along with fresh bok choy and broccoli, and topped with a lovely hollandaise sauce. The fish was tender and very tasty and well-matched with the 2017 Windy Creek Sauvignon Blanc, which I particularly enjoyed.
Our final dish was the Lamb Shank, slow cooked to perfection with more of that yummy creamy mash and greens, floating in a delicious gravy flavoured with rosemary. The lamb was succulent and practically fell off the bone, and the dish went well with the smooth, well-rounded flavour of the 2016 Garbin Estate Cabernet Merlot.
Rustique is following the late breakfast trend in the Swan Valley finishing at a respectable 11.30am. Fun offerings include Honey I’m Home Pancakes, a poached egg dish called Hot Like a Sunrise and It’s a Wrap. The breakfast menu also includes a crowd-pleasing Smashed Avo and Rosti, while 5 Senses coffee keeps the caffeine addicts satiated.
The venue was previously known as Madhatters on Milston. Tanya Wishart and Graham Buck took it over
and renamed it Rustique in December 2017. Its their first foray into hospitality and judging by the crowd enjoying their lunch both inside the restaurant and out in the garden, the venture seems to be going really well for them. It has a very comfortable homely feeling – like a big country farmhouse, with a lovely big garden area behind the building which serves well for weddings and other functions. The big open space called the Glade is perfect for weddings, marquees, markets, concerts, outdoor cinemas and corporate events.
They are starting to put on some live entertainment with local musicians and have also started running a drag show night on the third Thursday of every month, which is proving to be very popular.
Chef Dave Cullen has made provision for vegan and gluten-free diners, including gluten-free sourdough bread from a local baker. There are plenty of local brews on tap as well as a selection of Swan Valley wines. They even do a tasting paddle of the local wines, so you can try a selection. We didn’t try their pizza, but it smelled wonderful. There was a nearby group of young mums with their kids enjoying the pizza in the sunshine.
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