BELLE FLEUR CAFE - Glenhaven

Belle Fleur Cafe is a light, airy lunchspot within the popular Flower Power nursery at Glenhaven. On entering the nursery, you find yourself in the homewares shop and after wandering through, imagining each piece in your home, you are led gently down a ramp lined with water features. The sound of trickling water is mesmerising and as you arrive at the statue with two water urns running over, you realise you have arrived at Cafe Belle Fleur! What a nice surprise. I have visited Belle Fleur before, and the first thing I notice this visit is that it is a little bit "tired" looking and in need of a quick spit and polish. Undeterred, we are led into the cafe and happily find that our table looks directly over the man-made lake. My eyes are drawn immediately to the huge weeping willow shading the glassy water, the rocky island in the middle with the water spout keeping the water moving. The huge windows open onto the lake, which in summer is lovely . Each table today is full, and the play area is humming with activity! The idea is inspired, a calming view for harried parents trying to enjoy their meal, a fully enclosed play area with slippery dips and climbing equipment in the corner to keep the kids occupied, all housed in a pleasant, open and light room with high ceilings with a casual air. Pots line the restaurant, and plants wind their way up the beams to the ceiling, and a stray family of sparrows have flown in the open window and are perched amongst the greenery above us (Poo alert!). Now, on to the menu. As usual, I was dining with my son, so the kids menu was perused for something suitable. There was fish and chips, mini burger on turkish bread, "gingerbread man" sandwiches, to name a few, but we settled on a grilled chicken pita pocket with salad and a scrumptious garlic mayonaise. All were $7.50. The cafe is open 7 days, and the breakfast menu is available until 11.30. As it was nearing 2pm, we were well and truly into the substantial lunch menu. I had trouble deciding between a few dishes in particular, the wagyu beef and mushroom pie with mash, the pumpkin, lentil burger with chilli jam and capsicum, morrocan chicken but I finally settled on the crispy pork belly with asian greens and water chestnuts and chilli jam. I have to admit, I couldn't eat the three slabs of pork belly, two would have been elegantly sufficient. As a treat, I also had a fresh fruit frappe which tasted mostly of strawberry...it was delicious! Of course many come for a quick afternoon tea and cake or scones. I saw many mouth watering styles passing my table, but after our meals we didn't have room. In any case, there are many ways to enjoy this space....a full blown meal, or a quick cup of tea and a play. We decided to continue our time here by following the path around the lake, enjoying the quiet, marvelling at the size of the carp, and then ending up in the retail nursery where my 4 year old picked up some seedlings of broccoli and strawberries for our wine-barrel planters at home. Another foodie on the make!
Belle Fleur can be found at 609 Old Northern Road, Glenhaven. and is open 7 days a week.