Opening night at Little Vines

I should start this post by admitting that I love pretty much everything about the town of Guildford. There’s something about the place that makes it feel like it’s straight out of a book or movie set. The old cottages and rambling gardens are enough to put anyone in a good mood. I hope all of this hasn’t biased my opinion, because my first impressions of this new addition are bordering on smitten.

Little Vines is the new evening extension of Little Guildford, a small cafe on one of the prettiest streets in the town. I had seen them mention, on Instagram, this upcoming new area “out the back” and was already intrigued by the idea, so when I saw the post that they were opening for their first night I thought it would be worth the drive. I was not disappointed.

Past the cafe’s normal entrance you’ll find an alleyway leading to the back of the old building. At the end you are greeted by a lush garden and deck draped in lights and vines, under which lies an eclectic mix of furniture and rustic decor. Given the time I’ve spent in some of Guildford’s retro and antique shops, I’m assuming this is isn’t decor done up to look rustic; it’s the real deal.

Being their first night the menu was limited to 5 dishes, but they all sounded good, and the bar options were extensive for such a small venue. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I like a place with a good variety of drinks to choose from, be it alcoholic or otherwise, so when I saw Matso’s ginger beer on the menu I was already happy. I don’t drink beer or wine, and a good cider is hard to come by, so ginger beer has become my go-to drink of the summer.  My husband opted for one of the tap beers suggested by the staff, which he assures me was also good.

For food, we went for the grazing board and the arancini. The grazing board is one of the better ones I’ve had. We especially liked the parfait paired with pickles and well charred bread. And you can’t really go wrong with arancini.

I’m definitely keen to try more of the menu soon, but the biggest draw of this place for me is definitely the venue itself. Food of course is the most important part of an eating establishment, but the dining experience as a whole is something that’s often underrated. Sitting under that canopy of vines with a good drink, good music and good service (and amazing weather as luck would have it) was something I haven’t experienced at many Perth venues, and we both struggled to think of somewhere else to compare it to. (If you can think of somewhere, please let me know in the comments because I’d love to try it out.)

Long story short, we had a really nice time and I’m so glad we took the opportunity to check out the place. Very excited to see what they will do in the future.