In mid-August, News journalists Djembe Archibald and Nicola Ceccato were guests of the Campaspe Shire Council.
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They had the opportunity to explore the towns of Echuca, Rochester and Kyabram over one action-packed weekend.
As is true of any trip, food was one of the many highlights. Here’s what they had to say about the food joints they dined in.
The Mill, 2 Nish St
The name should be no surprise, seeing as the building formerly hosted Echuca’s flour mill from 1881.
As soon as we walked in, you could see that the architecture remained the same, with preserved and restored red brick and timber creating a rustic feel.
This was further complimented by a chandelier in the middle of the dining area.
In terms of food, we had a starter of tandoori cauliflower, which had a bit of kick to it, but it was well-balanced with the mint sauce drizzled on top.
For mains, we ordered the sweet potato gnocchi and the salmon puttanesca with potato dumplings.
The sweet potato gnocchi was delicious, and each piece was big enough to really taste the sweet potato.
The salmon was well cooked with a crispy skin and paired well with the sauce, which had a lovely seasoned taste.
The drinks were fun, and the service was absolutely incredible, even when the staff had to wait on us to order as we talked too much.
The Wren Courtyard, 591 High St
The Wren Courtyard is a charming double-story café in the heart of Echuca.
Walking in, we could smell fresh coffee and hear the laughing chatter of the locals already enjoying their breakfast.
We were situated upstairs, with a beautiful view overlooking the town. In terms of decor, the café had a homely feel, with colourful walls and art placed around the sides of the room.
Although it’s not the first thing we tend to look for in a café, the crockery and ceramics were lovely and the place just had a good vibe to it as we enjoyed our morning conversations.
The food here was wonderful.
We ordered chilli scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and corn fritters with a poached egg and herbed yoghurt, with a good coffee to swallow it all down — it was the perfect way to start the morning.
Each plate was carefully curated with different tastes that blended well together.
Opa, 554 High St
Opa was also in the heart of Echuca, with strong Greek-style architecture and imagery, including olive branches on the signage outside and drawings of statues on tables inside.
The dark blue painting was also in line with the restaurant’s Greek theme, but what stood out to us as we walked in was the neon sign reading ‘It’s all Greek to me’.
The all-white tables, chairs and cloths gave the inside decor a high-class feel, while the upstairs dining area with a beautiful open view of the town is a must-see.
Both of us are big fans of Greek food, and this place definitely lived up to our standards. With Opa’s slogan being ‘Eat like a Greek’, we most certainly did just that.
This would be the perfect place to go if you want to share meals. We started the night with pita and a trio of dips, which included tzatziki, hummus and tyrokafteri.
For mains, we got chicken and lamb strap skewers on a Cypriot burghul tabouli salad with a saganaki and Yia Yia’s chips on the side.
Johnny & Lyle, 433 High St
This is one of the more popular places to go for a Sunday breakfast, and it was packed when we went.
The staff members were wonderful despite the busy state of the café, and we were able to get a nice seat outside in the sun near the courtyard, which runs down the side of the café.
The service was streamlined thanks to a clever set-up that allowed customers to order from outside the café through a window, as well as inside, with a sufficient amount of waiting area available.
The coffee was standard but just what you need on an early Sunday morning; however, the decaf coffee was an acquired taste.
The star of the show was definitely the salmon and cream cheese bagel, which was not only nice and warm on a chilly morning but did not hold back on the salmon, which was definitely appreciated.
The breakfast burger was hearty and had a good mix of flavours, setting us up for another day of exploring the region.
On our way out, we grabbed another coffee as we hit the road to explore, but to hear more about that, you’ll have to read next Friday’s article.