After a casual stroll around Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, a few days earlier, where we discovered the town’s only waterfront dining option, we stopped by Sails on the Lake for breakfast on a beautiful Sunday morning, ready to relax and enjoy the view. And relax we did.
Steaming hot lattes while soaking up the morning sunshine on deck were followed by Chunky Corn Fritters topped with Tomato Salsa and Avocado (Susie), and Eggs Florentine with Smoked Salmon (Wayne). Two traditional dishes but ones we thoroughly enjoyed and were served to perfection. Good serving sizes and reasonable prices, neither of us left hungry afterwards, and indeed only left because the deck quickly filled up with other guests keen to enjoy a late brekky.
Not only does Sails serve all-day breakfast, however; they also offer delightful house-made cakes and light lunch meals, complemented by a cold beer, wine or a cup of their famous “Genovese” coffee.
While we were happy sitting outside enjoying the view, the function room leading out to the deck is very popular for business lunches, functions, weddings, and birthdays, catering for small parties of 50, dinner for up to 140, or even up to 200 in an informal setting. It is also a gathering place for members of the adjoining Ballarat Yacht Club. Established in 1877, the Club is Australia’s oldest inland sailing club, and we loved seeing so many people of all ages out enjoying the calm water. If you do visit, take a moment to appreciate the fact that only 3 years ago (from 2006 – 2011) the Lake was dry. You can see photos of this sad time on the wall inside Sails. The name Lake Wendouree comes from a local aboriginal word wendaaree which means “go away”. Starting out initially as a swamp, it was dammed following the gold rush in 1851 and since the 1860s has been a popular recreational lake for local townspeople. The Lake now holds significant historical, environmental and recreational values to the community, having hosted the rowing and canoeing events during the 1956 Olympic Games.
See their full Lunch and Dinner menu at http://www.ballarat.com/sails/pdfs/SailsCafejan2013.pdf.