The House of Donkey is located on the less popular western side of the city, in a double storey cream coloured townhouse. While everything looks normal from the outside, the inside is a hippy like time warp back to the 60’s. The decor is a mismatch of furniture, flowers, bookshelves, palettes, pot plants and knick knacks. There are more tables right next to the kitchen in the centre of the building, and then at the back, there is a little outdoor garden oasis.

This place is a cafe, but also serves up wholesome vegetarian food. The menu is simple and written on a chalk board on a side wall. Seasonal produce dictates what is actually served and the offerings change monthly. For me, I get hungry quite easily if there isn’t enough protein (meat) in my meal, so to actually come to a vegetarian place was a big step for me.

Today, I ordered the Frangipani Burger. The meal took a good 25 minutes to come out, which is a tad longer than I had expected. The presentation was good, although I must admit, this is the complete opposite to fine dining, so I had little to no expectations when coming here. The pumpkin and chickpea patty was the star of the show and tasted really good. The patty was nice and thick, and full of flavour. I could detect hints of ginger and curry powder in the patty, and combined with the house made chutney, gave the burger good balance. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the bread roll turned burger bun was sharp and spongy.

The staff here are ever so friendly, although I did notice other staff members wandering in and out aimlessly. Tully, one of the new owners, gave me a run down of the history of the business and I appreciated the fact that she did that. The service was a bit slow but I’m guessing it’s just the new owners finding their feet. The atmosphere was relaxed, although someone dressed more formally could easily feel out of place here. The pricing is reasonable and my meal was surprisingly good.

It’s a quirky little place in a not so popular part of town, serving delicious home cooked vegetarian meals. Come here for the food, if not for the experience.

WHERE: 188 Sturt St, Adelaide