Modern Italian waterfront restaurant, Café Lago, has a menu that will wow guests.

Located right on the western end of the lake, Café Lago has the perfect view of the waterfront and with wonderful opportunities for lakeside dining, it is hard not to be impressed.

But the views aren’t the only good element that Café Lago has to offer, as they have a wide range of spectacular meals to please guests.

Open for breakfast, Lunch and dinner, you can get everything and eat anytime at Café Lago.

Head Chef, Anthony Watts, loves the idea of fusion food, and wants to experiment with showcasing different aspects of other cultures within the traditional Italian food style.

“It’s all a modern take on Italian food and Italian classics, dabbling with other cultures.

“We will keep some traditional items on the menu but I’m trying to find a right medium and see what the customers respond to with the new menu,” he said.

We were lucky enough to taste Chef Watts’ modern take on Italian fusion food, trying components from both Café Lago’s Brunch and Dinner menus.

The Gluten Free Granola with yogurt panna cotta and fresh berries was beautiful, both in looks and in flavour. The crunchy granola held a hint of cinnamon flavour and paired well with the freshness of the berries and the smooth, cool yogurt panna cotta. The sweet vanilla bean tied well with the tarty and sweet mixed berries, while the nuts in the crunchy granola added nice earthy and savoury components. This healthy meal may make you feel as if you are cheating on your diet because it tastes so good.

The House Made Gnocchi was served with broccoli, peas, chilli and parsley. The meal was beautiful and the appetising look alluded to the delicious food we were about to taste. The Gnocchi was infused with paprika to give it a lovely yellow hue, while adding to the spicy tones of the dish from the fresh chilli. The peas and Broccoli were wonderfully cooked and seasoned and added a fresh and cool component to the meal. The shaved cheese on top also gave a creamy and salty additive that tied the whole dish together.

The Braised Lamb Shoulder was served with zucchini, mint, peas and goats curd. The lamb shoulder was cooked perfectly and paired well with the mint from the fresh leaves and infused dressing. The goats curd was strong in flavour but smooth and creamy, and paired well with the juicy lamb meat and the mint. The zucchini added a crisp freshness to the meaty dish while the crispy and salty skin of the Lamb held a lot of flavour, and added another nice texture to the dish.

The Pork Belly with pumpkin, cucumber, capers, mint and chilli was a lovely Italian and Asian fusion dish. The beautifully cooked pork belly paired well with the pumpkin puree and the fresh, crisp cucumber. The dressing on the salted cucumber salad held a kick of chilli but was lightened by the freshness of the mint leaves. The juicy pork was delicious and the crispy outer skin was crunchy and salty, perfectly balancing all the different textures and flavours.

The Porterhouse was served with fresh mashed polenta, a tomato verde and a pesto sauce. The steak was cooked to request, ours a perfect medium rare, which was beautifully tender and juicy. The meat was paired with a savoury polenta paste mixed with spring onion and drizzled with olive oil. The garlic pesto was the hero of the dish aside from the steak itself, balancing out the strong flavours, while the cherry tomatoes on top, gave the overall dish a nice refreshing pop.

The Panna Cotta dessert was served with an oat crumble and a burnt orange sauce. The beautifully presented dish tasted just as wonderful as it looked. The oat crumble gave off an array of different textures, from the chewy oats, the crunchy seeds and the sweet and smooth white chocolate shards. The burnt orange sauce was lovely and sticky, perfect to scoop up the oat crumble while the smooth and cool panna cotta itself was lovely and creamy, tying the whole dish together. It was a lovely balance of sweetness that wasn’t overpowering, and overall a delicious dish.

The Lagoon Pancakes were served with a peanut brittle ice cream, fresh blueberries and thick maple syrup. The trio of fluffy protein pancakes were delicious and healthy. Before we even tasted, the look and smell alone made our mouths water. The warm cakes were light and sweet, which paired perfectly with the sweet tang of the berries and the coolness of the smooth and creamy ice cream. The balance of all the flavours worked perfectly together, not overly sweet but just sweet enough to make this dish taste like a treat. The drizzle of the thick syrup tied it all together. Another delicious meal.

All the dishes were beautifully presented and were very inviting and deliciously full of flavour that made our mouths sing with every bite.

Another good thing Café Lago has to offer is their dinner menu is available for guests from 11am onwards, so you can try any meal, without having to wait for dinnertime.

Café Lago is open from 8am till 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays; from 8am till late Friday and Saturdays; and from 9am till 4pm on Sundays.

For delicious Italian food with stunning lake views, why not visit Café Lago today? With friendly staff and a wonderful location, you will not be disappointed.

Words by Cyndal King

WHERE: 4/137-139 Brebner Drive, West Lakes