Bloody Marys and a perfect omelette at Swallow Bar

Positioned along the brunch central hub that is Whatley Crescent in Maylands, Swallow Bar is a small hole in a wall that you might miss and walk straight past during the day. By night it's the local bar with a thoughtful selection of drinks, great music and delicious food using local produce. But recently they've launched Sunday brunches, opening their doors to passersby with a simple and yet delicious sounding menu. 

I was recently invited to come down and try out their new meal offering, which I was excited to accept. Bringing my partner Jeremy with me, we rocked up just after they'd opened at 11am with rumbling tummies. 

We made our way through the narrow restaurant after chatting to the friendly staff, taking a seat at our reserved table in the back area. It's a gorgeous and intimate spot, with sunshine beaming down and the steady rhythm of music washing over us. 

While were given menus to look at, we were quick to accept the team there's offer to just bring us out some of the brunch highlights they wanted us to try. I love having the hard work of choosing my dish taken out of the picture so I was easily agreeable - it's nice to be surprised, and to also sometimes get to try dishes you wouldn't normally order. 

With our food in preparation, our appetites were kickstarted with a Bloody Mary ($16.00) each - Belvedere ‘Bloody Mary’ infused vodka with seasoned tomato juice, lemon and rosemary salt.

YUM. There's something really phenomenal about a great Bloody Mary and I have to say this was up here for me. It had the perfect balance of sweet and savoury, with the flavoured salt bringing bursts of life into each sip. This is the kind of cocktail you can definitely excuse yourself for indulging in over and over again.

As though the team at Swallow Bar read my mind, the first of our breakfast dishes that came out was the Captain's Cure Ocean Trout ($24.00). This would have easily been my go to if I were to choose, so my eyes practically jumped out of my head when I saw it. Yes... I do get really excited by my food.

Beautifully plump potato rostis sat on the plate, topped with horseradish creme, trout and herb salad. Normally this dish is a serving of 3 but since Jeremy and I were sharing they reduced it down to 2 to allow us to get through multiple dishes.

The rostis were crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. I really enjoyed the fatty and soft layers of fish that were complimented by the vibrant toppings of red onion, dill and parsley. So mouthwateringly good!

Our second dish is elegantly called 'The Elizabeth David' ($18.00) after the British chef who published a book called 'An omelette and a glass of wine'. I love the idea of a truly simplistic but perfectly executed omelette - a dish where the humble egg is celebrated and left to shine like the star it can be.

Swallow Bar's omelette was piping hot when it arrived in front of us, folded with Gruyère cheese and sweet onions. There were two homely slices of fresh bread on the side drizzled with olive oil and a crunchy lettuce salad. It was a disarmingly basic dish - and yet it was so much more as we dove into it.

The omelette was melt-in-your-mouth good. The cheese inside had melted to create a gooey but decadent dish - and I can easily say I don't think I've ever had an omelette better.

Though our stomachs were starting to protest a little, there was just enough room for one more dish to share between us - the Pancakes Amandine ($18.00). Described as a little stack of pancakes with almond filling, strawberry and maple these looked pretty as a picture when they were placed down in front of us.

I'm not going to lie... finding great pancakes isn't easy. They're usually not fluffy enough, often overly sweet and so laden with toppings that the actual favour is disguised. I wasn't sure how Swallow Bar's offering would pan out - especially when I saw the generous lug of maple syrup surrounding them and tumbling of fruit on top.

But the taste test was definitely what counted, and so we both dived in with gusto. The pancakes were so soft inside, and while there was sweetness in the toppings, the almond filling had a lovely savouriness that countered each bite. I just loved how different this was to other pancake dishes I've tried - and can say this was the dish of the day for both Jeremy and I!

I definitely recommend that the next time you're looking for a new brunch spot on a Sunday, give Swallow Bar a go. They have a simple offering but I can happily say that it is all so perfectly executed - great food, great service and great vibe. A big thank you to the team at Swallow for inviting us down and treating us to such a lovely meal.