Regulars to Daylesford, we hadn’t been up to Wombat Hill House which is connected to the Lake House – one of our all-time favourites.

It was incredibly cold on the Hill today so the stroll from the car to the café was both beautiful and brisk. To our surprise the café was almost full and we struggled to get a table for two, eventually moving from some inside bench seats to a table. Even more surprising was the number of people braving the plastic enclosed alfresco area that only had a few heaters.

We were excited for our high tea later on in some historic buidlings in Hepburn Springs so today was all about a snack for sustenance in the meantime. We shared a croque monsieur. Amazingly, even in Paris there are disappointing versions of this French classic, so we are always hesitant.

This time it was not warranted, as the croque was excellent. Beautiful bread, smothered in Gruyere cheese and ham, and a side salad that was not just a garnish, but actually broke through the richness of the sandwich.

With a good selection of dishes to choose between, and fairly good coffee, we’ll definitely come back to Wombat Hill for a more substantial meal.