Cafe Bonython at Bonython Park on Adelaide’s City Fringe | Review
This laidback, riverside spot is a hit for ice cream, coffee and light fare, including hot breakfasts and is open 7 days a week.
by Carla Caruso
The kiosk at Bonython Park/Tulya Wardli in Adelaide reopened in April 2021 after seven years and sweet tooths are in for a treat.
Mother-of-five Carolyn, behind Café Bonython, is a baker and cake decorator by trade. Previously, she had cake shops in Sydney. As well as serving up cupcakes and lolly cones in-store, customers can order celebration and wedding cakes. (The latter can be delivered.)
“I’m relying on the cake business to keep the café alive [during the notoriously quieter, cooler months],” Carolyn says. “I do the decorating out the back.”
Café Bonython also runs cake decorating classes and can cater for kids’ birthday parties.
Also available at the cafe is takeaway high tea, picnic hampers, and strawberry bouquets.
‘Freak shakes’ are another specialty patrons can enjoy. Carolyn says: “We’ve got a Paw Patrol one, a mermaid one, Cookie Monster, Candy Delight, and we do a specialty one each month. Currently, we’re doing Blue Moon.”
Prefer something savoury? The chef on-site can serve up breakfast, brunch, lunch and snack options too, with a focus on South Aussie ingredients.
Carolyn adds:
“The café’s fully enclosed and we’re just putting in heating at the moment. When it’s warmer, we’ve had the umbrellas out and put picnic benches all around. During the summer months, our ambition is to open all the daylight hours. We have a pending liquor licence application [too].”
Cafe Bonython Drive Through Service
If you’re wanting take away and not wanting to get out of the car (children sleeping, raining outside, still in your pj’s desperate for coffee etc.) then this is for you.
- Call 0492 280 831
- Place your order.
- Be given a number and a time to collect.
- A lovely staff member will meet you in the loading zone next to the cafe and deliver your hot coffee and you can swipe your card on their portable eftpos if you don’t want to use cash.
The café is conveniently located next to the Bonython Park Playspace. Plus, the SAPOL Road Safety Centre mock roadway is mere metres away, so don’t forget your kids’ bikes or scooters. It’s also an easy bike ride from the city along the Linear Park Trail.
As Carolyn says, the spot’s scenery is “remarkable”.
“We have pelicans on the river, the ducks … the mounted police from the Thebarton Barracks even bring their horses through. It’s just lovely.”
As well, the café’s near the iconic Bunyip Trail. Kids can read The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek story as they walk the trail and participate in activities.
Head to Café Bonython, seven days a week, from 10am to 4pm (albeit 9am, Sundays) – and make a day of it!
What we like about it:
- Reliving childhood memories with our own kids at this iconic spot.
- Convenient, free parking, and public toilets.
- Close to the CBD.
- The cafe’s conveniently open seven days a week.
- You can turn a visit into quite the outing, with the playspace, SAPOL Road Safety Centre, police horses, and waterways within walking distance.
Things to consider:
- While at Bonython Park/Tulya Wardli, ensure you keep an eye on little tackers near the model boat pond and River Torrens. A change of kids’ clothes may be necessary!
- There are warning signs not to approach, feed or pat the horses at the nearby police barracks as they may bite.
- Be patient with food orders at the cafe. You can expect delays when the kitchen is at capacity. And as it says on its Facebook page: “SAPOL and hospital staff get bumped up to get back to their jobs and we make no apology for this courtesy to them.”
Location:
Read more of Carla’s reviews for Play & Go
Click here for all the Best Playgrounds for Toddlers
See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide
For more information on the cafe, please visit the Cafe Bonython Facebook page.
What: Cafe Bonython – Review
When: The cafe’s open seven days a week, from 10am to 4pm (albeit 9am Sundays).
Where: Bonython Park/Tulya Wardli, Port Road | Adelaide
Who: Everyone
All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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