Dining gems in Everton Hills tickle tastebuds

YOU can experience the flavours of Columbia during the day and night at Birds & Bees Cafe Bar. It’s just one of the dining gems in the Hills District.

Birds and Bees Cafe owner Valentina Castrillon at the Everton Hills venue. Photo: Dominika Lis

Birds & Bees, Everton Hills

YOU can experience the flavours of Columbia during the day and night at Birds & Bees Cafe Bar.

Owner Valentina Castrillon, pictured, moved to Australia from Columbia a decade ago and was importing coffee from her family’s plantation before she opened a cafe at Mitchelton and then Birds & Bees three years ago. The Everton Hills cafe bar is now the sole focus, but she and husband Shawn still serve the family’s single-origin coffee, named Valentina.

The dinner menu includes empanadas, parcels filled with beef and potato.

“They are Columbian street food. They’re delicious,” she says.

The Columbian barbecue for two is also popular. But Valentina says they are not a South American restaurant and there are plenty of other options. The venue is open 6.30am-3pm, Mon-Thur; 6.30am-10pm, Fri-Sat; 7am-3pm, Sun.

5/1-5 Queens Rd, Everton Hills.

Phone: [phone]

Cuisine at Birds and Bees Cafe at Everton Hills. Photo: Dominika Lis

Little Gossip Cafe, Everton Hills

FADI Tahan has discovered a passion for food since he swapped his tool belt for an apron two years ago.

The former carpenter and his mum Sadie have created a “humble cafe” at Everton Hills that has become “the local” for many residents and workers in the area. Some even pop in for their morning coffee wearing PJs.

Sadie laughs and says she and Fadi are much like the characters in the Australian sitcom Mother and Son, but it’s working. The cafe’s eggs benedict rolls are popular as are Acai bowls. They also serve shakes, juices, smoothies, breakfast wraps and burgers. Little Gossip is open Mon-Fri 5.30am-5pm; Sat-Sun 5.30am-2pm.

103 Camelia Ave, Everton Hills

Phone: [phone]

Little Gossip Cafe’s Fadi and Sadie at the Everton Hills cafe. Photo: Dominika Lis