Boo's Place Cafe & Provedore

Boo’s Place is set in the heart of the Swan Hill CBD, within metres of the famous Giant Cod on Curlewis Drive. It’s a cafe and provedore with a true paddock-to-plate ethos, where owner and chef Rebecca Hart carefully selects ingredients from the Mallee region’s bountiful farmland and weaves them into the café's changing daily specials, salads and savoury bakes.

The day-to-day breakfast menu is written in the same spirit. You might find hand-made granola from the Sunraysia upriver, a smoothie bowl with local stonefruit and honey, and local eggs starring in a classic Eggs Benedict. Coffee is by Bendigo roaster Grata.

There’s a heftier selection for lunch, with open sandwiches and a standout burger made with Mallee lamb and local greens. But if you’re in the mood to graze, spring for one of Boo’s regional tasting boards, which are loaded with local small goods, cheeses, pickled vege and housemade dips. If you like what you find, there’s a good chance there’s more of it in the takeaway fridge. It’s like a little grocery store, with bags of whole-bean coffee and a range of condiments to the side.

The space recalls a classic country cafe, with whitewashed timber furniture and some street-side options for a meal in the sun. And if you’re visiting the Catalina Flying Boat Musuem in Lake Boga, Boo has a second place attached to the museum. It’s a perfect place to refuel before you take a walk along the foreshore.