It was the little white picket fence out the front that first caught my eye.
Driving through Lilydale one afternoon, a freshly faced cafe with distinct, green and white peppermint stripped awnings and lush green grass out front drew me to the eatery situated in the industrial estate I was passing by.
The Lilydale General, a cafe with a strong focus on delicious, locally sourced foods and the perfect coffee, is a new addition to the Yarra Ranges coffee scene. The decor is all subtle grey colour scheme, with glass beakers and leather bound atlases and dictionaries scattered across the high bookshelves. The Lilydale General is a light and spacious eatery, with light streaming in through the huge windows and a clean, crisp ambiance. The staff only add to the vibrance of the cafe, with my coffee order and a glass of water swiftly offered to me moments after stepping through the door.
The Lilydale General serves up a variety of decadent sweet treats to snack on as you wait for your coffee to cool and a variety of raw, sugar free dessert options. The soy latte I sampled was smooth and velvety, with no trace of bitterness and no need for sugar, and the raw chocolate berry cheesecake was sweet and tart, leaving no sickly residue in my mouth and left me feeling satisfied. Deliciously healthy fruit smoothies and fresh juices are served up in big Mason jars, a straw mimicking the candy striped awning protruding from the top.
With plans to open later into the evenings and serve meals as well as drinks from the bar, The Lilydale General is taking the Yarra Valley by storm. Close to the main thoroughfare of Lilydale and the train station, The Lilydale General is well worth a visit.
Open 7am-4pm
The Lilydale General
110 Beresford Road Lilydale
(03) 9739 7770
thelilydalegeneral@gmail.com