Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside. Oh, I do like to be beside the sea.
Except when it’s freezing and blowing a minor gale. Unfortunately, yesterday was such a day.
I’d been misled by the bright Spring sunshine into thinking it would be a great idea to take the kids riding their bikes along the Semaphore promenade. However, when we got there, the sun snuck behind a massive cloud bank and refused to come out. Instantly, any warmth disappeared.
Then my kids spotted the playground on the foreshore of Semaphore beach. So we spent 10 minutes shivering on the swings and turning blue on the slide before I shouted, “enough!” and carried my screaming toddler off the swing.
Holding my still protesting toddler in my arms, we left the playground on foot and set off in search of warmth and shelter. Luckily, we weren’t far from Whipped on Semaphore Road.
I’d been there before with a friend for a long Sunday lunch and enjoyed excellent corn fritters while sitting by the fire.
However, today we were in urgent need of warming up so I ordered a chai latte for myself, baby cinos for the kids, and an apple-rhubarb cake for Mr Toddler and I to share. Ms 5 Year Old inspected the cakes for a good five minutes before deciding on a banana-chocolate cupcake because “my tummy wants that one.”
The cupcakes at Whipped were outrageous frou frou creations decorated with a surfeit of shaved chocolate curls that made them look like designer soaps: they were cakes resembling soaps resembling cakes.
Ms 5 Year Old happily picked all the chocolate curls and banana lollies off hers before eating most of the icing and a tiny amount of cake. Mr Toddler kept repeating “cake” at increasing volume until I caved in and gave him some. The cupcake was surprisingly like the Coles brand vanilla cake – it had a moister, denser texture than home made vanilla cake and I wondered if it had cream or sour cream in it. My kids loved it but it was way too sweet for me.
The rhubarb and apple crumble cake was much better – a dense, sweet but not overly sweet cake with a lovely raspberry red filling. Unfortunately, it was served cold straight from the fridge. Now most cakes taste better warm or at least served at room temperature. But a crumble (or crumble cake) just has to be eaten warm; it just doesn’t work cold. A warm crumble is like a comforting hug from a loved one; a cold crumble is like stepping barefoot into something wet on the kitchen floor. It’s disconcerting and a little icky.
The baby cinos came with two marshmallows, a fact that endeared them to my kids. Because I think baby cinos are a great way to get my kids to drink more milk my kids are experts – by the time both of them were 15 months old they could order them from bemused waitresses by themselves. I realise that this makes them sound pretentious rather than cute but I assure you that my kids have no such airs; they’re just greedy miniature versions of their mother.
The chai latte was delicious and at just the right medium-hot drinking temperature. I know some people prefer lattes with only the regulation small head of foam but I like a healthy head of foam myself.
The decor at Whipped is all about making you feel comfortable.
Larger groups can also be accommodated with ease.
Whipped has a fantastic outdoor area that is popular all year round, thanks to some effective heating and clear plastic screens to block out the wind and rain. It felt positively balmy in there, no mean feat given the Arctic-cold wind blowing in from the sea.
There are also a couple of great outdoor tables that would be perfect for families.
Whipped has a lot of things going for it. The seaside location is great, the food is pretty darn good, the staff are pleasant and the rooms are spacious and kid-friendly. A few minor tweaks are all that’s needed to make this great cafe a cut above the rest.
Whipped
35 Semaphore Rd
Semaphore
