I have a specific house fantasy. For one part of my life I want to live in a slab brick house covered in plants and greenery and I want to dish out lovely food to people or afternoon tea and live a simple but exciting life. And in place of this fantasy ever happening I have to content myself with visiting similar establishments and taking notes about how they decorate and do things. You know, just in case my fantasy does become a reality. I wouldn’t like to be unprepared 
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon when we visited Roberts in the Hunter Valley just two hours away from Sydney. We had just checked out of our luxurious home away from home at Tower Lodge and were here for lunch. Both properties are owned by the same people. When we drive up to the grounds I gasp “Ooh this is where we drive past with Teena and Gina the last time we came to the Hunter Valley!” It was the place that years ago we swore we’d come back to to eat it or at least explore as it’s just like my fantasy house come to life. I open the door and coo at the front rooms-there’s no need to rush to the restaurant that sits at the back of the cottage when there’s so much to explore in the front rooms including a private room with a table set for two.
We were late, of course, and we had no excuse although I’m sure that it’s one that is often proferred up to people. “Sorry we were busy traipsing around the Hunter Valley and tasting wine” seems like a logical but effete excuse. We’re greeted by one staff member who seats us in the large farmhouse style room. Throughout the day service ranges here from friendly to slightly chilly depending on the staff member. We’re handed the enormous A3 sized menus and we choose wisely. After all we had only had breakfast a few hours before.
Amuse bouche
The amuse bouche is a fresh cucumber slice with mussel salad, yabby and fig and comes together to become a refreshing starter.
Smallgoods Tasting Plate $26
We resisted the idea of the sashimi plate as we’re not very close to the ocean here instead we go for Winter hearty dishes. We figured the tasting plate would offer us a range of tastes and when we ask if the sausages are made in house we get an off hand “As far as I know” from the waitress who saunters off without any move to check with anyone else. The chorizo, brawn, cured pork and roast chicken and herb roulade are all excellent and they come with some thin radish slices, a candied sweet chutney and some cornichons and some thinly sliced ciabatta bread drizzled in oil and sprinkled with salt. The only item we didn’t go for was the duck liver pate which was quite metallic and a bit bitter in taste.
Parmesan crumbed lamb brains $25
The parmesan crumbed lamb brains come with a crunchy fine parmesan crust but the brains themselves aren’t quite as creamy as I’ve had them at other places where they were incredibly soft and creamy. They were good but just didn’t have that soft, spongey consistency. They come paired with a celeriac puree, white asparagus spears and baby cress.
Confit of Berkshire Pork Belly $42
The confit of Berkshire Pork belly comes out as a neat rectangle with a nicely bubbled crackling. Any reservations I may have had about the entrees are quickly extinguished with the mains (and desserts to come). The pork belly is perfectly cooked, crisp on the top and soft and gelatinous in the meat. And the accompaniments are a doozy (and what persuaded me to order them). There’s a buttery, crispy quince and macadamia mille feuille which is the perfect crunchy, sweet and flakey foil for the pork and a daub of cauliflower cream which provides creaminess. And it’s about now that we regret eating so much for breakfast as we couldn’t finish it. I whisper to Mr NQN “You know at 7:30 tonight I’m going to want to eat that pork between two thin slices of sourdough. Do you think I should have brought a zip lock bag?”.
Black Angus reserved Beef tenderloin 180G $46
The black angus beef is tender as tender could be. It is served with some bone marrow which excites me but the bone marrow has cooled a bit too quickly and has turned firm and again doesn’t have that soft, gelatinous property that makes me go weak at the knees. It is served with trompette mushrooms and a delectably light, airy and eggy leek flan slice and a Bordelaise sauce. And again we almost sobbed at not being able to finish this (well I did).
And who should arrive but our lovely waiter from last night at Nine who brings us the Hunter Valley Wine Country booklet as promised.
Crème Fraiche cake, lemon curd, vanilla bean cream, blackberry jam ice cream $17
We chose the desserts based on the sound of the ice creams as I liked the sound of a blackberry jam ice cream. The creme fraiche cake is a surprise indeed, it is a moist sponge cake with a layer of vanilla creme fraiche custard in the centre and it is then covered with meringue and then lightly torched. To complete the picture of prettiness is the meringue swirls dusted in what seems to be a dehydrated berry dust and there two dots of vanilla bean cream and the blackberry jam ice cream which actually tastes exactly like it sounds, a vanilla ice cream with swirls of blackberry jam through it. Sublime.
Toasted almond creme brulee, fig, Turkish delight ice cream $17
The brulee was a very generous size served in the bowl of a soup bowl and has a smooth nutty flavour in the custard and a good crunchy toffee crust. It is paired with diced sweet fresh fig and the rose flavoured Turkish Delight ice cream with real pieces of Turkish Delight inside sits atop a slice of fresh fig.
Petit fours
The petit fours are a butter truffle which has a thin chocolate coating and a gush of smooth buttery chocolate ganache filling as a hazelnut financier.
It is with some reluctance that we drag our heels to leave but we must depart to get back to the Big Smoke but not before I take some time exploring the front rooms and take a seat in one of the chairs wondering whether my life in a slab cottage might ever eventuate.
So tell me Dear Reader, what is your dream house like?
NQN and Mr NQN dined as guests of Roberts
Roberts Restaurant
Halls Road, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 4998 7330
Lunch Saturday & Sunday
Dinner 7 days a week
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32 Comments | Add your own
The pork belly looks absolutely divine. Now we know what your future house will look like:)
Ohhhhh those deserts look-to-die for!!!!!!!!
I have house fantasies too!
I wish I could eat this blog instead of reading it.
This restaurant must smell a little rustic, no?
Have eaten at Roberts during our stay at the Tower and also had a tasty meal. When in the Hunter , one tends to eat so much, sometimes it would be better just to drive up for the day , bringing along a ravenous appetite , to fully appreciate the hearty food.
Being the sweet tooth that I am, I’d drive up for those desserts!
I spent the first half of my life wanting to live in a log cabin. This place would be a nice substitute! The pork belly looks amazing as do the presentation of the desserts. Mind you, the Angus beef didn’t look too bad either!
Maybe you don’t have your dream house, but you sure have a dream job! This place looks so cozy!
Oh, that pork belly looks divine. It’s a favourite of mine – I’d crawl over broken glass for pork belly.
What a lovely ‘comfortable’ post for a sunny Sunday morning! I love the ambience of the place and the food looks tasty without being contrived: the sliced meats I could reach for now
! My domestic likes have done the full circle from being in love with all things Frank Lloyd Wright and the modernism which progressed from him to wanting to live in a cottage v similar to ‘Roberts’! I love living in nature: well, could do without some of the other critters who want to share such with me 
!
LOVE the Amuse bouche, TRUE!
IMAGINE HOW disappointed I was when was fist told St. Basil’s Cathedral in Russia had NOT been in our family since the 16th century…BOO HOO! lol
The main courses and the desserts look superb here!
–Dear, Lorraine,
I shall be dreaming sweet dreams about the “Toasted almond creme brulee” tonight. OoooMG.
My dream house is someplace where I hear waves all night long like a lullaby…. xxx
Good night
Fig and Turkish Delight are two of my favourite things in the dessert world (two of, what, fifty billion dessert flavours that I always mope about when I see them on your blog?
) Looks lovely 
My dream house? Lots of pugs that don’t shed, room for books, and it comes with a lifestyle in which I can blog full-time like you
What a shame about the hit and miss service and food
I would like a beautiful B&B where I could indulge people with good food, beautiful suroundings, and relaxing atmosphere, and also hold cookery schools and appreciation classes. One day….
I can’t forgive poor service
Ahh my dream home, open with lots of wood and glass placed in the middle of the bush.
That pork belly looks amazing, which is weird for me, I don’t like it that much! My dream house has a library with a tower and a spiral staircase (I LOVE books).
I have so many dream houses! For the ‘main’ dream house, it would be in the hills with land around me or on the beach or a lake, also with plenty of land. And loads of animals! And an orchard and veggie garden. And chooks. But I’d also love a Swiss-style chalet in the European mountains, a cabin in the Rockies, and a white stone house in Greece overlooking the ocean. I don’t ask for much, do I?
Huge porches surrounding a white weatherboard house with shutters and swings everywhere.
Not what anyone would expect of me, but there it is.
Dear Lorraine
I hope you do have your dream home/gourmet villa-I love these concepts-Please take down a reservation for 5 people…because i’m sure once your up and running the waiting list will be a long one.
What an amazing restaurant! I went there in May this year and it is now my favourite restaurant, the quality of food and the service was fantastic!
The seared scallops were melt in your mouth flavour bombs! Loved the generous serving of the Crème brûlée too! The Passionfruit soufflé was out of this world!
I now tell everyone that there are three reasons to go to The Hunter Valley, Wine, Cheese and Roberts!
@ Bronnie -could I please be your sometime visitor? Methinks we could be on the same wavelength?!
Haha I love that your idea of choosing wisely ended up with PORK BELLY. yum!
most people would have ordered a salad! I also love the wooden exterior and interior.. so homely!
Toasted almond cream brulee…mmmm!
The pork belly and desserts are so pretty!
I wish that exterior could be part of my dream house, but I fear that greenery would be full of spiders come nightfall (my greatest fear)
My dream house would have to have old style wood furniture with a huge crystal chandelier. And a hot tub.
The pork belly is the neatest rectangle of meat I’ve ever seen. This restaurant seems to have the longevity of the beautiful Peppertree wines.
There’s something about a vine-covered cottage that really speaks to me so that first photo made me sigh. Food looks great… I am even now thinking about the pastry next to the pork belly… brilliant combinations. Thanks for a great tour!
What beautiful photos. The food looks devine! My dream house sits overlooking a lake and perhaps snow capped peaks of distant mountains. My kitchen would face the lake so that every time I look up I’d have to pinch myself to remind me it’s real. There is a wood burning fireplace with a pizza/bread oven above it and there are incredible aromas wafting from within all day. Friends would pop in and out all day, I’m search of a bite and a cocktail. Of course, I don’t need to work, just cook and entertain all day long. Hmmmmmmmmm!
This is looking so good !!!
I didn’t realise Roberts was so nice. I hope the waitress reads this post!. The combination of Quince and Almond Mille Feuille is inspired… deserts look amazing. What a great idea to put a Creme Brulle in a dish like that…. got me thinking.
I have given up on the dream of a house, but I can still dream about food!
Hopefully going up to the Hunter in October. This place looks great. Love the feel of it. The creme brulee sounds lovely!
seaweed butter.. interesting .. as long as it doesnt taste like wasabi.. i think it’d be acceptable ..
omg.. pork belly.. yum..
Every part of this looks divine! Yummo!
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