Looking for the best places to eat in the Hunter Valley? From vineyard restaurants with stunning views and award-winning farm-to-table dining to French favourites and casual all-day spots, these 8 Hunter Valley restaurants and wineries showcase some of the region's most delicious food. Save this guide for your next Hunter Valley escape!
And in no particular order, here are the 8 Hunter Valley restaurants (including some new ones)!
1 - Jimmy Joan's - For All Day Snacking and Light Meals
Jimmy Joan's is named after owner Kim Starkey's grandparents Jimmy and Joan Moyle. It is a popular place particularly on weekends for people that just want light dishes without the commitment of a minimum of courses or a set menu, which many eateries in the Hunter Valley have. Here you can have a burger, some tacos or just some pate and terrine and sit out in the sunshine. Or take a seat inside at Mother Moyle's dining table, a family heirloom. The space was formerly Mojos.
Start with a yuzu cocktail which is bright and refreshing. A must order is their herbed scallops, which are their most popular entree. The pate is light with a red wine jelly on top. The terrine is studded with dried figs and pistachios and goes well with the lightly toasted focaccia bread. For a full rundown of Jimmy Joan's see this review.
2 - Esca Bimbadgen - For A Winery With Vineyard Views
Esca Bimbadgen is located looking over the estate's immaculate vineyards and golf course. The winery has a modern Mediterranean design with a distinctive arched entrance and dark timber doors. Guests walk past the working winery to the restaurant.
The views of Brokenback Mountain ranges are as much a part of the offering as the food. The restaurant upstairs has a more upmarket offering while downstairs is a bar. It's the perfect place to spend a few hours.
Whatever you do, start with the lobster brioche. A triangle of toasted brioche is topped with perfectly seasoned lobster in garlic butter, soy sauce and mirin, with chives and tobiko for a satisfying pop.
For mains the snapper fillet is paired with a divine herbed garlic velouté, piquillo peppers & house-made chimichurri. The sauce is a powerhouse of flavour.
For dessert the apple and almond tart is a must order. It comes out warm from the oven with a buttery shortcrust pastry and is filled with caramelised Pink Lady apples flavoured with maple and cinnamon. It is then topped with a toasted almond crumb and the finishing touch is the jug of miso caramel poured at the table.
3 - Muse at Sweetwater - For Events and Weddings
Visitors to the brand new Muse at Sweetwater could be completely mistaken by the location - you are not in Europe but you're in Sweetwater in the Hunter Valley.
Muse at Sweetwater was built 22 years ago by Duncan Hardie, who had an obsession with Southern Mediterranean manors, and was furnished with hunted treasures from European estates. Muse at Sweetwater is a collaboration between Hunter Valley chef Troy Rhodes Brown of Muse and Sam Arnaout of Iris Capital. For the first time, it can be rented out for corporate events and weddings for up to 160 guests.
The prime spot is the bridal suite located above the dining room. In fact there are murmurs among the whole group as everyone contemplates getting married again because the only way that you can stay in this incredible bridal suite is to book a wedding or an event here.
And that's probably the only way that you can sink into the limestone bathtub made out of a single limestone block. The bridal suite was designed by Troy and his wife Kristen and looks out onto the vineyards below as well as the amphitheatre and the larger estate in the distance and the Gatekeeper's Cottage that is also included when you book. They're also partnering up with the neighbouring estate who will offer 32 rooms for wedding or event guests.
4 - Botanica - For Relaxed Fine Dining
Fine dining restaurant Botanica has just reopened after an extensive one-and-a-half-year renovation. Located at Spicers Vineyards, the restaurant has a new chef, Thomas Heinrich, and a brand-new menu. Diners can choose from a three-course menu for $115 per person or a tasting menu for $140. We are having the three-course menu plus snacks.
Start with the beef tartare with harissa, onion, toum and manchego on a crumpet.
For the entree there is no other choice but the Fraser Island spanner crab with silky parsnip cream, lemon, chilli and ocean trout roe. This is so lusciously creamy and well seasoned with a nice amount of crab in it. If I could have I would've licked the crab shell clean.
The main of the steak with black garlic jus is incredibly delicious. The sauce gives it an almost Asian teriyaki flavour but with a delightful smokiness from the charcoal as well. Pair this with the potatoes on an olive crumb.
5 - Margan - For Award Winning Fine Dining With Farm Produce
"Wine is the nexus of history, science, culture and art," says Lisa Margan. She and her winemaker husband Andrew set up an expansive kitchen garden 20 years ago using regenerative farming that dictates the Margan restaurant menu. The hyper-local restaurant boasts a 100-mile menu and this keeps chef Harry Roese on his toes and interested. Simply put: if they can't grow it, it doesn't go on the menu.
That includes their Suffolk lambs that graze in the paddock while other proteins are procured from local farmers. The whole animal is broken down to use all parts with minimal wastage.
Now her son Ollie Margan has taken over the reins of the garden. "Regenerative farming challenges the primary crop to work a lot harder for its food/water as it is surrounded by competition," explains Ollie. This farming approach means that the produce is more robust in flavour, with pronounced phenolics and sugars amplified by using less water and the plant only takes what is needed from the soil. "This increases the concentration of all the amino acids, vitamins and minerals due to a lower water content," says Ollie.
This is where you head when you want fine dining Hunter Valley style. Start with the beef tartare mille feuille made with Binnie Beef wagyu. The hand rolled pastry is crisp and it is paired with garden grown pickles, radish and cucumber and is then topped with a cured egg yolk and tarragon aioli.
The Hawkesbury squid with sauce vierge made with green tomatoes after a frost came through is paired with coriander, lime, jalapeños and preserved lemon rind and is beautifully fresh.
And the dish that is a must order is the pumpkin ravioli filled with parmesan curd with cubes of pumpkin sauteed in beurre noisette and seasoned with XO sauce and sesame oil.
6 - Bistro Molines - For French Food With A View
Bistro Molines owners Sally and Robert Molines opened their much loved French restaurant in 2008. It was designed as a showcase for the cuisine Robert grew up with in the South of France near Monaco.
The glasshouse style building is home to celebrations, special occasions or just a long, leisurely lunch. We start with the crumbed zucchini flowers filled with herbed goat's cheese and topped with tomato relish. These are crunchy and creamy in every bite.
One of my favourite items is the new season mushroom tarte with cherry truss tomato, porcini cream and parmesan. The pastry is so layered and divine and even though I've eaten plenty I can't help but polish this off!
7 - Irongate - For Light Snacks All Day Long
The last time I was at Iron Gate Kitchen and Winery was for the opening, when we enjoyed the Iberian style cuisine. Since then it has become a popular place as it is open for breakfast and lunch all day long. The restaurant is also open one night for dinner and accommodates walk-ins without locking diners into a set menu.
The menu has developed even further since the opening and you can sit down to a luscious lamb shoulder roast or just enjoy light snacks and share plates. The must order is the lobster empanada thick with meaty chunks of lobster with sour cream and caviar on the side.
The flatbreads are also fantastic. In particular, the chorizo one packs so much flavour. The manchego croquettes are filled with molten cheese and are a garlic buttery delight.
8 - The Wood - For Wood Fired Meats and Seafood
The Wood at Brokenwood Winery has a new chef, Sam Alexander, who specialises in live fire cooking. This means steaks and meats get the wood fire treatment along with fish, all paired with Brokenwood wines.
The whole dusky flathead is expertly grilled and served with oyster cream and a generous amount of smoked salmon pearls and fresh chives. The smokiness gives the fish a nice depth of flavour without drying out the fish.
And meat lovers will swoon over the Manning Valley Grass fed Angus rib eye steak, aged for 30 days served with a fresh chimichurri that really brightens up the dish. Pair this with the crispy chat potatoes with lemon, rosemary confit garlic and chilli or the fried Brussels sprouts with parmesan, eschallot, parsley and truffle oil.
So tell me Dear Reader, which restaurant appeals to you most? Do you look for a particular style of restaurant when you travel?
Reader Comments