Appellation
One of the Barossa’s premier dining destinations, Appellation is situated in The Louise luxury lodge. Executive Chef Asher Blackford takes local produce along with herbs and vegetables grown onsite and creates elegant and playful dishes in a fine dining mould with an express desire to recreate the “sights, scents, tastes and emotions of the Barossa” on the plate. The view here is rather nice, too, with the generous windows giving onto the vines and a vast expanse of sky.
A:Seppeltsfield Road, Stonewell Rd, Marananga SA 5352
Ph: (08) 8562 2722
W: thelouise.com.au
Bar: Musque
A great spot to dine or share snacks, Bar: Musque is also the home to an extensive list of wine whisk(e)y, beer and cocktails, but it’s best known for its formidable collection of gin. With over 400 bottles, a range of nine gin tasting flights (five gins, 30ml each, with apt mixers and garnish for two people) offers journeys into different styles and places of origin. And while gin may take centrestage, just as much thought is given to the food (owner Stuart Oldfield is one of the Barossa’s most celebrated and experienced chefs), as well as the extensive local and European wine selection (Raveneau by the glass anyone?).
A: Shop2/109 Murray St, Tanunda SA 5352
Ph: (08) 7513 7740
W: musque.com.au
Casa Carboni Cooking School & Enoteca
The cooking classes at Casa Carboni are legendary, but a visit to the enoteca is essential. Marco Carboni cooks breakfast and lunch from Thursday through Sunday, but runs a special chef’s tasting menu on Friday nights and for Sunday lunch. The wine offer is European and niche, available for take away or drink in, while the enoteca also stocks a premium range of pantry items, kitchen tools and homewares.
A:67 Murray St, Angaston SA 5353
Ph: 0415 157 669
W: casacarboni.com.au
El Estanco
Open from Thursday through Monday, El Estanco puts a South American lean on breakfast and lunch. Owner and chef Julian Velasquez is Colombian, but his style ranges across the continent, then every Friday night an Italian influence takes hold with a “pizza fiesta” that sees deeply puffed crust sourdough pizzas take the lead. The venue is also a canvas for former MacGill Estate pastry chef Cheryse Zagler, who makes pastries, sourdough bread and cakes – you can order bespoke ones for an event, too. Single origin coffee, cocktails and local wines make up the beverage offer.
A: 18-22 Murray St, Greenock SA 5360
Ph:0438 006 552
W: elestanco.com.au
Ember Pizza
Located in the Provenance precinct, the original home of Penfolds, Ember serves up wood-fired sourdough pizzas in a classic Neapolitan style. Starters include “tear ‘n’ share” antipasti with wood-fired bread, truffled arancini and a pumpkin and beetroot salad with seeds, fresh curd cheese and pomegranate. You can also taste the wares of next door’s Barossa Distilling Co. (there’s a shared ownership stake), or indeed have your pizza there, if diving deeper into spirits is your wont.
A: 18-28 Tanunda Rd, Nuriootpa SA 5355
Ph: (08) 7523 3960
W:emberpizza.com.au
fermentAsian
Tuoi Do and Grant Dickson’s fermentAsian has cemented itself as one of South Australia’s finest restaurants. Opened on a shoestring in 2010, Dickson’s background in wine ensured a compelling list, and his gift for communication provided and informative and entertaining read. But it was perhaps Tuoui’s inventive cooking based on her Vietnamese heritage and the resource of home-grown produce, tended to by her parents, that really put the restaurant on the map. Today, that continues with a choice between à la carte or a chef’s menu, while the encyclopaedic wine list is as fascinating, engaging and exciting as ever, even with Dickson’s departure to open Otherness.
A: 90 Murray St, Tanunda SA 5352
Ph: (08) 8563 0765
W:fermentasian.com.au
Fino Seppeltsfield
Before moving to Seppeltsfield, David Swain and Sharon Romeo’s much-loved Fino was based in compact digs in McLaren Vale’s Wilunga. Originally opening in 2006, the move to the Barossa came in 2014, joining what has become one of the Barossa’s most visited destinations. Swain and Romeo now also have Fino Vino in Adelaide, while Daniel Murphy (formerly of Appellation) runs the Seppeltsfield operation, carrying on an ethos of produce-driven, local and unfussy cooking.
A:730 Seppeltsfield Rd, Seppeltsfield SA 5355
Ph:(08) 8562 8528
W:fino.net.au
Linke’s Bakehouse & Pantry
Operating since 1938, today’s Linke’s Bakehouse has had a more modern makeover without losing any of the charm of the old Linke family home on Murray Street. It’s a top destination for baked goods and pantry items, but it’s also a favourite breakfast and lunch destination and offers catering options.
A:40 Murray St, Nuriootpa SA 5355
Ph: (08) 8562 1129
W: linkesbakehouse.com.au
Otherness
A project that began as a winemaking collaboration between Grant Dickson (formerly fermentAsian) and some revered local winemakers, Otherness has now grown into a new must-visit food and wine destination in Murray Street, Angaston. Dickson naturally features his Otherness co-lab wines, but his broad-ranging fascination with the wines of the world is also on display. What started as a wine bar and bottle shop has also quickly morphed into a restaurant of significance, if the style is certainly convivial and the food an exercise in refined rusticity under the masterly touch of ex-Fino chef Sam Smith.
A: 38 Murray St, Angaston SA 5353
Ph: (08) 8563 6595
W: otherness.com.au
The Farm Eatery & Cooking School
The dining option at Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop, the Farm Eatery is run by her daughter Elli and chef Tim Bourke. Like all the Beer operations, this is intensely local, with much of the produce grown or reared onsite. Open for lunch only Thursday through Monday, choose from a three- or five-course menu, with a separate menu available for kids. Cooking classes are run regularly.
A: 50 Pheasant Farm Rd, Nuriootpa SA 5355
Ph: (08) 8562 1902
W: thefarmeatery.com
The Greenock
The Greenock Hotel was established in 1864 and it still is the heart of the community, with a focus on local wine and beer and a pub menu that features the classics but turns up the dial on quality, while also straying a little from the classic counter meal carte. This is a classic country pub, warm and hospitable, with the interior lovingly restored since Chris and Amanda Adams bought it in 2016.
A:2 Murray St, Greenock SA 5360
Ph: (08) 8562 8136
W: thegreenock.com.au
Vino Lokal
From the Artisans of Barossa team, this takes the cellar door experience and meshes it with a stylish European bistro. Tasting flights from the Artisans (Spinifex, Schwarz, Chaffey Bros., John Duval et al) are all available, or there are 150+ listings by the bottle. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on the local, for both wine and food, but there are a few deviations, with a little Champagne, sparkling Vouvray and Burgundy.
A:64 Murray St, Tanunda SA 5352
Ph: (08) 8563 6598
W: vinolokal.com
Vintners
Being one of the Barossa’s longest-running restaurants, one might expect that Vintners is somewhat set in its ways. But you’d be very wrong, with it offering one of South Australia’s finest food and wine experiences. Chef Peter Clarke focuses on local produce, but he brings an eclectic approach, effortlessly incorporating flavours from Asia and the Mediterranean throughout the menu. The wine list, curated by Rami Heer, is extensive and full of interest, and the service is effortlessly refined but always warm and accommodating.
A:752 Stockwell Rd, Angaston SA 5353
Ph: (08) 8564 2488
W: vintners.com.au
