5 Chef-hatted Restaurants for Delicious European Fare

Hearty European fare is ideal for the cooler Autumn and Winter months as we crave soul and stomach-warming dishes to appease hunger cravings. As we continue on our delicious Chef Hat drive around the country, here are five European restaurants to put on your dining radar:

The Dining Room restaurant on Arthurs Seat Road in Red Hill does regional dining right. Nestled in Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill vineyard, this refurbished destination is the ideal spot to enjoy long, languid lunches or cosy dinners by the fire sipping a glass of estate wine.

 

Floor-to-ceiling windows invite the outside in as you gaze over manicured gardens and lawns, while pondering a menu showcasing gourmet local produce; delve into the likes of scallops, smoky ham, asparagus and foraged wild garlic purée, followed by lamb loin, braised lamb shank, peas, crispy goats’ cheese and shallot tarte tatin, with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the God of food, wine and indulgence himself lounging at Bacchus Restaurant, his South Brisbane namesake. Located on the podium level of the Rydges South Bank, this lavish yet inviting venue presents a sensory feast of sparkling chandeliers, rich furnishings, eclectic music and innovative European fare.

 

Equip yourself with a cocktail, direct your gaze to the languid pool, or open kitchen and indulge in an ever-changing array of dishes; think entrées like kangaroo tartare with native herbs, mustard seed and cured yolk, then enjoy kingfish, rapini, capsicum, parsley, olives and potato.

Located on Melbourne's Collins Street, inside the exquisite heritage-listed Olderfleet building, Freyja embraces new Nordic philosophies and local ingredients. Expect a multi-sensory dining experience in surrounds of exposed brick, arched windows, vaulted ceilings and recycled timber, ideal for lingering over a meal with someone special.

 

Freyja’s culinary philosophy celebrates a dynamic blend of mindfully sourced Australian ingredients, with time-honoured Nordic cooking principles to produce dishes like kingfish, cucumber, pine, blood orange, finger lime and hazelnut, or duck, broccolini, kumquat, black currant and yeast.

Whether it’s a morning coffee and pastry, quick lunch or after-work cocktail, Luma Restaurant on North Terrace in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD provides an inviting escape from the outside world. This contemporary Art Nouveau-inspired venue nestles on the ground floor of The Playford, MGallery and dishes up an original food and beverage offering based on quality, locally sourced produce.

 

Luma marries the culinary ethos of European simplicity with a sophisticated yet casual elegance; stop in early for a croissant stuffed with bacon, scrambled eggs and cheddar; while later diners delve into the likes of glazed pork Scotch, Jerusalem artichoke, kale and hazelnuts.

Food from the earth is what you will find on the menu at Peasant on Lydiard Street North in Ballarat. This elegant restaurant caters for limited numbers of guests offering a monthly one-off degustation menu of European peasant-style food, alongside a captivating wine list. On Thursdays, Peasant goes à la carte with a new offering called BOWL - the menu changes less often and contains popular dishes from the degustation repertoire.

 

Choose entrées like chicken liver mousse, onion jam, chicken wafers and pumpkin powder; followed by Chef’s special goats’ cheese gnocchi, sugar snap peas, baby spinach, lemon and chive beurre blanc and goats’ cheese cream.