7 Restaurants to Experience a Wine and Food Paired Menu

Ever sat at a restaurant table pondering the menu, unsure of what wine to order to go with which dish?

For those of us who enjoy a nice glass of wine but really don’t know what we are doing when it comes to pairing food and wine, there are many restaurants around the country that take away that quandary by offering menus where wine is paired with each plate. 

Here are seven we recommend you try:

Conveniently located in the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on Collins Street, Collins Kitchen is all about food cooked over smoke and flames, using only the finest local ingredients. Reimagining the classic Australian barbeque, the menu is purely spectacular from traditional American-style smoked ribs and meat to wood-oven roasted fish and vegetables cooked to perfection; all paired with local Australian and New Zealand wines from winemakers who are as passionate about their craft as the Chefs are about the food.

 

Set in a modern open plan layout creating an intimate and relaxed escape from the bustling CBD, perhaps choose from the Feed Me menu for a taste of everything.

Exquisite dining with classic hospitality flair is what you’ll find on the menu at Miss Amelie on Elgin Boulevard in Wodonga. This modern European restaurant nestles in the heritage Railway Station building, with rustic charm aplenty in the form of well-worn brick archways, a wall of greenery and intimate table settings, ideal for a family catch-up or romantic rendezvous.

 

Perhaps indulge in a three-course menu with wine pairings and delve into entrées of steak tartare, mushroom pâté, smoked yolk, rye lavash and cornichons; before mains such as duck breast, red cabbage, rhubarb, couscous, pine nuts and parsnip, or barramundi, mussels, vongole, crayfish risotto, asparagus and lemon.

Creative Modern Australian dining in a smart contemporary space is what you’ll discover at Relish on Addison in Shellharbour Village. Located on Addison Street, this dining destination oozes rustic charm with well-worn brick, recycled timber and potted greenery, adding a warm and welcoming vibe ideal for casual dining, making Relish a great place to catch up with friends and family.

 

Choose from the Chef’s menu and enjoy a Barossa Langmeil Bella Rouge Rosé with crispy pork belly, Romesco, fennel and radish salad, before devouring confit duck, braised French lentils, caramelised red cabbage and anise jus, paired with a Palliser Estate Pencarrow Pinot Noir from Martinborough in New Zealand.

Inspired by Northern Italian roots, Oster on Bridge Road brings casual, regional osteria-style dining to Richmond. Unfussy local food and wine hosted in a warm neighbourhood eatery await, in rustic surrounds of glowing pendents, a marble bar and exposed brick walls; or take a seat at bifold windows opening streetside and people-watch in this trendy Melbourne suburb.

 

 

The Chef's tasting menu with wine pairings delivers traditional concepts steeped in slightly radical ideologies, taking diners a little out of their comfort zone, with offerings of scallop crudo, buttermilk, herb oil, puffed soy and salmon caviar; followed by Roaring Forties rump of lamb, borlotti beans and Tuscan kale ribollita and jus.

Take in scenic views of Lake Burley Griffin while dining at Waters Edge restaurant on Parkes Place in Canberra. Located in the middle of the international flag presentation on the shores of the lake, this tastefully furnished venue allows diners space to unwind, sinking into plush upholstered chairs under elevated vaulted ceilings, whether joining friends for lunch or enjoying an evening in warm surrounds.

 

Three-course lunch and dinner wine paired menus await or opt for the five-course degustation and enjoy a glass of Risky Business Pinot Noir Rosé with dukkah and pomegranate-glazed pan-fried quail with pumpkin and harissa purée, Boudin Blanc sausage and Pinot jus; along with Berkshire pork jowl, nduja, curry lentils, roasted apple and a glass of Marlborough Cicada Green Grocer Pinot Noir.

An all-encompassing destination for wine tasting, functions, mouth-watering local cuisine and an enviable view, Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard on Harris Road in Lenswood has fast warranted itself an enthusiastic loyal following. A rustic, barn-like cellar door has been expanded and refurbished with wide timber decks allowing diners to admire sweeping valley landscapes, as they sip estate wines and feast on delectable dishes.

 

An open fireplace heats indoors through frosty Adelaide Winters, while a split-level patio offers a multitude of areas for soaking up a little sun; choose the Homage dining experience with matched estate wines and dishes such as grilled barramundi, edamame, minto and beurre blanc, along with pork belly, black garlic, cashews and cabbage. 

Located in Rowland Flat within the beautiful Barossa Valley, Harvest Kitchen on Barossa Valley Way serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes that highlight the abundance of local, seasonal produce available from the region. Expect to discover stunning vineyard and valley vistas through floor-to-ceiling windows within the modern main restaurant or enjoy the fresh air in the courtyard with uninterrupted views of the vines, hills and ancient gum trees.

 

Harvest Kitchen offers shared-style menus, featuring two Feed Me experiences that encourage communal dining to allow guests to engage with one another over food. Opt for a curated dining experience with the Feed Me Like a Barossan menu and pair wine choices with plates like Gumshire pork, fermented honey and fresh herb zhoug.