Serafino

Right at the edge of town, when driving the short distance from Karawatha Cottages into McLaren Vale, is where you find the Serafino complex, with reception centre, hotel rooms plus their cellar door and restaurant.

The obvious drawcard could just be the James Halliday 5 star rated winery, but the quality of the food in the Serafino Restaurant, again awarded with a chefs hat by the AGFG (Australian Good Food Guide) in 2023, is without doubt deserving a visit in its own right.

The restaurant has recently undergone a substantial facelift and renovations, but - for us at least - the 'modern and contemporary look' still lacks a bit of atmosphere and feels like 'just another major hotel restaurant'.

But whatever the restaurant looks like, key always has been and should be the food and trust me, once the food arrives and your attention focuses on the great food and wines on hand, you will not notice where you are seated anyhow. The quality and preparation of each of the dishes we have tried has been simply outstanding, only matched by the presentation, with each and every item looking impeccable.

Whether it was the little appetizer to start with from the kitchen, the duck breast green curry or the braised kangaroo tail and beetroot gnocchi – we haven't been disappointed yet. That is, the previous signature desert of ‘smoked chocolate mousse’ is unfortunately no longer available and you will have to settle for an equally delicious (just a little less intriguing) Panna Cotta or Tiramisu.

To finish, the service throughout our last visit was super attentive, friendly and competent. Being there for dinner, the cellar door was obviously closed but, and that certainly should be one of the perks dining at a restaurant within a winery, the staff allowed us to sample a few wines before deciding on a bottle for the evening.

In short, at Serafino McLaren Vale offers food and wines that are absolutely stunning and we can't wait to see the new restaurant venue.