Yarra Valley - Kurunjang

Lunch on a hot January week day. Efficient service and beautiful setting. Particularly enjoyed the chicken liver parfait and the stunning homemade bread, but a little underwhelmed by the pasta and duck ragu. Pleasant meal but not amazing.

Had the tasting plate to start with and then the Wagyu beef short ribs fettuccine and both were amazing with their Pinot noir. <br/ <br/ I would definitely go back for the short rib fettuccine!

At first it seems like an unassuming menu with simple dishes. However, the food is so exceptionally cooked, it transports you to another world. Their bread is quite possibly the best I've ever had and their duck leg ravioli was absolutely exquisite. Mains are approximately $30, but the quality is up there with many Michelin starred restaurants that charge much more. The ambience was fairly good, it felt quite homely and secluded but perhaps not as lovely as other Australian wineries and pales in comparison to those in Napa Valley or France/Italy. Their wines were quite good and fairly priced but nothing to write home about. Overall, I would highly recommend that you try this place once.

Locale possesses all of the requisite elements to deliver an enchanting experience not found in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. The restaurant reflects not only the De Bortoli family’s Italian heritage but also the restaurant’s philosophy of sourcing the best local, seasonal and organic produce. Our expectations of Locale are fostered not only by its excellent reputation, but by our own experiences on each of our previous visits. Our unwavering eagerness to return speaks volumes about how highly we regard this wonderful winery restaurant.

Operating a cafe menu at the moment due to Covid restricting the numbers of people in the restaurant but the food and service was great and I definitely highly recommend a visit just make sure you book or you may miss out. I had the duck parfait which was super smooth and tasty followed by the gnocchi which were perfect little pillows, light and delicious. I chose the pesto sauce and was not disappointed, a vibrant fresh sauce that worked very well with the gnocchi. Topped this off with a couple of glasses of De Bortoli wine, a view out onto the vineyard and it was the perfect lunch and great way to get back into eating out after lockdown.