This place kills the dinner game. The ambiance is top notch. It gives off the warmth of being in…read moresomeone's home with elevated, chic, minimalist decor that is very welcoming. The food here is quite elevated. We had the three course meal where we got to pick our courses from a selection of offerings. Everything was really great except that the mussel entree was a bit overpowering. I was also obsessed with their open floor plan table bar where you could walk around it and survey the offerings.

Absolutely five stars…read more Great fresh local food. Wonderful service. Good wines at fair prices. Beautiful setting, inside and out. Inside where we were seated is white and modern with a formal feeling. We did not do the tasting menu, but rather the three course a la carte menu. Writing this review too long after our visit, with no website to look at, all I can remember is the carrot and ginger soup amuse, with wonderful flavors, and the venison main course. The venison was cooked perfectly and accompanied by a nice assortment of fresh garden vegetables. I do remember that everything was great and cooked perfectly. Lunch is served a couple days a week, otherwise its dinner only.

One of the best meals I've had in Australia…read more We had no idea what this place was like, we were just up at the north end of the Hunter Valley and saw it listed no our wine tourist map as a place to eat and phoned ahead for a reservation (it was a Sunday at 2:30pm and places were closing). We got in and I'm so glad we did. It's Italian villa style. The dining rooms have arches and iron chairs and Mediterranean accents. The outdoor patio is relaxed, covered and sunny. When we arrived people were playing bocce on the back lawn. My wife and I shared one of their large pot roasts, lamb in our case. It was absolutely delicious. We love food served like this, meat and veg and seasonings all slow-cooked together. It was very European and a perfect excuse for a long, slow lunch on a hot, sunny afternoon. The wine list had an extensive selection of Italian wines. For those worried about air miles they also have a selection of wines - by the glass and bottle - from a winery just down the road. The atmosphere was continental and perfect, with happy families, leisurely lunchers, and lots of wine. The service was exemplary, and all delivered with a smile. If you believe a great meal requires a great experience as well as great food, The Beltree is a spot worth seeking out.

This place isn't the top-ranked restaurant in Polkolbin for nothing. Superb nouveau Italian with…read morebrilliant service and a small but well-curated menu. Lovely Tuscan staples like rabbit and porchetta augmented with fusion dishes make this a pretty faultless nook of bella Italia in the heart of Hunter wine country. The panna cotta and the peach sorbet bellinis both have to be tried to be believed.

Went for lunch with some friends and our 18-month old son - cannot fault the service. From the…read moremoment the front door was held open for us, the service was impeccable. Warm, friendly and attentive, without hovering or being overbearing. The tasting menu was absolutely delicious, with the chicken being an absolute standout, followed by their signature coconut dessert. The pairing and quality of the wines really added to the experience, but I strongly suggest you have a designated driver if you are doing the matched wines - they don't pour short.

As an adjunct to the multiple-hat rated Muse Restaurant, we were very happy to stop in here for…read morelunch on our Winery Tour. From welcoming service to wonderful food, being able to get a good quality feed in the Hunter at lunchtime could not have been better. Watch for the full-body prawns! My gnocchi was so nice, my partner had to snag some after beheading her prawns.

We had the best lunch today at Emersons Cafe! Started with Duck pate w toasted cibatta. The pate is…read morerich and smooth, perfect w the crispy cibatta. The jelly on top is just divine! Then we shared Roast pork loin, pickled red canbage, apple chutney and crackling. The crackling is yummy, but the pork loin is amazing. The meat is tender, juicy and flavorful! It is perfect w the apple chutney and cabbage. And finally Braised wagyu beef cheeks, truffled potato cream, peas and onions. The beef melted in my mouth. The potato cream is to die for. Really friendly staff and the booking was simple and efficient. Would love to visit again!

The service is friendly the ambiance is rustic…read more The wine and cheese parings complement each other quite well. We also did the two fat blokes wine tasting tour. Thank you JJ for driving us around Hunter Valley. The six or seven wineries were all quite interesting the microbrewery at the end was a nice finish. What made the trip all the more interesting was sharing the experience with six other couples. Individuals at the beginning of the day had no knowledge of each other. But soon the camaraderie along with some wine soon made everyone best friends exchanging contact information before we said our final goodbyes as each party was dropped off at their respective hotel locations. It was a great experience for everyone.

We were recommended to do this tour as Hunter Valley businesses have adopted COVID-SAFE procedures…read moreand bookings would probably be needed. Travelling as a small group would save us phoning ahead. Also, we did not need to be concerned about drinking & driving as the pickup was at our accomodation. After booking, a couple of emails followed; one was a receipt and another the offer of a take home meal for our evening meal. The emails were also explicit about changing the booking and not being at the pickup on time with loss of moneys as the penalties. What was not sent was the time and place of pickup. Our trip was on the Tuesday so I spent Monday 'phoning, texting and emailing to get the time and place. We even visited their POB and met a young fellow who took our card and said he would pass on our concern at this stage. The only thing he was certain of was that no one was in the office. The answering machine had the message that due to COVID the office had to close on Mondays but would be open at 8:30am Tuesday. However, we could leave a message on the machine if our enquiry was urgent. Even leaving a card didn't get a return email, text or 'phone call. Now pretty unimpressed, we 'phoned, texted and emailed at 8:30, 9:00 and 9:30. So much for the office being open at 8:30. We sat out the front of our accommodation determining when we would give up when the 'bus pulled up at 9:55....for a 10:00 start at the first winery. Our driver said that this was the first time he had done this job but we were on the list and they were clearly running late. His name was Paul and unless they have many drivers named Paul ( mentioned in a few reviews ) he may have said this to avoid listening to a familiar complaint. Two Fat Blokes Gourmet Tours carries plenty of signage on the 'bus on COVID-SAFE but the 8 of us were seated in the only available 8 seats. The two seats next to the driver were not available to us. Once hurried on it was clear we were part of 3 groups making up 8, 2 couples and a group of four. At best we should have been advised to bring face masks otherwise there should have only been 5-6 passengers. Our driver did his job well but was often concerned about the timing. We had a nice snack lunch provided which had enough for leftovers. Our last stop was at their POB for a cheese and wine tasting and it was here we not only got to see the young bloke who took our card but one of the Fat Blokes graced our group with his presence. This would have been the time to placate us but once both these people saw us it was heads down and back to the office ( and no, we didn't 'phone to see if he would answer) The lack of communication was one strike but not to give a reason when the opportunity arose was the second, the third (and most important) was "how safe were we" huddled in the back of the 'bus. Each of our stops demonstrated how seriously the businesses here are taking COVID. If you are travelling in a large group, hiring a 'bus is a good idea but perhaps not this one as once they have your money, no communication. We revisited a couple of the wineries the next day and as there was just the two of us it wasn't an issue just walking in.

This was the second winery of three on our Hunter Valley wine tour. I thought it was a really…read morestrange location considering it's a beer spot. There are multiple bachelorette parties happening while we were here. We were seated it to very long tables, unfortunately I pick the seat really far from our host and couldn't hear any of the exclamations even though she tried to speak over the noisy patio. We were given cheeses that accompanied each of the four tastings. The tastings were ridiculously tiny so little I really didn't get a feel for any of the wines so I have no opinion on any of them. I did like that they paired up with certain cheeses that that was nice. I bought one bottle to go just because I said I would buy at least one bottle at every location. The other patios beautiful there is an indoor seating area and a separate retail/counter tasting area.

Walking in, we were greeted with 12 of their craft brews on tap. And yes you can sample them. This…read moreis how it works. For $15 you get to choose from 2 groups of 6 of their 12 craft brews to sample from Ginger Ale, Lager through to Cider, which they present nicely on a paddle. You will also get Tasting notes with it. And when you finish sampling, return the paddle and you can swap it with a medium size of your favourite brew for free. The foods were delicious. If you do have lunch there, you have to try their Crisp Pork Belly with spiced Chats potato, pickled cabbage, candy apples and Cider Jus. It's tasty, the candy apples and the crispy pork belly just go together beautifully, and the jus just complements the dish. The pickled cabbage You can go without, it didn't add anything to the dish. The Prawns with garlic, tomato, chilli and handmade Pappardelle is also delicious. They also have kids' menu. The place is spacious with plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. I will definitely come again for a nice relaxing lunch the next time we're in the area.

Outstanding service Food was amazing…read moreGreat atmosphere and excellent view 10/10 experience

A perfect 5 star experience all thanks to an amazing location, outstanding food and a manager named…read moreSharon who made my recent visit something to rave to friends about! After touring some of the wineries in the area, I wanted to sit outside, enjoy the beautiful scenery and have some terrific food and wine. The Verandah, located at the Calais Estate, was the perfect solution with their wrap around upstairs porch overlooking the rolling estate. There were two choices for lunch- a pre selected "Tapas Tower" which is a feast for two with several daily selections ($80) or a la carte tapas items listed a few pages back in the menu. I went with the latter and had a chance to taste a wide range of their offerings and all were amazingly good. My favs were the polenta coated soft shell crab, the mushroom aranachi, and the jambon. They also had a nice wine list and were able to find me a local Cabernet that was quite nice! The service staff was super helpful, even re directing the fan my way given it was a very hot day on the veranda. But my visit was really topped off by the welcoming nature of Sharon, the manager. She kept stopping at my table to ensure all was well and even related a story about her recent trip to Chicago where someone went out of their way to help her and her husband. It made for a great visit. So I'll end where I began. If you want a great location, outstanding food and a staff that cares, look no further than The Verandah. It really will make your entire experience in the Hunter Valley one to remember!

This restaurant produces what is easily the best vegan food I have ever had! I was made aware of…read moretheir separate vegan menu by the staff at Oakvale next door and booked in shortly afterwards. I am so glad that we did! Because the six course dinner we had was nothing short of incredible. The service was impeccable, the restaurant itself was beautiful. And the food, well that was unlike anything I've ever eaten before. Such wonderful flavours fostered from seasonal and fresh produce. Would absolutely dine again! A must fine dining experience for any vegan visiting the area.

What can I say!?! We have had many degustations / progressive dinners. This one we experienced at…read morethe Chefs Bar, which is like a chefs table. You are sitting at the expediting bar, and see the chef and cooks finish all the meals off before being served. And they share with you all the tips and secrets of what they are doing. Very engaging. Entertainment factor is extreme, then there is the food and paired wines. We did the EXP.erience menu. Calling it delicious would be an understatement. From the hand sliced chips to the honey and roe to the chicken fat butter. I don't know how to express the deliciousness of this menu and the skills in this kitchen. Service was outstanding. We were obviously overhead stating we needed to come back the next day when the cellar door was open to get a bottle of wine, and they came to us with it offering it at cellar door prices! That is service, that is class. Deliciousness!!!

A pleasant surprise…read more To book for this restaurant you have to book online or call in the day to see if they have room. My partner and I booked online and it stated we would be contacted to confirm our booking. We never heard anything by 8.30 on the day before we wanted to go so we called up and was told someone would defiantly get in contact with us. Next day came and still no one had called or emailed us so we went to the hunter to do some wine tasting before going for dinner. We called back at 5 pm to confirm our booking for 6 pm and the lady who answered stated they don't send confirmations for bookings yet online it states otherwise! Anyway the lady had confused us with a different couple and had to try and fit us in for 6 pm which ended up happening. When we drove up there and down the driveway we were shocked to see the restaurant was a house and very basic. We walked around to the front door and straight away great service from the staff. We ordered the 3 entree's ravioli, king prawns and filled mushroom. Great food and full of flavor. It is fairly pricy but worth it. Mains we ordered the steak and again amazing food. Very filling and cooked medium as we ordered it to be. Dessert we ordered two different dishes and well worth it. Only bad part the dessert was the biggest dish of the day compared to entree and main. As we had finished our dessert we were taking in the view and relaxing. When the waitress came and picked up our plates and asked us how it was we said good thank you and her response was "are you ok. You seem really sad" I'm sorry but that is very unprofessional when all we were doing was taking in the view and relaxing. Only because we weren't loud or as enthusiastic as she expected apparently we were sad! The couple sitting behind us even made a comment when the waitress left and said how unprofessional that was and apparently now you can't enjoy the view and the company. It only went downhill from there as when I got the bill I had a voucher for the restaurant which was given to me as a gift. The waitress straight away seemed annoyed when I showed it to her and was not very friendly when I said I would like to use it. Her response was "you know I can't refund you the money I will have to give you a new voucher". I never expected a refund or anything as it was a gift given to me and would only expect to have the remanding money for if I was to return to the restaurant. As the waitress walked away she shrunk her shoulders and had a slight attitude as it seemed like she was after more. One thing that would be very helpful would be something for the flies outside when you are eating as there was an insane amount around you and got quite frustrating. Apart from the few mishaps it was good food. It's not a place I would rush back to for the above reasons but certainly worth a try once.

Came with my partner for Sunday lunch for our anniversary. We decided on 3 courses. Both seafood…read moreentrees were nice but I think there could have been one more ravioli for the price. We both ordered the eye fillet. To look at, mine was overdone, but it was still incredibly tender. The galette, butter and gravy were perfect accompaniments. We were discussing what we thought so far and were not fully impressed but decided to hold off criticism until we had dessert. We made the right choice! I ordered the banana pudding and it was amazing. I didn't eat the toffee on top but it completed the WOW factor. The price was fitting for the location, service and food. Staff were very friendly and always on top of clearing the table and refreshing drinks. We also spotted a few roos amongst the vines. Lovely afternoon.