01 August 2008
Nigel Hopkins
Trevarrick Road, Sevenhill, South Australia, Australia.
+61 8 8843 4311.
Not surprisingly, South Australia’s best country restaurants can be found in its main wine regions and Skillogalee is no exception. What started in 1990, serving food to visitors who came to taste wine, soon blossomed into the Clare Valley’s first full-time winery restaurant. Co-located with the cellar door in a cottage built in 1851 by a Cornish miner, it still has buckets of charm and splendid views over surrounding vineyards, as well as a great regional lunch menu supervised by owner-chef Di Palmer. On a fine day, dine under a large olive tree in the garden or on the large enclosed verandah. When the Clare’s cool, misty weather sets in there are dining rooms with an open fire – or knee rugs should you choose to stay on the verandah. Palmer is a champion of her region’s produce, so look for dishes such as the Vine-Pruner’s Lunch (vintage cheddar, rum-glazed local ham, pickles, chutney, crusty bread and salad), locally sourced steak with roast chat potatoes and beans, or perhaps a winter casserole of rabbit and prunes in a port wine sauce. Morning and afternoon teas are available, as are picnic baskets.
Open: daily 10am-5pm. Licensed (Skillogalee’s wine only). Mains $20-$32.
Source: Qantas The Australian Way May 2008
Updated: August 2008