Dining > Reviews
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Don't just take our word for it. Read what other people have to say about our restaurant. |
"Chef Simon West has assembled a knockout menu at this wondrous site. It comprises entrée-sized dishes, cheeses, puddings and extras to mix and match, switch and swap, share some or all. It's a tapas concept but your average tapas bar won't offer a dish as fine as pheasant pithiviers, served with Brussels sprout purée and gamey jus. Nor quail stuffed with brioche crumbs and tarragon with braised peas and lettuce, or pork belly salad with fennel and white anchovy. Glazed quince tartlet with mascarpone and vanilla panna cotta topped with intensely flavoured mandarin jelly star among the desserts. Cheeses, like the wines, are local. Indeed everything is; the distance between the source and the kitchen is noted on the menu: oysters are farmed at Barilla Bay, two kilometres away, and smoked eel comes from Geeveston, just down the road. All good, as they say in Tassie." Australian Gourmet Traveller 2008 Restaurant Guide |
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"Chef Simon West now offers a small-dish menu that allows diners to graze over a wider range of tastes and textures. Tiny plates such as the amazing abalone and pork belly with chilli jam, a demitasse of, say, celeriac soup, or an oyster plucked from the nearby waters allow you to start with a serious flavour punch. Then it's on to entrée-sized dishes served individually or to share, ideal to savour while taking in the stunning vineyard views. While the menus can be very seasonal - in winter, for example, you'll find hearty fare such as robust rabbit pie with brussels sprout purée, and dishes featuring local black truffles - the house-cured ocean trout is a good starter any time of year. Extensive wine notes make it easy to match each dish to a suitable wine. And don't leave without trying the signature soft-centred chocolate pudding with vanilla bean ice-cream." 2007 Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide |
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A Glorious Day's Grazing at Meadowbank"... The baby abalone with lup chong and chili jam was indeed good, and the chili wasn't overpowering. The ceviche of sand whiting, currants, pinenuts and parsley was astonishingly good as was the smoked eel, potato pancakes, crispy bacon and horseradish cream. We were on a roll. The terrine of farmed rabbit with cornichons and fig and olive paste followed by the crisp pork belly, salad of fennel and white anchovy were astounding. Tremendous waiting staff, wonderful ambience to the place... It was a really terrific meal." Beverley Brill Eastern Shore Star Bouquets for a fuss-free winery...There is a general irreverence to the indulgences of good food and flowing wine. Gone is the haughty posturing, the protocols and performances. At Meadowbank eating and drinking is playful... The restaurant is a treasure... Head chef Simon West has sculpted a menu of modest-sized dishes to encourage the degustation experience. They are based on the finest local produce. No fear of having to dismantle an awkward artwork of food here. The Seared Spring Bay scallops on black pudding are superb, while only a fool would leave without trying the soft-centred chocolate pudding - a dish that is rapidly achieving signature status for West..." Aaron Scott, Sun Herald "...the outstanding Meadowbank Estate with state of the art tasting rooms, an award-winning restaurant, and simply beautiful tableside view across the vineyard and over the sublime Coal River Valley made me wish I was staying for longer." Patrick Anthony, Savour (UK) "A change in menu format has made this vineyard restaurant, a short drive from Hobart, even more enticing for a long, languorous Sunday lunch. The new small-course format allows you to sample and share a wider range of dishes, while enjoying views over the vineyard and Barilla Bay. You'll want to try everything, from the small dish of tender abalone with pork belly to the dessert of soft-centred chocolate pudding, with maybe a detour via sugar-cured trout and a breast of squab with polenta, or spaghetti tossed with scallops, rosemary and lemon. The estate's wines are particularly good, with the Henry James Pinot Noir being a perfect match for the food." Sue Dyson and Roger McShane Meadowbank Estate - one star rating"At the gateway to the Coal River Valley wine region, just a short drive from Hobart, Meadowbank is one of Tasmania's premier lunchtime dining venues.... From the lively open kitchen just behind the dining room, seriously inventive food is turned out by chef Simon West and his team. Expect dishes such as twice-baked goats cheese soufflé with an apple salad, seared scallops with black pudding and parsnip purée, or an unctuous daube of aged beef with caramelised eschalots and soft polenta. Top of the dessert hit list is a soft-centred chocolate pudding, but a caramel-glazed pear and walnut tart also hits the mark. Service is seamless and the wines sit well with the style of food." 2006 Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide "And Meadowbank would put a lot of mainland vineyards restaurants to shame. Apart from the size and thoroughness of the operation, Ellis has imported chef Simon West, a Mornington Peninsula veteran, to get the job done, and the guy is more than up to the task, having run vineyard restaurants in Victoria for years and understanding the importance of giving diners a regional food and wine experience... The whole experience has an air of sophistication" John Lethlean - The Age, Sept 2004 "The addition of a tasting area separate to the dining room and the arrival of chef Simon West have combined to breathe new energy into this lovely establishment. It sits in the middle of the Meadowbank vineyard with sweeping views to Pittwater and the Coal Valley. It's a short trip from Hobart to sample good, fresh, local produce treated with respect by the talented chef and his team. Added pluses are the quiet professionalism of the service and wines that compliment the food. Oysters from nearby beds are a great way to start the meal. A fillet of blue eye on a sautée of young leeks with a shellfish reduction and the braised rabbit with cider, rosemary and cream both show restraint, allowing natural flavours of the produce to shine through. A highlight is the soft-centred chocolate pudding with vanilla bean icecream." Australian Gourmet Traveller "Reasons to return: Views of the Coal River Valley; excellent wines; Tasmanian produce used with flair by head chef Simon West; a family-friendly approach to dining. Oh, and you may spot royalty too." Matthew Denholm The Weekend Australian: 'Tables' column June 2005 |