Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove

Whether it be rain or shine, Winter or Summer, Montalto's Vineyard and Olive Grove in Red Hill is the perfect venue for any occasion. Offering both a formal, award winning chef hat restaurant, and a casual pizza café, Montalto also caters to the price tag.

The degustation menu is a must if visiting the formal restaurant. Offering both a 5 and 7 course menu, we couldn't go past the 5 course option for $105:

Raw cobia, persimmon, sake vinaigrette

 

Slow cooked pumpkin, egg yolk, grains, miso

 

Pan roasted John Dory, pine mushrooms, stacciatella, hazelnut, leek

 

Aged duck breast, carrot, fennel, buckwheat

 

Whipped passionfruit and lemon curd with Daintree chocolate and burnt meringue

The appetisers were both the highlight and the lowlight of the meal.  The mussel with goats cheese appetizers were surprisingly the dish of the day - elegant but still bursting with flavour. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said about the wrapped fig (the fig lacked in any natural sweetness and would have been complimented better by stronger/saltier flavour such as a prosciutto) and the miso cucumber with poppy and sesame seeds (which was both tasteless and boring). 

Luckily it was all uphill from there. Aside from the mussel appetizer, the dish of the day was the cobia. The fish melted in the mouth and was complimented beautifully by the creaminess of the goats cheese and the tartness of the persimmon. 

Not a dish I would usually order, the slow cooked pumpkin was also a dish which was both plated elegantly and was a textual delight.

 

The John Dory was cooked perfectly and was paired beautifully with the pine mushrooms and edible flowers from the garden which added a layered, earthy tone.

However, the aged duck breast was slightly on the disappointing side. Whilst the meat was deliciously flavoured (as was the rest of the dish), the skin was far from crispy and my piece of meat was tough and chewy.
 

The grande finale was as impressive as the mains. Whilst I have a cocoa allergy, the staff were only too happy to offer me a substitute for the desert - poached apples with vanilla bean ice-cream and cinnamon crumb.  The apples were poached perfectly, the ice-cream rich creamy and cinnamon crumb added the required texture to make it overall an exceptional dish.

 

The staff at Montalto are as exceptional as the food - warm, friendly and attentive, they were everything you would expect from a chef hat restaurant.

Aside from its formal dining area and pizza café, Montalto also offers packed picnics for its designated picnic areas between 1 October and 30 April each year - an idea I will be keeping in my pocket for those warmer months.
 

With its elegant and refined food, exceptional staff and stunning location, Montalto is without a doubt the new fave.

Food: 4.5/5

Venue: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Total: 14.5/15

Verdict: The New Fave - get around to trying it soon