Clare Valley: Where to eat, drink and shop | delicious.SA: Regional 50

From Auburn to Clare, this picturesque region sports excellent wineries, breweries, cafes – and some award-winning sausages to boot.

Clare Valley is a stunning region to explore. Picture: South Australian Tourism Commission/Samantha Lodge

From Auburn to Clare, this picturesque region sports excellent wineries, breweries, cafes – and some award-winning sausages to boot.

COFFEE | LIGHT MEALS

Clare locals start their mornings at Café 1871, where the coffee is stellar and the toasted sandwiches (with bread from Apex Bakery in the Barossa) and croissants come highly recommended. It is also open extra-early (6am weekdays) for those with places to be or desperate for their first espresso. The Watervale General Store kicks off a little later but has nailed the art of making an egg and bacon roll. It also offers a versatile lunch menu and takeaway specials (everything from tuna bake to Korean-style roasted pork belly), as well as stocking a clever range of hard-to-find supplies.

In addition to the cellar doors listed in our Regional 50, Skillogallee restaurant has the dreamiest of outdoor settings, either spread around the veranda or under the shade of an ancient olive tree. Reillys in Mintaro has a variety of tasting plates to suit red or white drinkers, or settle in for their long lunch.

Among the pubs of the region, the Magpie & Stump at Mintaro is custom-built for families, with a large lawn out front where the kids can run wild and parents can choose between pub classics or an excellent osso buco or daily pie. The Seven Hill Hotel is renowned for the best schnitty, while the Rising Sun at Auburn has a terrific cellar of local wines, including back vintages – and a room to stay the night. And don’t miss the Watervale Hotel, which gets a mention in our Regional 50.

Nicola Palmer and Warrick Duthy at their newly renovated Watervale Hotel. Picture: Matt Turner.

Back in Clare, Mr Mick Kitchen has tapas-sized plates with a globetrotting theme, moving from Chinese dumplings to Japanese tuna to Middle Eastern lamb and couscous without drawing breath.

Come evening, the aroma of toasted spices will lure diners into Indii for a curry (try the goat). The burgers, fried chicken and fish and chips at SeedStreet diner are all top-notch and can be accompanied by wine from local makers such as Wendouree. Look out for a new deli, bistro and rooftop bar from the Seed team.

Take a side-trip to Burra and, after discovering a little about the town’s mining heritage, sit down for excellent wood-oven pizzas and other specialties at La Pecora Nera (The Black Sheep).

For more ideas on where to eat, check out our delicious.SA: Regional 50 guide for the best restaurants for your road trip.

Claire Hannigan at the Vanguardist Wine Room in the main street of Clare. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

BARS | BREWERIES

When the region’s out-of-town cellar doors are closing up for the day, the Vanguardist Wine Room in the main street of Clare is still kicking on (Fri and Sat). As well as sampling the Vanguardist range, wines from around the world are available by the glass. A few blocks away, the Matriarch and Rogue cellar door (Sat and Sun) is also popular for a weekend afternoon and even has tasting packs for the kids.

For those whose beverage interest encompass grain as well as grape, Pikes Beer Company (next to the winery) continues the family’s 100-plus-year brewing heritage. As well as the core range, there will always be a few more experimental batches to try. On the other side of the Valley, at the home of Jeanneret Wines, Clare Valley Brewing Co specialises in easy-going ales to drink with mates.

Little Red Grape regional bakery, cellar door and homewares and gift store at Sevenhill, SA.

SHOPPING

The monthly Clare Show Market brings together a varying collection of locally sourced produce and preserves, as well as jewellery, toys and arts and crafts (the popular farmers’ market at Sevenhill is currently on hold).

The sausages at Mathies Meat Shoppe in Clare have snagged multiple awards, while the bacon is so good that even Barossans have been known to visit for supplies. For excellent sourdough and ciabatta breads, as well as pasties and doughnuts, try Clare Rise Bakery. Also popular is The Little Red Grape Bakery in Sevenhill, where you will find a full range of pastries and cakes.

Set on the edge of its own grove, The Olive Bus has grown from a place to buy excellent oil, olives and other preserves, to a charming outdoorsy dining space for breakfast, light lunches and regular pizza nights. Evilo Estate is also recommended for its oil.