Gather at Coriole review, Fleurieu best restaurants | delicious.SA: Regional 50

Take your time and this quaint restaurant, and finish with a tasting in the cellar door.

Gather at Coriole, dry aged beef on creamed grains. Picture: Jessica Galletly

79 Chaffeys Rd, McLaren Vale

[phone]

coriole.com/Restaurant

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You’ll hear nothing but gravel under-wheel as you drive slowly past rows of olive trees and grape vines, the entry to the grounds of Coriole Vineyards. It’s a signal to relax, breathe and take in this beautiful spot that’s just as perfect for couples looking for romance, as it is a family lunch.

The narrow, curved road opens up to an abundance of colour – flowers in bloom – and Coriole’s quaint cellar door. Behind that, a restaurant – Gather at Coriole, which took out the no.1 spot in SA’s 2019 delicious.100 list.

The dining “room” is an undercover courtyard, which looks out to rolling hills and vineyards as far as the eye can see.

In the kitchen, head chef Tom Tilbury is working his magic with produce grown on-site and seasonal finds.

It might be blue swimmer crab, hand-picked and dressed in buttermilk, then wrapped in sorrel leaf. Or the most tender kangaroo you’ve ever tasted, layered delicately with shaved kohlrabi and red cabbage that resemble fallen flower petals on your plate.

Bigger dishes are generous – from dry aged beef that sits on moreish and decadent creamed grains, to a sweet and buttery celeriac and mushroom tart.

A small wine list will have you covered, or gins are on-point. It’s a set menu on weekends of 5 or 7 courses, $75-$90, and $40 for matched wines. Take your time, and finish with a tasting in the cellar door.

Full list: See the best restaurants across all our regions

• Hours: L Thu-Mon
• Bill: Five courses $75, Seven courses $90 | A la carte weekdays only
• Wine: Wine list
• Chef: Tom Tilbury