O’Leary Walker review, Clare Valley best restaurants | delicious.SA: Regional 50

The view from this hilltop cellar door and restaurant is arguably the best in Clare with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the vineyard-dotted landscape below.

Food at O'Leary Walker in the Clare Valley.

7093 Horrocks Highway, Leasingham

1300 342 569

olearywalkerwines.com

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The view from this hilltop cellar door and restaurant is arguably the best in Clare with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the vineyard-dotted landscape below. Children play on the lawns surrounding the contemporary building while, inside, grown-ups taste O’Leary Walker’s range of wines.

The onsite restaurant is spacious and full of sunlight – plenty of room to move and breathe makes it suitable for couples, larger groups and families (the kid’s menu is impressive).

Head chef Brendan ‘BJ’ Leslie was sous chef at the Belgian Beer Café and head chef at the Sevenhill Hotel before he took the reins here. His focus is on seasonality, provenance and the use of ingredients sourced from the region.

There are three sittings to choose from (kicking off at 11am, 12pm, or 1.30pm) and the three-course ‘feed me’ option is a good way to take decision-making out of the equation.

Kick things off with the kitchen’s artisan sourdough bread and truffled EVOO butter, followed by an entree of double-cooked duck breast topped with rhubarb, blueberry, lavender, pinot jus, duck skin crumble and black pepper – pretty as a picture and tender to a tee.

A choice of four mains includes the likes of sous vide beef fillet with buttered enoki, charred greens, harissa and marrow jus; low and slow pork belly; or for the adventurous, the one-kilogram T-bone is a meaty marathon best shared between two-to-three people.

Platters (the gold star condiment variety) are also available daily.

The wine list is understandably O’Leary Walker focused but a selection of beer, cider and non-alcoholic beverages is also offered.

Full list: See the best restaurants across all our regions

• Hours: L Mon-Sun
• Bill: E $6-$16.5 M $31-$120 D $12-$15
• Wine: Wine list
• Chef: Brendan Leslie