St Hugo | SA Weekend restaurant review

Go for the world-class reds – stay for the beautiful Barossa surroundings, dishes with picked-this-morning freshness, newly refurbished dining room and a special French dessert.

The dining space at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley.

The waiter glances at her notebook to check the pronunciation. “Today’s special is Clah … Fout … Eee,” she says carefully, before repeating the word with more confidence, the delivery about as close as anyone with an accent from this end of the world could possibly manage.

She goes on to describe the French dessert as being something like a pancake, which doesn’t quite do it justice.

I love clafoutis and the version at St Hugo’s cellar door restaurant in the Barossa Valley is one of the best. Made in a pie tin, its fluted crust is all crisp and biscuity, the edges just starting to catch and turn to a dark toffee. Heading towards the middle, where the batter has been poured over slices of fresh peach, it gradually becomes more like a set custard, to the point where it is hard to believe this has all been made with the same mixture. To the side is a plum sorbet the deep red of an old-fashioned rose petal and another quenelle of ice cream.

Peach clafoutis, plum sorbet at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley.

Given we are lunching at the home of a wine brand whose reputation is built around its reds, dessert might have been a bit of an afterthought, something to offer grudgingly to diners who really don’t want the cheese. Turns out that this final dish is a highlight, a true celebration of summer stone fruit that, like much of the other produce making its way to the kitchen, is taken from orchards and vegie patches established on the surrounding estate.

This is a property where the roots run deep, an impression formed when you pass between the cork trees lining the driveway. And while St Hugo has only been here since 2016, the ironstone winery that provided a starting point for the cellar door dates back to the 1850s.

Even after a few visits, this new structure makes a strong impression: the blending of ancient stone and towering glass panels; the scale of the main fireplace; the spare-no-expense quality of materials and finishes.

The orchard and vegetable patches at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley.

St Hugo’s style of dining has changed markedly since opening, an evolution accelerated following the Covid closure.

Restaurant tables have moved from the dark, cloistered room facing the kitchen to the brightness and space of the tasting area, with its views across vineyard and bush.

Executive chef Nik Tucker has been brought in as part of this shift, moving over from neighbouring sister estate Jacob’s Creek and bringing some of that label’s practical, everyman appeal. If some parts of his flexible menu (tomato, basil, fior di latte, say) seem like they are cooking 1-0-1, they are invariably elevated by the picked-this-morning freshness of ingredients. A creamy basil pesto, for instance, that clings to strands of fettuccine that are rolled and cut each day. The pasta is formed into a nest that also incorporates batons of grilled zucchini, with pecorino across the top.

Fried squid, romesco, tomato salad at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley

And while slices of raw kingfish don’t have the fresh blush or firm bite of the best specimens, straws of crunchy salted kohlrabi and a delicate buttermilk dressing get this plate across the line.

Too fancy? Then go for the locally caught squid, dissected into strips of tube and tentacle clusters, dusted in flour and seasoning, then fried to lightly golden, crisp perfection. The seafood is laid on an orange splotch of romesco sauce made without the nuts to remove any chance of bitterness, while assorted cherry tomato halves are arranged on top.

House-made fettuccine, zucchini, basil pesto at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley.

Lamb rump, baba ghanous, caponata at St Hugo cellar door, Barossa Valley

Slices of pink-centred lamb rump also are paired with a familiar face, this time a baba ghanoush with plenty of smoke but only a hint of garlic, a sensible precaution to prevent anything interfering with the enjoyment of a spectacular glass of 2010 cabernet that is recommended as the wine match.

Regular listed desserts include a polenta cake with poached apricots or a wedge of whiskey and nut tart that with its dark, treacle-y filling and buttery base is like a very adult Anzac biscuit fresh from the oven. But do be sure to ask about the specials. You never know what they might come up with.

For more reviews visit delicious.com.au/eatout