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

The Barossa Valley is synonymous with cellar doors, but the region also boasts brilliant breweries, distilleries and butchers packed with take-home goods. Here’s where to go.

Enjoying lunch at Pindarie Picture: South Australian Tourism Commission/Sven Kovac

The Barossa Valley is synonymous with cellar doors, but the region also boasts brilliant breweries, distilleries and butchers packed with take-home goods. Here’s where to go.

COFFEE | LIGHT MEALS

The Barossa quite rightly maintains a stellar reputation for its bacon and other smallgoods but the first meal of the day shows how the region’s food culture is sprouting in so many delightful directions.

While it is still possible to find a first-rate fry-up, that breakfast toast might also be topped with the black bean stew known as “mollettes” from El Estanco, the Colombian cafe that has just opened a newly expanded location in the little town of Greenock.

On the other side of the valley in Angaston, Casa Carboni kicks things off Italian-style, with freshly piped cannoli, bombolini and other treats to have with that espresso heart-starter.

Darling’s in the main street of Tanunda is a long-standing favourite for coffee and you will also find a bench filled with house-made muffins, while nearby Pulp + Thread has more health-conscious smoothies and bowls, to make sure you can still fit into the dresses, coats and other fashion they also sell.

Breakfast at El Estanco in the Barossa Valley is a treat.

Coffee specialist Octeine @ Seppeltsfield has just joined the historic winery’s village community. Located near to the car park and surrounded by expanses of lawn, Octeine offers single estate and blended brews as well as a healthy selection of brunch choices.

For post-midday munchies (on top of those above), try the wood-oven pizza from Ember, part of Provenance Barossa, where you will also find a coffee roaster, distiller and two cellar doors. Talking pizzas, the 40’s cafe at Angaston has also won awards for its creative toppings.

For pubs of admirable character and honest cooking, try The Greenock (the Community Pie fundraiser is a win-win) or the Eden Valley Hotel where the wine list is exceptional in scope and value.

Many of the region’s cellar doors also offer platters and boards alongside their tastings but few can match the magic of the converted 1860s cottage of David Franz, where visitors put together their own DIY selection from a pantry that includes salami and other charcuterie made by winemaker/owner David Lehmann.

Out on the western fringe of the Valley, Pindarie takes great pride in pies with fillings such as saltbush lamb and quince or North African ratatouille that form the centrepiece of lunch each day in a meticulously renovated grain store.

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

Nicole Durdin of Seppeltsfield Road Distillers. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

BARS | BREWERIES

The Barossa drinks adventure doesn’t end with wine. The region has more than its share of breweries, including the traditionally styled ales of Rehn Bier, who also welcome any four-legged friends, and Barossa Valley Brewing, where the tap beers and a simple menu are available until late at night.

Gin lovers can find a shady spot on the spectacular deck of Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers or soak up the history of the antique equipment at Barossa Distilling Co, where the house-made concoctions can be sampled alongside craft spirits from elsewhere. For a full immersion into the world of gin, however, head to Musque where you can pick a favourite from the wall of more than 180 bottles or explore a selection in one of eight Expressions of Juniper tastings.

SHOPPING

The Valley is famous for its butchers, bakers and other producers, with each little shop will having its own specialties and local advocates. Best then to recommend heading to the Barossa Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, where you will find breads, smallgoods, dairy and other goodies in one place. At other times, the Barossa Larder, part of the Foodland at the Barossa Co-op, Nuriootpa, is a one-stop-shop for filling picnic baskets.

Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop continues to attract a great following with its range of condiments and cooking essentials (as well as a chance meeting with its much-loved owner), while the Allerlei store in Tanunda has jams, pickles and relishes from the kitchens of some of the region’s best home cooks.