Emeraude

Google the tiny town of Hampton, about a two-hour drive west of Brisbane, and it’s not the region’s rolling green hills or lush farming area that pops up, but a picture of casual cafe-cum-restaurant Emeraude.

Warwick hogget shoulder slow cooked for 6 hours low and slow, with Cotswold Hills peas and cavallo nero, Bundaberg zucchini, young spindle asparagus and Cloud Lake fennel flowers.

8616 New England Hwy, Hampton

07 4697 9008

emeraude.com.au

GOOGLE the tiny town of Hampton, about a two-hour drive west of Brisbane, and it’s not the region’s rolling green hills or lush farming area that pops up, but a picture of casual cafe-cum-restaurant Emeraude. And it’s because owner and chef Amanda Hinds has been putting this sleepy picturesque destination on the map with her standout cuisine, old-fashioned, charming hospitality and pure passion for this little patch of the Darling Downs.

The brioche doughnuts with rhubarb and custard at Emeraude, Hampton.

Emeraude has become “the spot” for the weary traveller, the road-tripper and the holiday-maker, adored for its simple, unpretentious menu that changes daily depending on what local farmers drop off that morning.

Emeraude. Photo: Jane Hodges

There’s a purity to Hinds’s food, with the chef understanding when to let the produce speak for itself and when to push it in exciting new ways.

Take a simple pizza, for instance, topped with potato, rosemary and Manuka honey pork sausages from local butcher Toni’s Meats, on a focaccia-like base that is the perfect blend of homely comfort and restaurant flair. Or a vintage cheese brulee, with a just-set fromage mixture under a cracking toffee top waiting to be dipped into with the sweetest of in-season veg. A tight, food-focused wine list is in play, but better yet, order a gin spritz using a syrup made from local rosellas and soak up the sun in the wisteria-lined outdoor courtyard.

• Hours: Breakfast Fri-Sun Lunch Thurs-Sun Dinner Fri-Sat
• Bill: E $9-$24 M $22-$44 D$12-$18
• Chef: Amanda Hinds
• Wine Licensed Yes BYO No

Vibe: mates/partner/kids/parents

Region: Regional

Vegetarian: Yes Vegan: No

Exceptional wine list: No

Outdoors: Yes

Child friendly: Yes

Wheelchair access: Yes

Takeaway/delivery service: No

Exceptional dish (or dishes): Cheese brulee, smoked kingfish, brioche doughnuts