Jane needs a serious pay raise
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Overall excellent experience, very theatrical fit-out and dishes, some of the best views you're going to get in a South Australian restaurant with a few strange or poorly thought out aesthetic choices.
Upon arrival the menu was immediately provided, somewhat against the norms in most fine-dining venues and also differing in that it offered choices for each course. Maybe its personal preference, but despite how spectacular the majority of the food was when I'm at a special occasion venue like this I much more enjoy both a surprise for each dish, but also the choices being made for me.
The appetisers and snacks provided were undeniably glorious and full of diversity, I can't think of anywhere I've been more impressed with them. The little caviar snack, cos lettuce and the mushroom broth provided at the end were particularly delicious. Mains were spectacular, perfectly cooked melt in your mouth Wagyu and the Pork belly equally impressive. Loved the way the bread came as its own course, provided with a selection of 4 butters. Virtually everything up to the deserts was stunning, however these were somewhat a letdown even if still very tasty. Not sure why one of the desert options was a sorbet when also being served a reasonably large sorbet pre-desert (absolutely delicious and better than the deserts themselves) also. The persimmon tarte was an artpiece, but somewhat bland.
Obviously they're likely geared more towards wine pairings, but the non-alcoholic drinks pairing was tasty but dull, and often didn't seem to fit each course with any thought. Not a fan in general of non-alcoholic drinks pairings such as this which are ultimately just a set of cocktails with the alcohol missing.
Opinions seem to differ on the fitout but personally I wasn't a fan, especially with an exit sign glaring down across the middle of the room which seemed like poor design, and maybe its an Adelaide thing but the lighting was far too harsh in terms of the spotlights on each table. On the other hand the spaciousness and room between each tables was fantastic and the view can't be beat in SA. The music in my opinion was also too loud and clearly just playing off a bad generic CD that didn't fit the restaurants vibes, with a few genuinely grating vocalists. Again it felt like not a lot of thought went into this, for $190 even small things should be watertight.
Overall the food here was among the best I have had in Australia but underwhelmed by what are a few poor choices or lack of thought here.
Wow that’s an experience. Spare no expense, damn the torpedoes. Fantastic view, in Adelaide to uber to. What a wonderful view. It’s truly a theatre.
Probably not much point to comment on the individual dishes as they change. However, every dish was delightful, well thought out, fantastically presented. They were perfectly complemented well chosen wines (although admittedly, the food had to complement the wine as they served Yattarna, 707, Grange... can't really change the wine!). The portions were perfect, I walked out feeling full but not overfed having only eaten once piece of bread; it was the perfect amount of wine as well despite having an additional glass of champagne at the start and a dram of Hibiki at the end (while you can still get it!).
The wonderful evening was rounded out by a brief, self guided tour of the cellar. It was certainly a feast for the eyes!
Such a gorgeous spot! A must dine at when in SA.
The Degustation ($190) had more dishes than originally thought - about 15 - with several initial dishes. My stand outs were the crispy skin chicken tarts, the cos lettuce, blue cheese chou, chocolate-fed beef waygu ($35 extra) and the yoghurt palette cleanser.
The duck is a major tough disappointment and dessert was average.
Wine pairing was 👌 ($110 extra)
Overall I will recommend and keen to try to kitchen next time. The ambience and location is fab. ($20 uber from city)
This is a bit of a different review. I had the opportunity to eat at Tasting Australia's Glasshouse Kitchen: Rivers and Seas. As I can't review chef Scott Huggins dish anywhere else, I'm parking it here.
Southern Rock Lobster with shiso and daikon. The daikon was served over the rock lobster like a sheet. It looked quite elegant, I almost didn't want to disturb it. It was rock lobster, who am I kidding?
To read the rest of my review which is pt 2 of Tasting Australia but you really should read part one as well. ;-) Click on the link below.
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I had the pleasure of eating at the Penfolds Magill Estate last Saturday and I wanted to take the time to write a review about my amazing experience. Firstly, the reservations team both Hannah and Narelle were lovely – My boyfriend and I had planned to fly into Adelaide for the degustation experience for his birthday and they were able to accommodate a time even through originally there were was no seating. The follow up on my extra requests were not only met but was advised in a timely manner.Upon being greeted by the friendly wait staff we were seated at the booth. Service was in itself impeccable. You were really able to see the true passion and dedication of the team to ensure guests felt welcomed and well informed. The overall service definitely enhanced our experience. The food and wine was also extremely impressive. Good service is hard to come by and the service at Penfolds was exceptional. I could not recommend it enough. We both had an amazing experience and will forever cherish our time at the estate.
The setting is just quintessential Adelaide. I love the simplicity of this place. It's the classiest joint in all of Adelaide in my opinion. If you are a visitor to Adelaide this is a must visit because it's iconic and beautiful. Menu is first class, service was sincere and attentive and the wine list is as good as you'll fine anywhere in the world.
Magill Estate can be found at the home of Penfolds – only a short cab ride from Adelaide city. As we taxi up the long vine-bordered driveway, the excitement is building. It’s not the sort of place you go every week, or even every month for that matter – the last time I’d been was just after it re-opened in its current form.
Jacqui's Food Fetish
+4.5
Magill Estate can be found at the home of Penfolds – only a short cab ride from Adelaide city. As we taxi up the long vine-bordered driveway, the excitement is building. It’s not the sort of place you go every week, or even every month for that matter – the last time I’d been was just after it re-opened in its current form.
The degustation meal was delicious. Every dish was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the mayura beef. The bread and butter is also fantastic, making it hard to resist eating it continuously. I had the sommelier's wine match and my partner had the non-alcoholic match which were also great. The service was faultless and my partner and I had a very enjoyable evening. Very very pricey but definitely worth the experience.
Do: the degaustation with matching icon wines.
Don't: fill up on the amazing house made bread and butter. So good, but try to resist getting two servings.
Tip: ask for Doug to be your waiter and ask for Neil to give you a private tour of the cellar. Both were wonderful.
Daisy Yum (daisyumblog)
+4.5
Magill Estate Kitchen is a newly established eatery right next to the cellar door of the beautiful Magill Estate. It is a sisterly offering to the restaurant and offers a more casual dining atmosphere compared to the fine dining restaurant next door. Driving up the road you will notice vines on both sides and the kitchen is located on your left. Not many people know about this kitchen, and yes it is opened for breakfast. If you have a group of 8 or more then it is definitely good to make a booking.
Penfolds conjures up some of the most enduring images of my romance with wine. When I think of the Barossa, I think of Penfolds, and then I think of Grange, and then I think of the Barossa. They are intertwined in a way that is unique. Magill Estate is where it all started in 1844. However, Magill Estate is not in the Barossa and is only about twenty minutes from the Adelaide CBD. A pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. As you enter the drive you feel a long way out of the city, driving by softly lit vines, and the original homestead of Dr Penfold.
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We finally found an excuse to visit the highly praised Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant. On a delightful Spring-like Sunday afternoon my girlfriend and I had lunch to celebrate her birthday. The experience was a delight from start to finish.
Food:
The menu outline was provided at the start, which is somewhat against the modern fine-dining restarurant trend of keeping everything secret. The meal started off with some small snacks which were all interesting and tasty. A warm sourdough loaf was brought out next and was deliciously crunchy on the outside and warm and fluffy in the centre. A series of four well presented, creative and tasty dishes were delivered steadily throughout the afternoon. The highlights for me were the chicken and truffle, which I could have gone on eating for the rest of eternity, and the buttermilk marron. From my experience marron is a bit of a poor man's lobster - great texture but not a whole lot of flavour. This marron was prepared in a way that totally took advantage of its great texture and subtle flavour by complimenting it with others. The main course of venison was cooked incredibly well, water bathed possibly, which really removed the gamey flavour and made for a beautiful melt-in-your mouth sort of texture. We were probably expecting a little more from the main dish overall - the beetroot accompaniment was a little lackluster. Dessert totally redeemed the meal though. The main dessert was some kind of heavenly frozen/ice cream cheesecake. I'm not a big dessert fan but when it's done like this how can one resist.
I must also commend them on their matched wines. Matched wines from my experience are usually a bit of a let down for the price but the selections here significantly added to the experience.Overall, the quality of the food was certainly on par with other highly regarded SA fine dining restaurants, however I felt that I was slightly less amazed with the dishes than I have been elsewhere. Of course I look forward to the day that I can return to experience a different menu.
Service:
The service is as you would expect at a restaurant of this stature. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and also respectful and subtle.
Ambience:
The glass walls provide for stunning views. The decor is interesting. I'm not a huge fan personally, but it's certainly eye-catching. Luckily we were seated in a comfortable and elegant couch slightly removed from the rest of the restaurant - looking out over the vineyards on a gorgeous sunny day. I remember being so relaxed that I could have easily dozed off a couple of times throughout the afternoon (being slightly hungover probably didn't help). It's a fantastic experience, however, if you are seated somewhere near the western facing window when the sun starts dropping just be warned that it can get a little warm in there.
Best experience in life perfect service nice meal & wine .... We have degustation menu & it's worth the money.... Nice view..... Best for couple events
Good service, nice food, nice decor and ambience, beautiful outlook. We shared 3 small dishes and two larger ones. The beetroot dish was really excellent.
Special Night. From the moment you arrive you are made to feel special. 7pm - A pre-dinner Champagne in the Lounge (though I might suggest this experience extends the night to a late one, ok if a Fri/Sat...midweek is a stretch.)
We experienced the degustation menu and matching wines.....what bliss. This matching experienced educated my palate well, and now I am enlightened as to when the wines really do match the foods. My outlook has changed, no doubt aided by the quality wines :) in the matching menu.
The degustation menu is lovingly and artfully crafted and every course is a taste bud experience. Pictures in previous blogs show similar dishes.
Don't get caught eating all the bread though it be hard to resist, and the parting chocolate gift is worth savouring for later.
Well worth saving up for.
From the initial booking to the end of the evening the staff were friendly, well informed and thoroughly professional. The food is innovative and delicious and well matched with amazing wine selections. The view over Adelaide and the ambience of the room ensures a first class dining experience. Recommend the sommelier's wine choices as they were so well matched with the interesting flavours. The Kingfish dish was full of flavour and a real surprise as was the cheese course and beautifully cooked lamb and beef. Course sizes well chosen and I would go again and highly recommend this restaurant budget allowing for a truly special dining experience and evening.
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Heaven served in seven courses. Penfolds Magill Estate indulges all 5 senses - not just taste - which was apparent from the second that my husband and I walked through the door. We were immediately greeted by Maitre D' Martin, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening.
The dining experience we enjoyed was no less than incredible, beginning with pre-dinner drinks whilst overlooking the stunning lights of Adelaide City. Delivered in seven separate courses, each exquisite dish was created and presented beautifully. It was evident that these meals were prepared with dedication, skill and, importantly, with the guest in mind.
A particular highlight of the experience was the outstanding, non-intrusive customer service. The staff were appropriately interactive and extremely considerate throughout the evening. Martin demonstrated his admirable knowledge of the food, as he took time to explain each course, its involved preparation, and the wines.
The restaurant environment was welcoming and certainly not intimidating. We were made to feel like the only guests, and this fostered a very special and unforgettable evening. We personally would like to congratulate all staff at Penfolds Magill Estate on their exceptional service, and we will definitely be recommending and returning. A special thank you to Martin for providing such a wonderful night.
Absolutely amazing. Service, food, taste, setting, environment. Not a place for children just enjoy a romantic evening out.
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Incredible dining experience. I honestly can't believe the review below can be from the same restaurant!
I too had the luxury wine matching and the pours were incredibly generous (if you are used to wine matching with degustations never being full pours). We struggled to finish each wine with every course, and I saved the very special grange to finish my night with.
I live in Melbourne and have been to Attica twice and Vue de Monde but believe the overall experience at Magill Estate far surpassed both. The service was wonderful, so informative, kind and attentive without being intrusive. The sommelier was FANTASTIC and really made the experience for us. He was very knowledgable and passionate and talked us through the wines and why they were selected. He even knew exactly the location "to the right at the top of the hill" of the vineyards where the wines grew. The food was SUBLIME. Each morsel as delicious as the next with standouts being the ocean trout and the lamb with almonds but every dish was fantastic and I wish i could relive it now!
The decor was absolutely beautiful. We were there in March and the sun was setting as we arrived and it was just gorgeous. You are not close to any other tables so you feel you're in a private dining area, where you can just indulge and chat to your dining companions about how wonderful it is.
I honestly couldn't fault our visit whatsoever and I would return in a heartbeat if I could. More expensive than any other degustation in Australia but worth every penny.
Fine dining. Absolutely amazing the perfect food and service helped make this dinner a truly amazing experience.
The foods matched perfectly with some amazing wines neither overshadowing each other.
Adelaide dining scene is only enhanced by Magil estate and shines as one of the top venues in Australia
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I was fortunate enough to have been given generous vouchers for magill estate and bistro Dom for my birthday a while back.
I liked it but didn't love it.
The food was good. Each course of the degustation was delightful but some if the dishes and the manner in which they were served were too pretentious.
A dish with extracted chlorophyll sounds great, but was nothing special and my joke about my improved ability to photosynthesise fell on deaf ears. I wondered if the waiter knew what he was serving of whether I'm not that funny.
I ate all the bread and needed to. Always a bad sign. The 'century old yeast' was wasted on me.
A special little seat/stand for my wife's handbag was probably not necessary.
These are minor criticisms really and I actually found the food quite good.
In a nut shell, very good food, too much pretense (for the quality of the restaurant) but I had a nice evening.
I went there in the same month or so as Celsius and bistro Dom.
It was streets ahead of Celsius, which I found terrible. The food was on the same level as bistro Dom but I enjoyed BD more, mostly because of ambience.
We went last week & it was amazing! Loved every dish & service was excellent. Would love to go back again!
Firstly this is a VERY expensive restaurant so be prepared ! Had the degustation and matching wines altho not the premium selection .. That is even more costly The food and wines were all well matched. Food portions were fairly small and certainly didn't feel "full" at the end. Presentation of everything was fantastic and all courses individually explained as were the accompanying wines. The decor continues to be simple yet elegant and the makeover is great. However whilst there was nothing to complain about the evening lacked a WOW factor. Few amazing memorable flavours. It's good but not great .... Especially for the price
Beautiful! My partner took me to Magill Estate for my birthday this year. Can not fault this place. Degustation is amazing. A wonderful food experience. Great wine list too
Fantastic location and stylish redesigned restaurant since I was last here. We had the 8 course degustation menu which was a fantastic tour of beautiful flavours. A very good evening.
Easily the most I have ever paid at any restaurant but certainly not the best experience I have ever had. Not that it was bad but my expectation was raised when asked to pay $425 for a degustation with matching wines. Service was good. Portion sizes were small. We had to supplement the amount of food by ordering two loaves of bread. The renovation looks superb. I do appreciate Magill Estate going to so much effort in having a fine dining restaurant in Adelaide but at the end of the day, if you charge that much, you have to come up with the goods.
I had the best dining experience in Adelaide. We dined there on my birthday as a surprise from my partner and guess what?! It turned into a truly surprising experience. Because... by chance Matt Preston was dining there too! Even excepting this unusual special condition, the dining experience there was absolute pleasure. Their service was just perfect and food was unbelievably sensational! It's far beyond the average level of Adelaide restaurants. This is a genuine 5 star restaurant. Highly recommended! We will definitely come back!
Quite simply, the best dining experience we have ever had !
Amazing View to match the food! The food was great the view..... amazing and the toilets are great too. The service was great but had to wait a bit for the food...... All in all, a great place for a celebration, for tourists and just for a romantic night out!
Brilliant. I needed to remortgage the house to eat here, but you get what you pay for........absolutely amazing. A wine did not match the meal, however the smellier re-tailored the wine with my pallet and made all my worries disappear.
Modern & Good-ish. I have been to magill twice in the last couple of years. both times have ben very good. none of the dishes are mind blowing and the restaurant has a bit of a corporate feel but the food is always tasty and you can see the chefs have great passion. the cheese trolly is a nice touch but it took the chef about 30min to explain it to us. Overall really worth a visit if your into fine dining. Beautiful toilets. PS penfolds wines become a bit boring when doing wine flight.
Enjoyable. We have had a very enjoyable degustation with the wines. The place gets really beautiful at night with the view. Service was excellent, Grace and Aaron knew their stuff, were friendly and personal. All food was very good, nothing too exciting however. I guess, very subjectively, I am looking for this experience where you don't want to lose that taste sensation and every bite is an explosion of aroma... I loved the bread & butter pudding though.
In 2013, this restaurant underwent huge renovations and changes to staff and management. I believe I had one of the best dinners I ever had in Australia. Service was absolutely perfect, lead by Greta. Wine was outrageously good and each course memorable. It's a while ago and I feel guilty that I never wrote a review (I did but it was rejected by another online site). Just wanted to say thank you to all the front of house staff and chefs for an amazingly wonderful experience in every way possible!
Set on its own mini-vineyard, Penfolds Magill Estate is, in my opinion, Adelaide's fanciest restaurant. I've worn my fancy shirt and sports jacket. Even I couldn't get away with uggs and trackies here. :)
Despite not being at the absolute top of my Scores page, this us probably the place I look forward to coming to most. It's definitely Adelaide's fanciest restaurant. It's the only place I've been to where degustation (many small courses) is the only menu option. It is also, unsurprisingly, the most expensive place I've been.
I was looking forward to coming here. There's nothing like this place in Adelaide. In the middle of a small vineyard, the service here is super-fancy.
Coming here is an experience as well as just a chance to eat food. There are only a few places in Adelaide this fancy. If it were daytime, I’d probably have a look around the estate, for some extra amusement. I’ll definitely be back here when my Top 50 begins.
Simply amazing. One of the best dining experiences in Australia to date. Been lucky to dine at some of Melbourne's best and I would say this is by far my #1 pick now. Food was exquisite and left you wanting more. We did the paired iconic wines and with the beautiful view it all just tied in together beautifully. Certainly on the premium side of pricing but worth it for those special occasions. Cannot wait to visit again.
Had the most spectacular food experience. In total there were twenty items of food, so I honestly feel that $220 is more than reasonable. Every single dish that came out was meticulously made with such an incredible eye for detail. The staff were all wonderful and very intuitive. The views are beautiful. The Grandfather 30 Year Old Tawny is to die for. Such a wonderful place for a special occasion. Would highly recommend.
The restaurant is beautifully located with amazing views. Service by the ladies led by Ria was outstanding but slightly let down by the 2 male serving staff with lacklustre service - performing their jobs perfunctorily without the professionalism expected when working in such a top fine dining establishment. Ria & the other ladies however more than made up for it with their cheerful banter & sincere service. The food though is simply outstanding. The snacks were absolutely delightful & the chef has obviously put in alot of thought into them. All the dishes were delicious (favourite is the lamb wellington). Reservations are necessary & though a little pricey at $220 per head, the wine list needless to say was fantastic & well priced.
Stunning food and beautiful dining experience. Everything was perfectly curated and and unbelievably delicious. Highly recommend.
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I cannot explain how proud I am that this wonderful place is on our doorstep. Representing some of the world's best wine, Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant still gives me goosebumps. From the warm personalised welcome, with a chilled Bollinger in the lounge bar overlooking the beautiful Magill Estate Vineyard, to the truly fine dining experience of the menu and food, Magill Estate remains one of our ultimate favourites. Selecting from a 3 course classic menu or 7 course signature menu, the food is usually locally sourced by season, and prepared to perfection. Wine pairing is of course also offered, choose from the Sommeliers Choice, or if you are bold, the Icon & Luxury wine package. We were so fortunate this time around that a Bin 80A was included in the I&L package, simply outstanding. For a truly unforgettable fine dining experience, very few locations in Australia, let alone Adelaide, can offer the unique ability to match Australia's best produce with her wine, a vice versa. Thanks again Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant, you have made my 40th unforgettable
Queenie “ilets victory”
+5
Only with myself, I spent $250 (only with non alcohol drink), but it worths. Friendly staff, nice view, hah, the manager attempted to give me the eftpos machine instead of my receipt when I paid the bill. Well, he told me that he did some wine tasting at night, hah
Absolutely amazing experience, great wine tasting and the most fantastic cheese platter we’ve ever had!
Their dishes are an art form - they are well thought out, balanced, taste and look amazing. Good service.
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