Eat & Drink

Young-gun winemaker on McMurtrie Road

Alex Sherrah makes small-batch shiraz, grenache and left-field whites at this unpretentious cellar door on McMurtrie Road.

A tiny, much-loved craft brewery and taphouse on Willunga's High Street, brewing experimental small-batch beers a few barrels at a time.

Red Knot Shiraz & an 1800s barn

Family-owned winery at the entrance to the McLaren Vale township, based around a beautifully restored 1800s ironstone farm barn.

A family-owned producer of powerful single-vineyard Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with barrel-room tastings overlooking the estate vineyard.

McLaren Flat hilltop with Mount Lofty views

Family winery on Bagshaws Road, McLaren Flat - home to The Currant Shed restaurant and a large cellar door with sweeping Mount Lofty Ranges views.

Charlie O'Brien's alternative-variety wine project showcased in a shared tasting room on Stump Hill Road, McLaren Flat.

An absolute beachfront bistro and bar at Aldinga with produce-driven plates and an oceanfront deck - one of the best sunset dinners on the western coast.

Wine Spectator favourite on Tatachilla Road

Matt Wenk's boutique Smidge Wines has a Halliday five-red-star rating and has featured in Wine Spectator's Top 100 for ten consecutive years.

Microbrewery in an old Myponga dairy factory

An award-winning microbrewery housed in a converted dairy factory in Myponga, famous for its beers named after the owners' Samoyed dogs.

A shared cellar door (with Seven Eves) championing climate-appropriate Mediterranean varieties crafted by winemaker Mauricio Ruiz Cantu.

Clifftop dining above Port Willunga beach

Famous casual-fine dining restaurant perched on the cliff above Port Willunga beach, named for the 1888 shipwreck visible below at low tide.

A small-batch microbrewery in the historic Goolwa Wharf goods shed, sharing a building with The Fleurieu Distillery and pouring four preservative-free hand-crafted beers.

A surf-inspired brewery in the McLaren Vale vines

An independent craft brewery and taphouse on Olivers Road, McLaren Vale - a surf-inspired brewery with a rotating tap list and regular food truck line-up.

Strathalbyn's oldest hotel - a heritage 1840s pub on the corner of Rankine Street with a beer garden running down to the River Angas and a country bistro.

Restored currant shed, seasonal lunch menu

Lunch-only restaurant in a restored 1880s currant drying shed at McLaren Flat, run by Hamish Maguire and Emily Dowie since 2011.

An organic farm cafe and providore set among biodynamic vineyards and olive groves above Willunga, with a paddock-to-plate menu that changes by the day.

Single malt whisky & Moon River Gin at Goolwa Wharf

Award-winning Australian single malt whisky distillery on Cutting Road at Goolwa Wharf, shared with the Steam Exchange Brewery.

On the sand at Horseshoe Bay

Beachside cafe and restaurant right on Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot - an icon of the Encounter Coast serving breakfast, lunch and summer dinners overlooking the beach.

An 1865 historic country pub in the pretty Finniss River valley - originally Ashbourne's post office and general store, now a refurbished gastropub with live music.

Heritage sandstone pub on Ocean Street

An 1897 sandstone pub on Ocean Street, Victor Harbor - bistro meals, beer garden, front bar and a shot of heritage in the centre of town.

A modern Australian small-plates and cocktail spot on Ocean Street in central Victor Harbor, with a tight seasonal menu and a strong Fleurieu wine list.

Italian dining at Lady Bay Resort golf course

Contemporary Italian restaurant at Lady Bay Resort with a terrace overlooking the golf course and the Gulf St Vincent coast.

A hatted modern South-East Asian eatery in a tin-shed building in historic Aldinga village, with a tight share-plate menu and natural wines.

A premium single malt whisky producer on a 127-acre hilltop estate, with sweeping views over the McLaren Vale vineyards and a Barley to Bottle distillery experience.