Where to eat on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Vineyard fine dining, cliff-top seafood, woodfired pizza and bakeries - 15 standout places to eat
From cliff-top fine dining to woodfired pizza in a garden
The Fleurieu eats extraordinarily well for a region this size. McLaren Vale alone has a cluster of vineyard restaurants that would be at home in any capital city, while the coast adds cliff-top seafood, beachside fish and chips, Italian osterias and bakeries worth a detour. Soil-to-table is not a slogan here - much of what lands on the plate is grown, caught or made within a few kilometres.
These are the places we send people to first, spread from McLaren Vale and Willunga out to the coast at Port Willunga, Port Elliot, Goolwa and Victor Harbor. Book ahead for the vineyard restaurants, especially on weekends.
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1
McLaren Vale
d'Arry's Verandah Restaurant
d'Arenberg's fine-dining room on Osborn Road is McLaren Vale at its most polished - seasonal Fleurieu produce, an epic wine list and long views over the vines from the verandah. The obvious special-occasion lunch.
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2McLaren Vale
The Salopian Inn
A mid-19th-century inn turned modern Australian dining room, the Salopian is famous for its gin trolley, house-grown produce and a cellar of more than 250 wines. Book the long lunch.
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3Aldinga & Port Willunga
Star of Greece
Perched on the cliff above Port Willunga beach, the Star of Greece serves casual-fine, seafood-leaning plates with one of the best ocean views in the state. Sunset bookings go fast.
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4Myponga & Second Valley
Leonards Mill
Inside a beautifully restored 1854 flour mill at Second Valley, Leonards Mill is a destination restaurant pairing refined modern cooking with the western Fleurieu's produce. Worth the drive.
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5McLaren Vale
The Currant Shed
A lunch-only restaurant in a restored 1880s currant-drying shed at McLaren Flat, the Currant Shed is all crisp seasonal cooking and relaxed vineyard charm.
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6Aldinga & Port Willunga
The Victory Hotel
A historic pub on Sellicks Hill with a knockout cellar and sweeping views over the gulf, the Victory pairs proper pub hospitality with a serious wine list. Time it for sunset.
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7Willunga
Russell's Pizza
A Friday and Saturday night Willunga institution - Russell Jeavons' woodfired pizzas served under the trees in a rambling garden. Bring friends, settle in, no rush.
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8Port Elliot
The Flying Fish Cafe
Right on Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot, the Flying Fish is an Encounter Coast icon for fish and chips on the sand or a sit-down meal with the bay at your feet.
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9Willunga
Fino Vino
A stylish little Willunga wine bar from the original Fino team, serving Mediterranean share plates and natural wines in a relaxed main-street room.
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10Willunga
Vigna Bottin Cellar Door & Osteria
A Calabrian family cellar door and osteria on the road into Willunga, Vigna Bottin specialises in Italian varieties and the kind of generous, handmade food to match.
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11McLaren Vale
Ekhidna Wines & Restaurant
A family-owned McLaren Vale cellar door and restaurant on Branson Road, Ekhidna blends the estate's wines with a modern, produce-driven menu in a light-filled space.
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12Goolwa
Kuti Shack
At the Goolwa Beach carpark, the Goolwa Pipi Company's Kuti Shack does the local catch simply and brilliantly - pipis, fish and chips, with sand between your toes.
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13Aldinga & Port Willunga
Home Grain Bakery
A family-run Aldinga bakery, now with sister stores at McLaren Flat and Middleton, famous for its sourdough, pies and pastries. The perfect road-trip refuel.
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14Victor Harbor
Beach House Cafe
Wood-fired pizza, sunset views and live music on the Encounter Bay foreshore make the Beach House one of the best easy summer dinners in Victor Harbor.
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15
McLaren ValeCoriole Vineyards
A family-owned McLaren Vale estate that pioneered Sangiovese in Australia, Coriole pairs its Italian-leaning wines with a celebrated grazing menu in gardens made for lingering.
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