10 Clare Valley restaurants to book

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We’ve rounded up our favourite Clare Valley restaurants for you to enjoy on your trip to this charming and historic wine region.

The area might be known for its wineries and cellar doors, but the Clare Valley restaurant scene is not to be underestimated. With plenty of dining options, from multi-course degustations to casual woodfired pizzas, you’ll be spoiled for choice. We’ve rounded up our favourite Clare Valley restaurants for you to enjoy on your trip to this charming and historic wine region.

1. Skillogalee Restaurant

If farm-to-table dining is your thing, look no further than the lovely restaurant at the acclaimed winery Skillogalee . The refined menu celebrates local Clare Valley and South Australian produce, including ingredients from local suppliers as well as the restaurant’s kitchen garden.

people dining al fresco at Skillogalee Restaurant
Skillogalee Restaurant elevates the farm-to-table dining experience. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission/Mike Annese)

With dishes such as chicken-liver parfait with pickled cherries, hand-rolled gnocchi with zucchini, pistachio and mint and a delectable 12-hour lamb shoulder, you’ll get a taste of Clare Valley with every mouthful.

a close-up of a dish at Skillogalee Restaurant
Choose from the refined menu at the acclaimed winery Skillogalee.(Image: John Montesi)

Address: 23 Trevarrick Rd, Sevenhill

2. Ragu and Co

Delicious Italian food in the heart of Clare? Don’t mind if we do. Ragu and Co is a warm and authentic restaurant serving saucy pastas, fresh pizzas and traditional Italian dishes that’ll transport you straight to the med.

an array of Italian dishes on the table at Ragu and Co
Relish in Italian fare at Ragu and Co.

Our pick? The crispy skin barramundi with tomatoes, capers and olives – perfection.

mushroom and truffle arancini and pasta with wine at Ragu and Co
Try Ragu and Co’s mushroom and truffle arancini paired with wine.

Address: 308 Main North Road, Clare

3. Slate Restaurant at Pikes

Known as one of the best restaurants in Clare Valley, Slate serves modern Australian dishes designed to showcase the beautiful wine produced at Pikes vineyards.

a spacious dining setup at Slate Restaurant at Pikes
Nab a table inside the spacious and elegant Slate Restaurant at Pikes. (Image: Pikes Wines)

The seasonal menu boasts a fusion of Japanese, Middle Eastern, Italian and French flavours, offering guests a surprising culinary experience that delights the palate and pairs perfectly with their delicious drops!

a chef doing meal preparations at Slate Restaurant at Pikes
Slate Restaurant at Pikes offers a fusion of international cuisines. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: 233 Polish Hill Road, Sevenhill

4. Watervale Hotel

This understated gem in Watervale might not have the crisp tablecloths and abundant cutlery of a fine-dining restaurant, but when it comes to excellent food, it sure delivers.

a staff arranging the dining table at Watervale Hotel
Snag a spot in the long table for lunch at Watervale Hotel. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The hotel team prides themselves on their commitment to providing an ‘ethical epicurean’ experience, offering a range of delicious, seasonal and local dishes that cater to all dietaries.

a plate of food on the table at Watervale Hotel
Watervale Hotel commits to provide an ‘ethical epicurean’ experience. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: 37 Main North Road, Watervale

5.  Seed Clare Valley

If you’re after a relaxed restaurant in Clare Valley serving delicious cocktails and woodfired pizzas, look no further than Seed . This casual spot has a fun rooftop bar where you can enjoy a cold drink and a slice of pizza, as well as a bistro menu for more elevated dining. Don’t miss the fab deli full of gourmet goodies including specialty cheeses and fresh cuts of meat.

specialty cheeses and meat on a platter at Seed Clare Valley
Order gourmet goodies at Seed Clare Valley.

Address: 268 Main North Road, Clare

6. Bush Devine Winery Restaurant

Native ingredients shine on the menu at Bush Devine Winery , the restaurant at Paulett Wines in Polish Hill. Expect to see lemon myrtle, saltbush, bunya nuts and finger limes enriching the dishes with a distinctly Australian twist and showcasing the outstanding flavours this area has to offer.

a food platter with matching wines at Bush Devine Winery Restaurant
Bush Devine Winery Restaurant draws ingredients from their very own Australian native garden.

If you’re opting for the five-course set menu (you should!), give yourself plenty of time to enjoy this gastronomic experience with matching wines – you won’t be disappointed.

guests enjoying food and drinks at Bush Devine Winery, Paulett Wines in Polish Hill
Indulge in a five-course set menu at Bush Devine Winery, the restaurant at Paulett Wines in Polish Hill. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: 752 Jolly Way, Polish Hill River

7. Mr. Mick

Mr. Mick is one of the most popular Clare Valley restaurants, and for good reason.

transferring pork belly from a pan
Mr. Mick’s twice-cooked pork belly is extra savoury. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The historic building oozes character, while the relaxed menu features fan favourites such as cheesy arancini, squid with sweet chilli jam, and an indulgent twice-cooked pork belly you’ll be thinking about for days. They also serve a range of yummy pizzas on Sundays.

a close-up of dishes on the table at Mr. Mick
With Mr. Mick’s diverse offerings, you’ll be surely spoilt for choice. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: 7 Dominic Street, Clare

8. Reilly’s Restaurant

The charming town of Mintaro is home to Reilly’s Restaurant , where the tastes of the region are explored in their seasonal menu.

old people dining outside Reilly’s Restaurant
Opt for a five-course ‘Long Lunch’ with matching wines at Reilly’s Restaurant. (Image: Tourism Australia / South Australian Tourism Commission)

Whether you opt to order à la carte or fully indulge in the five-course ‘Long Lunch’ with matching wines, you’ll enjoy gourmet classics guaranteed to delight. Prefer a more relaxed bite? Try Reilly’s cellar door, where you can order grazing platters alongside your wine tasting.

a close-up shot of a food plate at Reilly’s Restaurant
Enjoy gourmet classics guaranteed to delight.

Address: Corner Leasingham Road & Hill St, Mintaro

9. O’Leary Walker Restaurant

The sleek O’Leary Walker is one of the most contemporary Clare Valley restaurants, offering a chic menu designed to share. The tightly edited selection is heavy on the small plates, so you can taste a variety of flavours from the area.

pouring wine into a glass on the dinner table at O’Leary Walker Restaurant
Wine and dine at O’Leary Walker Restaurant. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

We’re ordering the pork and lemongrass wontons, the sticky Thai peanut cauliflower, and the Shiraz-glazed beef rib with celeriac and garlic – foodie heaven. Got dietaries? Stress not. There are lots of options for our GF, DF and vegan friends, too.

a close-up shot of a dish at O’Leary Walker Restaurant
The menu is heavy on the small plates. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: 7093 Horrocks Highway, Leasingham

10. Antidote Kitchen

A new venture from the former head chef of Clare Valley institution Indii of Clare, Antidote is bringing Indian street food to the table at this buzzy new spot.

a close-up shot of a food on a plate alongside a drink on the table at Antidote Kitchen
Savour mouth-watering meals at Antidote Kitchen.

Originally a pop-up kitchen servicing local wineries on weekends, Antidote found their permanent home in the old Chaff Mill in Clare just a few months ago, and have been delivering mouth-watering meals every day since.

a table-top view of food plates at Antidote Kitchen
Antidote brings Indian street food to the table.

Address: 308b Main North Road, Clare

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3 wild corners of Australia that let you reconnect with nature (in comfort)

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
    The country’s rawest places offer some of its most transformative, restorative experiences.

    Australia offers sublime opportunities to disappear into the ancient, untouched wilderness, worlds away from modern stress. Wild Bush Luxury offers a collection of experiences that are a portal into the continent’s wildest, most undiscovered landscapes, from wide floodplains to vast savannas, where the only distractions are birdsong, frog calls, curious wallabies and the daily drama of sunset. With a focus on conservation and Indigenous knowledge, these all-inclusive experiences allow guests to slow down and quiet their minds for intimate encounters with the natural world.

    1. Bamurru Plains

    safari tent at Bamurru Plains wild bush luxury
    Let nature take front row.

    In the remote Top End, just outside Kakadu National Park on the fringes of the spectacular Mary River floodplains, you’ll find Bamurru Plains , a peerless Australian safari camp. After a quick air transfer from Darwin to the camp’s private airstrip, you’ll be whisked away via 4WD to a vivid natural wonderland of shimmering floodplains, red earth, herds of peacefully grazing water buffalo and 236 bird species (Bamurru means magpie goose to the Gagadju people).

    Accommodations consist of 10 mesh-walled bungalows and two luxe stilted retreats where guests enjoy panoramic, up-close views that invite them into their rightful place in the landscape (and binoculars to see it even better). Being an off-grid experience designed to help guests disconnect, the only distractions are birdsongs, frog calls, curious wallabies, the occasional crocodile sighting and the daily drama of the spectacular golden sunset.

    It’s a place where nature’s vastness rises to the level of the spiritual, and Bamurru’s understated, stylish,  largely solar-powered lodgings are designed to minimise human impact and let nature take front row.  Guests relax in comfort with plush linens, an open bar, communal tables that allow for spontaneous connections and curated dining experiences from the in-house chef using local ingredients and bush-inspired cooking methods.

    Bamurru Plains airboat tour
    Zoom across the floodplains. (Image: Adam Gibson)

    It’s a restorative backdrop for days spent zooming across the mist-covered floodplains in an airboat, birding with expert guides, taking an open-sided safari drive or river cruise through croc country. Spend time at the Hide, a treehouse-like platform that’s perfect for wildlife spotting.

    In fact, nature is so powerful here that Bamurru Plains closes entirely during the peak monsoon season (October to April), when the floodplains reclaim the land and life teems unseen beneath the water. Yet Wild Bush Luxury’s ethos continues year-round through its other experiences around Australia – each designed to immerse travellers in a distinct Australian wilderness at its most alive and untouched.

    2. Maria Island Walk

    woman on a headland of Maria Island Walk
    Maria Island Walk offers sweeping coastal scenes.

    Off Tasmania’s rugged east coast, the iconic Maria Island Walk is an intimate four-day journey through one of the country’s most hauntingly beautiful and unpopulated national parks, encompassing pristine beaches, convict-era ruins, and wildlife sightings galore. Accessible only by a small ferry, Maria Island feels like a place reclaimed by nature, which is exactly what it is: a penal settlement later used for farms and industry that finally became a national park in 1972.

    These days, the island is known as ‘Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark’ and its only human inhabitants are park rangers. It’s a place where wombats amble through grassy meadows, wallabies graze beside empty beaches, dolphins splash in clear water just offshore and Tasmanian devils – successfully reintroduced in 2012 after near-extinction on the mainland – roam free and healthy.

    Each day unfolds in an unhurried rhythm: trails through coastal eucalyptus forests or along white-sand bays, plateaus with sweeping ocean views, quiet coves perfect for swimming. Midway through the journey, you’ll explore Darlington, a remarkably preserved 19th-century convict settlement whose ruins tell stories of human ambition at the edge of the known world.

    At night, sleep beneath a canopy of stars in eco-wilderness camps – after relaxing with Tasmanian wine and locally-sourced meals, and swapping stories with your fellow trekkers by candlelight.

    3. Arkaba

    two people standing next to a 4wd in Arkaba
    Explore Arkaba on foot or on four wheels.

    For a bush immersion with more of an outback flavour, Arkaba offers a completely different type of experience. A former sheep station and historic homestead in South Australia’s striking Flinders Ranges that has been reimagined as a 63,000-acre private wildlife conservancy. It’s now patrolled mainly by kangaroos and emus.

    Small-scale tourism (the homestead has just five ensuite guestrooms) helps support rewilding projects, and guests become an essential part of the conservation journey. Days begin with sunrise hikes through ancient sandstone ridges or guided drives into the ranges to spot yellow-footed rock-wallabies. And end with sundowners on a private ridgetop watching the Elder Range glow vibrant shades of gold, crimson and violet as the air cools and time stands still.

    Here, you can join conservation activities like tracking native species or learning about Arkaba’s pioneering feral-animal eradication projects, then unwind with chef-prepared dinners served alfresco on the veranda of the homestead, which is both rustic and refined. The highlight? Following Arkaba Walk, a thriving outback wilderness where emus wander and fields of wildflowers grow.

    It’s an unforgettable immersion in Australia’s vast inland beauty, a place where the land’s deep and complicated history – and astounding resilience – leave their quiet imprint long after you return home. In a world where genuine awe is rare, Wild Bush Luxury offers a return to what matters most in the untamed beauty of Australia’s wilderness.

    Disconnect from the grind and reconnect with nature when you book with at wildbushluxury.com