McLaren Vale restaurants: Our guide to the best spots to book now

With paddock-to-plate fine dining and coastal seafood meals with sweeping views, McLaren Vale’s dining scene delivers flavour, creativity and a true sense of place.

More than just a celebrated wine region, McLaren Vale has evolved into one of South Australia’s most exciting culinary destinations where chefs draw on the region’s abundant local produce to craft dishes for a long degustation lunch or a relaxed meal with friends – here are the unmissable McLaren Vale restaurants to try.

The shortlist

Best for large groups: The Kitchen at Bec Hardy
Casual eats: Pizzatecca
Best views: Silver Sands Beach Club
Great for special occasions: Star of Greece
Best wine list: The Salopian Inn

The Salopian Inn

Ask where to go for dinner in the McLaren Vale wine region and The Salopian Inn is the first restaurant to be mentioned.

The kitchen makes everything from scratch, using ingredients sourced straight from their garden, which supplies much of the fruit, vegetables and herbs. When it’s not homegrown, it’s sourced from nearby growers and producers who share their passion for ethical, sustainable food. The menu shifts with the seasons, from what’s harvested to what’s preserved or fermented, and every dish celebrates the region’s best pasture-fed meats and ethically sourced South Australian seafood.

Choose the ‘feed me’ menu or order à la carte with small plates like steamed pork buns with hoisin, ginger and chilli sauce, or Paroo kangaroo tartare with green olive and spring onion oil. Larger dishes such as grilled Coorong wild mullet or slow-cooked lamb shoulder with green olives, sumac onions and chickpeas are dishes to remember. Pair it with a choice from their award-winning drinks list – over 200 local and international gins, plus an extensive selection of local, Australian and international wines by the glass.

Cuisine: Asian and modern Australian
Average Price: $$
Atmosphere: Relaxed and comforting
Location: Corner Main Road & McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale

Star of Greece

It’s hard to resist Star of Greece for a long lunch or elegant dinner overlooking the sea at Port Willunga. A South Australian icon for more than 20 years, this cliff-top restaurant delivers some of the most spectacular views on the Fleurieu Peninsula – best enjoyed with a glass of local wine in hand.

Whether you’re after classic fish and chips from the kiosk, drinks on the deck, or a three- or four-course feast in the restaurant, every experience is refined but welcoming. The menu isn’t Greek, but rather modern Australian with a Mediterranean influence where seafood gets a good run. Think: Kangaroo Island King George whiting (battered, crumbed or grilled) served with Greek salad and chips, or Szechuan pepper squid with green mango, apple and nahm jim.

Book ahead for special occasions and settle in to watch the sun dip into the water – it’s McLaren Vale wine region dining at its finest.

Cuisine: Mediterranean
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Coastal elegance
Location: 1 Esplanade, Port Willunga

Fiore

Down the Rabbit Hole has so much to offer, including Fiore , a bright and welcoming Italian restaurant set among the estate’s picture-perfect gardens. Headed by executive chef Nick Tadija, Fiore delivers nourishing, feel-good dishes crafted from seasonal and locally sourced produce.

The Feed Me option is perfect for long, relaxed lunches – simply share your preferences and dietary needs, then let the team surprise you with a curated feast. On Friday nights, the Nonna’s Table experience brings a touch of Italian warmth with a set menu of antipasti, handmade pasta, hearty sides and classic desserts.

For something more casual, settle into the garden for wood-fired pizza and wine on Thursdays, or enjoy live music under the stars every Friday night from November to April – it’s the kind of place that captures the easy-going spirit of McLaren Vale.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Intimate
Location: 233 Binney Road, McLaren Vale

The Kitchen at Bec Hardy

Set beside the vines in a beautifully repurposed winemaking shed, The Kitchen at Bec Hardy does exceptional, share-style food that celebrates the best of the region. With its blend of rustic charm and refined touches – heritage oak vats, soft lighting and polished tableware – it’s a space designed to let the wine and food shine.

The menu focuses on fresh, seasonal and sustainably sourced local produce, much of it grown at the Tipsy Hill Estate gardens. Go simple with a charcuterie board from Ellis Butchers, paired with cheese, house-made arancini and a garden pear and greens salad. Or share one of the showstoppers – the 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder on labneh with pearl couscous, preserved lemon and herbs, or the pomegranate-glazed spring chicken with dukkah, green romesco and orange-fennel salad.

Round out a meal with a tasting from the estate’s three wine ranges, choosing from the Pertaringa, Bec Hardy and Lot 94 BSR ranges, each showcasing a different side of this family’s 45-year winemaking legacy.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Warm and welcoming
Location: 327 Hunt Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171

Little Rickshaw

Located within a warm tin shed – once a blacksmith’s workshop – The Little Rickshaw is a modern South-East Asian kitchen and bar that’s built a well established reputation with visitors to the area.

Owner Trinh Richards and her mother take inspiration from their Vietnamese heritage, blending traditional flavours with local, seasonal produce to create inventive, beautifully balanced dishes.

The restaurant offers a set menu only ($92 per person), featuring the chef’s weekly selection of dishes that might include bluefin tuna sashimi with daikon, kalamansi ponzu and sake capers, duck and kombu potstickers with bush tomato and soy dashi, or chargrilled wagyu striploin with honey, tamarind chilli sauce and cracked rice.

Open for lunch and dinner, the dining space includes a sheltered courtyard (with heaters in cooler months).

Cuisine: South-east Asian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Trendy and refined
Location: 24 Old Coach Road, Aldinga

Pizzatecca

At Pizzateca , generations of pizza-making tradition meet the best of South Australia’s local produce. Techniques have been passed down through the family, with every pizza made in Neapolitan style with a thin base, a perfectly puffed crust and just the right amount of char from the wood oven.

Start with their signature hand-stretched ball of mozzarella, filled with stracciatella and cream, served with seasonal sides and house-made crostini. Then move on to the 35cm wood-fired pizzas that let the ingredients shine including the deceptively simple Starita with sliced garlic, baby tomatoes and pecorino, to the fiery Diablo with salami, asiago cheese and house-made chilli honey, or the indulgent Bianco topped with portobello mushrooms, fior di latte, basil, parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil.

It’s rustic Italian food done right – generous, honest and full of soul and designed to share with large groups of family and friends.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Fun
Location: 319 Chalk Hill Rd, McLaren Vale

Silver Sands Beach Club

Nothing beats a meal at the local surf club – particularly one as good as Silver Sands . Situated in front of the Aldinga Life Saving Club, the venue makes the most of the sea views with floor-to-ceiling windows. With plenty of space inside and out, it’s easy to spend a long lunch here with friends or feed the family after a morning at the beach.

Portions are generous, starting with the surf club puffy break freshly baked to order and coming with a variety of toppings including whipped woodside goat’s curd and hot Bush Organics honey.

There are Gazander oysters with apple and seaweed dressing, Nomad chicken coq au vin, a butcher’s cut of the day and beer-battered Coorong mullet with spring slaw.

Wash it down with a local beer or wine while marvelling again at the view.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Elevated surf club
Location: The very end of Norman Road, Aldinga Beach

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

Our guide to the best McLaren Vale restaurants to book now