Circa 1876 Restaurant The Convent Hunter Valley

Nestled in the heart of the Pokolbin area of the Hunter Valley, is this gem of a restaurant. We don't often do "proper fine dining" partly due to the cost, but also cos hubby prefers simpler fare. However, it being a special occasion, we splurged and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The restaurant itself is in an old (circa 1867) building and is charmingly rustic. The juxtaposition of perfectly set tables, gleaming glassware and snowy linens alongside the gleaming old timber floors and huge ceiling beams is quite delightful. Service was prompt, friendly and very knowledgeable (the descriptions of each dish as they were served was a very nice touch). Its a set menu with 4-5 choices each for entree, main and dessert with a couple of complimentary slices of ciabatta to start. We started with the Seared Scallops (hubby) and Braised Quail...both delicious. Mains were Baked Barra with Witlof (perfect!) and Pumpkin Risotto with Braised Rabbit (a tad under-seasoned and rather bland but the texture was spot on). We ordered the "salad" and its the reason for the 4 stars on the food. Don't waste your money...its ridiculously overpriced and it hardly constituted a "salad"...just exotic leaves on a plate with some salt and viniagrette. Desserts are to die for and a complimentary surprise additional plate (chocolate mousse cake) was lovely and much appreciated. Well worth a visit and whilst expensive, its not exorbitant and we'll definitely be back.

I’m very disappointed with my experience at Circa. We came here for our anniversary dinner and were really looking forward to it — unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. It started out well. We placed our set menu order within 5 minutes of being seated, and the entrées came out promptly (about 10 minutes later). The scallops were delicious, and my husband enjoyed the beef tartare. But after that, everything went downhill. We waited 50 minutes for our mains to arrive. During that time, we noticed at least four other tables that came in after us had already received (and even finished) their mains. I had to follow up with the staff, and about 10 minutes later, our mains finally arrived — it really felt like they had forgotten about us. By the time we were eating, two of those other tables had already left. My fish and my husband’s duck were just okay — nothing special. Honestly, the potato side dish was the highlight of the mains. Desserts were also average. To be fair, the wait staff were very apologetic and handled it graciously — they removed two of our earlier drinks from the bill to make up for the delay. The issue didn’t seem to be with them personally, but likely with the kitchen’s timing. Overall, the experience was very disappointing. We arrived at 6:30 PM and didn’t finish until 9 PM — and we’re not slow eaters. While we appreciated the staff’s effort to make things right, it wasn’t the enjoyable anniversary dinner we were hoping for, and I sadly wouldn’t recommend Circa based on our experience.

Very nice place with a historic charm. And food was good, starting from the bread! I had the scallops, fish and Mille-Feuille while my husband had the quail, lamb and chocolate. Service is very quick too!

An incredible experience from start to finish! Dining in a beautifully preserved 150-year-old cottage was like stepping back in time — the charm of the wooden and metal interiors really transported us. It was fascinating to imagine how people once lived there. The food was outstanding — fresh, creative, and full of flavour — and the service was truly five-star. A must-visit spot in the Hunter Valley for those who appreciate history, atmosphere, and fine dining.

Absolutely the best! Top notch quality and fantastic service. A great variety of wines, exceptional food. We booked it for my birthday and got a very romantic table next to the fireplace and I was also given a complimentary birthday cake. Loved it, we enjoyed so much! Thank you 1876 team🩷

We stopped at Circa for dinner, the building is a styled homestead with a dining room that has a lovely wood fireplace. The food had some great tastes and all produce was very fresh. One recommendation would be to make some slight changes to the menu with flavours specifically the lamb shoulder, whilst it was delicious the seasoning lacked a little.

Very nice venue, old world charm meets sophisticated yesteryear. Takes you back to first settlers of the region. Food was lovely, very flavoursome, my duck was delicious, perfectly cooked with sweet flavours. We sat by the huge fire place adding a romantic warmth. A delightful experience made better by being a short stroll back to the Convent.

Absolutely amazing. The team, food and atmosphere was everything we hoped for and more. So very special to celebrate our first anniversary. The team went above and beyond.