Vania K.
Yelp
I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I've heard so many great things about Vasse Felix Winery and Restaurant, so we decided to check Vasse Felix out while we were in the area. I saw that Chef Aaron Carr recently won the Chef of the Year award and I came in with high expectations, I was not disappointed.
We had a great lunch at Vasse Felix.The balcony seating overlooks the vineyard and the immaculately groomed lawn. With ingredients like sea urchin, raw trout, and emu, the dishes at Vasse Felix are far from ordinary. Chef Aaron Carr delights patrons with delightful concoctions that leave them wanting more - I wish I could order everything on the menu! I highly recommend making a reservation as they always seem to be busy. I also recommend sticking with the seafood dishes and saving room for desserts. I loved the barramundi with mussel reduction, the raw ocean trout and the marron starter. They were all very tasty and fresh, prepared perfectly, and exquisitely plated. I wasn't crazy about the pork shoulder with octopus, as it was kind of bland and the pork was a bit too fatty.
Of course, I wish the portion was about 3x bigger, but fine dining portion is always minuscule and we still left feeling full. The tomato, quinoa, and mozzarella side was surprisingly very good. The tomatoes were very fresh and crisp, which balanced nicely with the chewy mozzarella. Service was great, but for such a casual dining environment, it felt a bit stuffy and over-the-top formal. I'm glad they let us in with flip flops, swim trunks and all though. I highly recommend Vasse Felix if you're in the area. I know there are many wineries and restaurants in the area, but Vasse Felix is definitely worth a visit!