Lunch at Hatted La Vètta at Marnong Estate
La Vétta restaurant at Marnong Estate continues its climb with a new menu that’s as delicious as it is refined. Fresh off receiving a Good Food Guide hat—a rare and great honor for a winery restaurant—the team led by iconic Greg Feck is serving dishes that celebrate Italian influence, Marnong’s own wine, and the lush landscape it overlooks. We were invited to experience the new Spring/Summer menu.
We started with a bite of their Fermented Potato Focaccia, delicate yet rewarding, enhanced by rosemary from the estate garden. Yellow-fin Tuna Croccante, a complex blend of goat’s curd and black garlic, offered a sophisticated taste of spring, while the Yellow-tail Kingfish Crudo, bright with pomegranate and Meyer lemon, was an artful mix of acid and richness.
The Casarecce pasta with Skull Island Prawns was a standout—saffron-tinged spirals tossed with avocado crema and zucchini blossom, a triumph of color and texture. The Mayura Station Flank Steak, full-blood Wagyu from Limestone Coast, was cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth finish, with impressive sides sourced from the garden.
Paired with Marnong’s Montepulciano and Shiraz, each dish exemplified the estate’s dedication to quality. But it’s not just about the food and wine. La Vètta, set against Marnong’s sweeping views, has that rare quality of an elevated dining offering without the pretension, rooted in local ingredients yet sophisticated in every aspect. For me, a slice of Tuscany close to Melbourne.
Beyond La Vètta, Marnong Estate has much to offer—luxury accommodations, a cellar door, another restaurant Cucina 3064, and Caffè Vista. It’s a destination that makes you want to linger, savoring the small details and knowing that this estate is one to watch (including a new winery soon to launch).