Recently Franz and I found ourselves driving through the Megalong Valley to visit winemaker Jon Darragh. As we turned into Peach Tree Road, I spotted the Megalong Restaurant Lot 101 sign and thought I’d see if they had a spare table for lunch. I’m so glad I did for so many reasons.
First is the welcome and service from chef Colin Barker and his team, most of whom commute from Sydney each weekend. They show the combination of professionalism, warmth and charm that epitomises the best of Australian hospitality. Megalong Restaurant is warm and inviting, simply and tastefully decorated in wood and leather, with open fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the stunning views of Megalong Valley’s sandstone escarpments. Though I opted for a view of the open kitchen to catch all the action.
Megalong Restaurant at Lot 101 is ‘paddock to plate’ like I’ve never seen in Australia. They have a team of horticulturalists on staff and what isn’t grown on the farm is sourced from neighbours. One wandered in during service to drop off the last of the season’s very ripe persimmons, which Colin served with house-cured capocollo from local pigs. Restaurant manager Vincent Wigman explained that this isn’t unusual as they work with several of their neighbours to help restore neglected orchards in return for fruit.
My favourite wine lists are the ones I never see. I love it when I can just chat to staff about what I like then delicious wines arrive. So it is with sommelier Giuliano Barbera at Megalong Restaurant. On his advice I kicked off with a gorgeous dry Spanish vermouth (see below) and moved on to several fascinating drops by the glass, including two from Lethbridge Wine’s small-batch experimental range Between Five Bells. Franz was very happy with a couple of glasses from neighbour Jon Darragh, especially his superb chardonnay.
But we’re here to eat, so let’s talk food. A 7-course degustation features whatever’s at its peak in the garden and surrounding orchards. On our visit, that included puntarella (which I hadn’t seen outside Rome), spigarello, Peruvian ground apple, crosnes and sudachi, plus some ingredients that I actually recognised! Jerusalem artichoke soup was topped with shavings of truffles from neighbouring Kanimbla Valley, while house-cured bresaola (made from Lot 101 beef) sat on a vivid chantenay carrot purée with black garlic and padron pepper dressing.
We watched leg and cutlet of Lot 101 lamb come out of the wood-fired oven and be sliced and plated alongside agrodolce radicchio with the most delicious crisp pink fir apple potatoes with ravigote sauce and a tumble of local wild mushrooms. A pre-desert of mixed citrus granita with lemon curd almost overshadowed the finale of honeynut pumpkin ice cream with whey and sourdough sauce, crisp pumpkin chips and a dusting of fennel pollen (pictured below). The sauce is made from yesterday’s sourdough, so nothing goes to waste.
Dining at Megalong Restaurant at Lot 101 is much more than a meal. It’s an experience, an education and a delicious, fascinating way to spend an afternoon or evening. This is world-class dining at its finest. Overnight accommodation is available at nearby cabins, with the Megalong Lot 101 cabins planned to open in late 2024. There’s a Saturday morning market so you can stock up on their produce too. Visit MegalongRestaurant.com.au to plan your visit soon.
Chef/Co-owner Colin Barker explains how Megalong Restaurant at Lot 101 came about:
“It all started with a birthday party during COVID. My wife turned 40 in 2021 and had been planning her party for the longest time. Then COVID restrictions put that in danger. My brother-in-law called and said he’d found a 600-hectare property with old cabins on it, so we could spread out, stay the night and party without breaking any rules. It was fabulous – I cooked some whole animals on spits and everyone was having a great time. After a few too many beers, James, my brother-in-law’s brother, said ‘Come with me, I have an idea’. He walked me through the very rundown old homestead that is now Megalong Restaurant and a plan was hatched. A passion project. Three years of hard work later, Megalong Restaurant at Lot 101 celebrated its first anniversary in June 2024. It’s a real passion project. This is something James and I are building to leave to our kids. A legacy.”
Megalong Restaurant at Lot 101 is more than a legacy for family. Colin, James and their team are creating a legacy for the entire Megalong Valley community by restoring neighbours’ orchards, and caring for the land and the people on it. As with Australia’s first iconic destination diner, Berowra Waters Inn under Janni Kyritsis and Gay Bilson in the 1980s, most staff commute from Sydney on Thursday, staying on site and returning after lunch service on Sunday. Sommelier Giuliano Barbera tells me that they feel honoured to do so to work on such a special project with a chef of Colin’s calibre. The Megalong Restaurant Lot 101 legacy ripples out to the staff and diners who discover this little corner of Australian paradise.
Last visited 22 Jun 2024
