TEDESCA OSTERIA
Head to Italy – via regional Victoria.
The brainchild of chef Brigitte Hafner (co-owner of Melbourne’s now-closed Gertrude Street Enoteca), this agriturismo-style restaurant, biodynamic garden and homestead has been 10 years in the making. Forget fine dining, this is a monument to good dining. Warmth and a strong sense of hospitality are as essential to the menu as ingredients sourced from the extensive gardens and friends nearby. “My approach is built around a dinner party in my home – what I would like to eat and cook for a group of people, driven by what’s growing in our garden and what amazing produce I can source from the sea and pastures,” says Hafner. “It’s food that goes with wine and my emotional state at the time.”
But where exactly is it?
About an hour’s drive south of central Melbourne in Red Hill, a strange and wonderful mix of winegrowing country and surf beaches, ideal for a relaxing weekend getaway or an easy overnighter.
What to expect.
Dining here means a set menu cooked on the enormous woodfired oven and grill. Pasta is made here, meat and fish are ethically sourced and in winter, the potbelly stove takes pride of place, keeping everyone toasty. The whole show changes with the seasons but there’ll be snacks to start, housemade pasta, perhaps some local beef or wild-caught fish and maybe a seasonal fruit tart to end. Conviviality is the call of the day above all else, be it another amaro or an extra splash of wine – anything to keep the good vibes going.
The good times don't have to end, either.
If you’ve come this far and enjoyed that much of everything, getting back in the car might sound devastating. But there’s a wonderful solution: a Tedesca Osteria sleepover. Stay in the beautiful Graceburn House, with three double bedrooms, plus bunks (bunks!). It's an attractive proposition for a group birthday weekend. Breakfast includes eggs from the farm, local bread, butter and condiments. Just you or two? Book the Glasshouse, a renovated cabin with an open fire. Wake up with the chooks, go for a surf and don’t leave unless you have to.