DINING:REVIEWS

Chef's Hat, The Age Good Food Guide 2009 (15.5/20)

"For six years, this showpiece diner has been the Mornington Peninsula’s flagship restaurant, or close to it. Competition is heating up but as yet doesn’t represent a threat: everything about Montalto speaks of thought and investment, from the service (young and professional) to the handsome, light-drenched dining room and the abstract sculptures dotting the landscape. The owners’ smartest investment, though, was that made in chef Barry Davis, who combines local produce with French and Mediterranean ideas. A lively amuse-gueule of pea soup might be followed by a baby-beetroot salad set with marinated octopus, Red Hill feta and crisp-fried beetroot discs. Classics are handled with assurance: roast spatchcocked chicken with fennel, French peas and bacon is beautifully executed, and Davis’ crepes, served with lemon curd, Earl Grey tea syrup and vanilla-bean icecream, outpoint any crepes we’ve tried at French restaurants lately. You sense a certain pride in the manner in which Montalto’s team goes about its business; on recent showings, that pride is justified"

Chef's Hat, The Age Good Food Guide 2008 (15/20)

"It’s the little touches that lift Montalto a notch above most of Red Hill’s many ‘winery with restaurant’ options. There’s the obligatory gorgeous view of vine-clad hills, but this one also has sculptures dotted across the lawn leading the eye down to the wetlands and lake. Small bouquets of herbs, fresh from the large kitchen garden, adorn many dishes; and the waitstaff handle a packed weekend lunch crowd with calm professionalism. The interior is a clever blend of rustic (rammed earth walls, timber floors, bentwood chairs) and relaxed elegance (white-clothed tables, floor-to-ceiling windows). The Frenchish food completes this stylish package, taking its inspiration from regions beyond Paris and using local, seasonal produce where possible. A crisp-skinned snapper from nearby Port Phillip Bay, for example, is partnered by braised leeks and thick-cut chips, with a piquant tomato and basil fumet. A magret duck breast is moist but not fatty, beautifully supported by a shiitake mushroom ‘brandade’ and herb jus. Desserts might include a chocolate royal on hazelnut dacquoise, with sherry syrup and pistachio icecream."

Chef's Hat, The Age Good Food Guide 2005

"Everything good about eating and drinking on the Mornington Peninsula comes together here... Montalto understands the Peninsula's strengths and truly shines."

Chef's Hat, The Age Good Food Guide 2004

"Since opening two years ago, Montalto has rocketed to wine-dine status on the peninsula"

Chef's Hat, The Age Good Food Guide 2003

"This smart new restaurant and tasting room is the cornerstone of a working property and tourism venture of considerable class"

Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2004 & 2005

 Rating

"One of Victoria's best vineyard restaurants."

The Foodies Guide 2005

"One of Victoria's best winery restaurants awaits you here, with its large modern space with huge glass windows. It has not only some of the best views over the Peninsula, but fantastic French-inspired menus. Local produce is used to the max, such as freshly caught bay fish, wild mushrooms and Red Hill cheeses."