Restaurant Review - Penfolds Magill Estate, Adelaide

My two best friends generously gifted J and I with a voucher to Penfolds Magill Estate, knowing we were planning a holiday to Adelaide and the Barossa.  We had no idea what to expect, although in true food blogger style I investigated the menu online beforehand.

Magill Estate is the Penfolds restaurant located in a suburb east of Adelaide.   Adelaide is flat, so you are able to see quite far from the restaurant’s elevated location.  We had dinner looking out on hundreds of twinkling lights.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was lit for “mood” rather than great photographs – I apologise for the exceptionally poor quality of these shots.

The service was impeccable – I think you can tell you’re in a high-class establishment when  you have separate wine, water and food waiters…  As we were driving up to the Barossa that night, we decided to forgo the entrees and skip straight to dessert.  Fortunately we were still treated to an amuse bouche.

 
At the outset, I have to say that as much as I admire chefs who use molecular gastronomy, it’s always seemed a bit pretentious to me.  I’m a home cook – I tend to cook simple, hearty and delicious dishes and molecular gastronomy would do my head in if I were to attempt it.   I can’t say Magill Estate is going to make me start attempting this sort of food, but I now understand what some of the fuss is about.  Our amuse bouche was a divine combination of cream, cavier, dried trout flakes, broth and … tomato bubbles.  I had to conceal a smirk when I heard this.  But then I smelt them…and tasted them.  The tomato flavour was so intense and concentrated and, even though the bubbles burst on your tongue, they managed to impart so much flavour to the dish.  Tomato bubbles, where have you been my whole life?

For my main I ordered a chicken dish (unfortunately it’s not listed on the website and my memory fails me).  Suffice to say, it was the most succulent and delicious chicken I’ve ever eaten.  It’s worth mentioning also our side dish of green beans – perfectly cooked yet retaining some crunch, they were served with anchovy, garlic, ham and chilli.  Divine.

  Before dessert we were again treated to an amuse  bouche.  This time a pre-dessert of doughnut icecream, raspberry coulis, freeze-dried raspberries, chocolate-coffee dust and milk foam.  Words cannot describe.  Our waiter later told us that they actually make doughnuts on-site in the morning which they then incorporate into the icecream.  The icecream was smooth so I have no idea how they do that!

Finally, my dessert was carrot cake.  Of course, it was a bit more sophisticated than that!  I had carrot-cake dirt, scattered with large chunks of steamed carrot (the only bit I didn’t really enjoy – I think they were a bit too large), sultanas and walnuts.  It was served with lemon curd, orange bubbles and cheesecake icecream. 

If you’re ever in Adelaide and looking for a high quality restaurant (and have the budget to match!), visit Magill Estate.  It was easily one of the best meals of my life thus far.

Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant
78 Penfold Rd
Magill  SA

Ph: 08 8301 5551
Web: www.penfolds.com