Dining

Pettavel winery and restaurant, Geelong

17 November 2009

The Pettavel winery and restaurant has a modern australian menu, and it is obviously an upscale restaurant. It is not necessary to go dressed formal for lunch.

The big room has an elegant décor but is probably too noisy, and sadly there are no table clothes, even if cutlery and glasses are adequate. The restaurant is spacious.

We went for the eight courses degustation menu, at $140 with matching wines. Nothing impressive, but a sequence of food prepared in a simple but excellent manner. At the end we had the impression of a job well done but without too much enthusiasm, none of the dishes was memorable apart from the Wagyu fillet, perfectly cooked and really delicious. All the dishes are cooked with the typical Australian disdain for the use of salt, and there wasn't any available on the table.

Enjoyable the serving of bread, with three (very good) different types served between each course with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

Nice variety of wines, all of good quality, and an excellent service not too invasive but ready and helpful.

The dessert was a huge delusion, just some (good) icecream with homemade gelatins and crumbs. Nice, but it is not what you do expect from a restaurant.

Overall the experience was satisfactory, even because the cost is absolutely adequate, and even cheap compared to some other pretentious restaurant with lesser quality.

We'll be back.

Pettavel Winery & Restaurant
65 Pettavel Road, Waurn Ponds - Victoria 3216
Tel. 03 52661120
www.pettavel.com