Lochiel House

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

A lovely little spot, helped by a glorious sunny afternoon (although I think the inside rooms would be lovely on a cold cozy evening too!).

Highlight of the day was a beautiful Sorrel tart for entree, looked stunning and tasted just as good. Desserts were lovely too, only slight let-down was main of chicken which was bordering on under-cooked for me, didn't inspire confidence to eat it!

Apr 10, 2012 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7     

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal with friends - I usually like to order an entree and dessert as I can't fit much in, so worked out quite expensive for me being set menu prices.

Feb 29, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  7     

Arrived on a drizzling day in late January. We had been "given" a lunch as a Christmas Present, so also had two young kids with us (3 and 5).

They were happy to cater for the kids. They offered some pasta (that doesn't appear on the menu) which was nice, huge bowl each which my two didn't come close to finishing. The Potato Bread Roles were yummy and we all had one, with the olive oil/rosemary butter. No problems and really nice. The bread does not need to be ordered, nor did an appetiser of Tempura Peppers (nice sweet little pepper/capsicum briefly cooked in tempura batter. I quite enjoyed them, but they weren't to my wife's liking.

Throughout all this we were waited on hand-and-foot, including having been greeted at the door, having water supplied and continually topped up, and the kids even got a drawing toy to keep them entertained (though they didn't end up using it).

As for our entrees and mains. I had the smoked salmon with rice, fish roe, etc, and my wife had the potato Gnocchi. Couldn't fault either. Really beautifully presented, and were happy to point out what things were when our little ones asked, (including Barage and Onion Chive flowers).

The mains though, were a litle disappointing. Its not that they weren't nice, they were, they were just not what was expected. I had duck breast, which the meat was cooked to perfection, but it was surrounded in a thick layer of fat/skin. I understand that may well be the point, and that, perhaps, my pallete isn't trained enough. I did try a complete mouthful, duck breast with the skin/fat (as the skin had a beautiful coating of spices on it, but it was not pleasant. My wife had what was essentially satay chicken. She felt it was too "satay" and though the quality of the meat was better, the taste was what should be expected at Thai takeaway. I tried the recommended wines for each meal, which were great selections.

I should say that the value was great (as we didn't have to pay - being a present) but we did note the prices. It isn't as bad as I thought. $65 for two courses. We didn't have dessert but they looked really nice.

Beautiful building, great staff, and good food.

Feb 10, 2012 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  8     

Travelled from Sydney to try given excellent reviews and we did enjoy the day.
Lovely cottage, great wait staff, however, smoke smell throughout unappealing.
We enjoyed the entrees, the mains were ordinary and flavourless, however, the meringue dessert was superb. Avoid tables near the kitchen as the toilets are directly opposite the kitchen and there is no dividing door between. This is a worry. Would I visit again and take friends from Sydney. Probably not.

Feb 09, 2012 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

I have been dying to write a review of this restaurant. I felt that on occasion they may have been lucky with me, or I was lucky with them. I have been here 4 times over the past 2 years. Each and every time I have left with that warm feeling, the one you get when you leave a friend’s house. This is more than a restaurant, this is an opportunity to see into the life of Monique and Tony.

Forget about qualifications, forget about training and pedigree. The restaurant has the right recipe when it comes to the basics – sustainable produce. A market garden out back, a herb garden down the side, the odd fruit tree, local meats, it is these key ingredients that set this place apart from other 2 hat-ted restaurants and they trump them every time. The philosophy is humble, and holistic, not trend driven or opportunistic. There is passion in everything that happens within the sandstone walls.

It may seem old fashioned and kitsch, but dining in a converted house by a log fire, eating off white table clothes, tendered to by humble service, is only superseded by the crisp mountain air, vistas of breathtaking proportions, and the odd bell bird’s tinkle. As cosy as it is, this is after all a restaurant so let’s talk food, the perfect balance of modern gastronomy and traditional cuisine.

Our last visit delivered a Steamed Dashi Custard, Smoked Eel, Scallop and Avruga Tartare, biodynamic duck liver pâté with traditional condiments, pan roasted rainbow trout with prosciutto and spiced butter poached spitchcock with marron. Has the rest of Sydney forgotten how to entertain? Food like this never gets old!

The menu is seasonal, so I have yet to have the same dish twice, but the menu can seem a little limited. Each item is paired with a cheeky wine match as an afterthought but the list itself is entirely reasonable, and well thought out, and constantly growing. I would love to see more vintage depth, but this does not set one back, as the long drive back to civilisation does. Do yourself a favour, the reward is worth it!

Feb 08, 2012 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  5     

Encouraged by two hats I booked this for a lunch for my partner's birthday. The venue is lovely and unassuming, with a great history at the back of the menu. I was, on the whole disappointed with the food. We followed waiter recommendations. The first strange thing was the butter: a mix of olive oil and butter that had clearly taken time to put together but tasted a little rancid.

The dashi custard although beautifully presented tasted a bit salty and strange. The souffle, however, was great. The duck tasted Ok, but not as appetising as presented. The fish curry was also below par. The dessert custard tasted lacking in sugar and the dessert liqueurs we ordered were very much on the small side. The service was impeccable and we tipped as such. All in all with the drive I would not repeat this. A bit disappointed.

Nov 20, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     

Visited Lochiel house with hubby for a Saturday lunch. We had the 3 courses for $81. First impressions were that the smell of smoke, probably from the wood fire the previous night, was quite over powering and although outside was a pleasant spring day, the room inside had fairly cold airconditioning blowing and was not particularly well lit (but wasn't romanticly dimly lit either).

The service was prompt and efficient but not friendly as such as wasn't "expert" as you often expect with hatted restauarants (ie. the waitress/sommelier explaining the wine and the meal). I had "A series of things" for entree and it was quite nice but not spectacular as such. My husband had the souffle, which he enjoyed. I had the duck for main - there was more meat than I expected and it wasn't particularly fatty but was nice and tender, but it wasn't hugely exciting. My husband had the venison which again was nice (but not exciting as such).

The desserts were the best party - the meranguie was amazing, with a subtle and delicious taste of elderflower / turkish delight. The cacao was also delicious. I also really enjoyed the Canobalas-Smith 2004 Cabernet Merlot. Generally the wine was $12-15 per glass, which is what you would expect to pay at such a restaurant. The wine list by the glass, and generally, was not extensive but it is a fairly small establishment.

Given the 1.5hr plus drive from the inner west, I'm not sure if we're going to rush back. Our overall experience was a little disappointing given that they are the "Regional Restaurant of the Year" and a 2 hatter, but it was nice enough.

Oct 16, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  5     

I’d been looking forward to going to Lochiel House because of all the great reviews, but I left a little deflated. The atmosphere was cosy and the fire was lovely on a cold day. The service was nice, but the food was half half.

I enjoyed my entrée of gnocchi, but wasn’t a fan of the dashi custard and smoked eel. The dessert of cumquat cake with cheese cake ice-cream was good, but the chocolate mousse was the standout dish of the day.

I left really dissatisfied with my pork belly main… I understand pork belly has a lot of fat, but a quarter of my serve was a big chunk of fat and no meat. For the prices we paid I would have thought they would serve a better piece. I also thought the goat’s cheese served with the pork belly didn’t suit the meat.
Overall the price of $89 for 3 courses isn’t deserved.

Aug 22, 2011 

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  1     

I usually find the SMH guide to be spot on, but I find it really hard to believe this has been given a hat so many years in a row. Sure, the food is good(dashi custard entree not so much, but fantastic desserts made up for it) but not mindblowing or unique, and certainly didn't feel like it was worth $81 for the three courses.

The matching wines were great, but starting at $15 a glass, we couldn't really indulge. To the restaurant's credit, the service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere lovely.

I don't mind spending $200 on a dinner for two as a treat, but this really wasn't worth it. I've had much better meals for half the price.

Jul 18, 2011 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

We love lochiel House! The owners are absolutely beautiful people. We try and visit at least monthly, Menu is always changing, which we love. Always such a treat!

Jul 14, 2011