I’ve sat at some pretty inspiring degustation tables over the years working as a food critic and writer.

There was the Michelin-starred restaurant in rural Spain with a maître’d who switched easily between descriptions of complex molecular dishes in four languages at our table alone. The seafood extravaganza in Norway with a confronting crescendo of raw Minke whale. Not to mention the whisky-matched degustation in Edinburgh where we ate… umm… after six courses of whisky, who can recall?

But Margaret River is the only place where my degustation experience has been enjoyed surrounded by stands of mature gums, bookended by a canoe of the river in the morning and a pre-sunset ocean swim in the late afternoon.

A unique setting that is an equal complement for awarded wines poured to match innovative plates.

We’ve got something special, here: a region far from city centres attracting talented chefs bewitched by local produce who want to do it their way. There are no formulas for these dining experiences. Explore them all. Take them on their own merits. Find in each degustation a differing definition of pleasure.

2022 Vasse Felix Degustation Menu Plate
Photo: Vasse Felix
1

Miki’s Open Kitchen

Japanese-born, Margaret River-based chef Mikihito “Miki” Nagai isn’t one to follow convention. Take his restaurant, Miki’s Open Kitchen: there are no grand vistas, no gum trees or ocean outlooks. Tucked off the Margaret River main street in a non-descript brick building with blacked-out windows, the restaurant interior is an elegant spacing of tables encircling an open kitchen where the spotlight shines brightly on the ponytailed chef and his innovative approach to Japanese cuisine.

“These dishes won’t be found in Japan,” grins Miki. Instead, Miki works with a technique of shallow copper pots to pull together his signature degustation – Miki’s Complete. For seven courses, Miki synthesises the best of the South West’s local produce with Japanese flavours in a way that speaks to his experience of the landscape – all of that Japanese tradition freed from stricture and re-moulded to present a unique taste that breathes new ideas into both culinary cultures.

Needless to say, more than 20 years spent living and working in Margaret River has left Miki with a deep knowledge of wine. This he uses to advantage, collating an interesting array of styles uncommon to the region that work with his palate. Think Fiano and Vermentino, with an appearance of Chardonnay – because in Margaret River, where would we be without it? A curated sake collection is a thrill for the more traditionally minded. Seven courses of Miki’s food matched to seven sakes? We’ll drink to that.

Miki's Kitchen
Photo: Miki's Open Kitchen
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Voyager Estate

Voyager Estate invites you to a culinary journey like no other with their indulgent five-course seasonal tasting menu. Set within the charming Cape Dutch Cellar Door, this immersive, wine-focused lunch experience lasts three hours and is delivered with warmth, generosity, and finesse.

Each course is a masterpiece, meticulously crafted to showcase sustainable, seasonal produce from the Voyager Kitchen Gardens and handpicked local artisans. Every dish tells the story of Voyager Estate’s wines, the region, and its people. Better yet – for those behind the wheel, they offer a ‘driver pairing,’ featuring the equivalent of three standard drinks over three hours.

The team, led by Head Chef Travis Crane and Sommelier Claire Tonon, creates progressive dishes that reflect the unique flavours of their estate. What they don’t grow themselves, they source from local producers who share their commitment to the land. Menus shift with the seasons, celebrating milestones in the vineyard and crafting flavour pairings that reveal the magic of the Margaret River Region.

As Chef Travis Crane puts it himself, “My philosophy is to source thoughtfully, cook respectfully, and present beautifully.” Get ready for a sustainable, elegant, and delightfully lavish dining experience that’s as enchanting as it is delicious.

Voyager Estate Degustation
Photo: Voyager Estate
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Rústico at Hay Shed Hill

Overlooking a stunning backdrop of expansive fields and vines, Rústico at Hay Shed Hill offers a relaxed atmosphere, first-class service and stands as the quintessential winery restaurant to enjoy a sumptuous long lunch.

With generous space categorised by open verandas, a large dining room and an expansive green lawn area, take your time to sit back and soak up the atmosphere whilst experiencing the bold Mediterranean flavours of Rustico’s award-winning 5-course, 10-dish shared tapas degustation menu with beautifully paired premium wines.

Bavette Tartare alongside the lingering citrus notes of the 2023 Riesling. Savour South West BBQ Octopus with white bean, mojo verde matched with the old vine depth and vibrant palate of the 2023 Block 6 Chardonnay. As the courses progress, so does the richness of the wine and produce – from Chicken Liver Parfait, and Western Rock Lobster, through Beef Short Rib Truffle, with luscious mahogany-coloured PX gravy.

It’s a fit-to-burst lunch, finishing with the taste of housemade desserts and the famed Rustico cheeseboard.

With our commitment to fresh, seasonal produce, mouth-watering dishes and exceptional service, the Rústico at Hay Shed Hill team crafts extraordinary and memorable dining experiences.

Rustico
Photo: Rústico at Hay Shed Hill
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Vasse Felix

Wine is the Vasse Felix story. It’s the first winery in the Margaret River Region. As Chief Winemaker since 2006, Virginia Willcock is arguably the current first lady. Her ‘Winemaker of the Year’ awards run the gamut from Gourmet Traveller WINE Australian Winemaker of the Year (2012), through to Winemaker of the Year in the 2017 Australian Women in Wine Awards.

Needless to say, when it comes to compiling a degustation experience in the Vasse Felix restaurant – a soaring juxtaposition of wood, glass and stone in the vineyard treetops, no detail is left to chance. After taking out the number one spot in the WA Good Food Guide Awards a few years ago it’s clear that they have mastered a winning formula, and this is an experience not to be missed. The five-course tasting menu is designed to provide a platform for showcasing the region’s leading varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Delicious, is the word.

Vasse Felix
Photo: Vasse Felix
5

Aravina Estate

It wouldn’t be misplaced to call Aravina Estate one of the showgirls of the Margaret River Region when it comes to winery restaurants. Expect a little bit of everything, here – live music on the lawn, big groups spilling out of the wrap around veranda, and WA’s first official surfing museum. The mix is a glitzy one, but then whoever said ‘no’ to a bit of extra sparkle?

Aravina Estate offers a culinary experience that showcases the finest local ingredients from the Margaret River Region. Guests can enjoy shared plates or a 2-3 course set menu featuring premium meats, fresh seafood, and artisanal cheeses, all highlighting seasonal flavours. Explore the estate’s beautiful cellar door, where wines are crafted and bottled on-site, available in three distinct tiers.

Are you after a more laid-back experience? Set among manicured gardens, the Tap House and Pizza Bar provide a laid-back spot to enjoy craft beer from Aravina’s 8 Waves Brewing Co Brewery.

Aravina Restaurant
Photo: Aravina Estate
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Wills Domain

Things sure have got a lot busier in that formerly quiet corner of Yallingup since Wills Domain took out the WA Good Food Guide Best Restaurant Of The Year some years ago and was again in the Top 4 in 2022. That a winery restaurant could beat Perth City’s big boys at their own game, in its own inimitable style, has been cause for all the right attention. And all of it is justified. Eating from the Wills Domain kitchen is pure pleasure, as is the setting: a valley view over the green symmetry of endless vines is an intoxicant as powerful as the pleasure on your plate.

The degustation here is a planned affair. Book in advance for a private tasting menu that will get you intimate with the restaurant’s awarded approach to food and wine that beds personality and unexpected marriages into each plate. Flavours buffet between sustainable, responsibly sourced, local and high-quality produce. The textural sweetness of scallops might be treated to a deliciously fresh facelift at the hands of avocado and tillage radish, while that modern Australian marriage of beef with exotic mushrooms and warrigal greens also gets to tango.

Ultimately flavours are light, plates are pretty and the wine matching is spot on. Wills Domain knows that the best of food and wine occurs in intimate conversation, not a culinary shouting match. That low harmonious hum that emits from a table when drinking and eating is pure joy and is their soundtrack of success.

Wills Domain
Photo: Wills Domain

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