REVIEW
Old William "Aussie" McDonald had a farm: grandson Ben and his wife Sasha turned it into a verdant cellar-door restaurant entirely worth the half-hour drive south of Margaret River. While the McDonalds are intimately involved in the property's day-to-day, they've surrounded themselves with good people that share their beliefs about down-to-earth hospitality and regenerative farming. Chief among these allies is Jess Widmer, an astute chef that smokes house-made curd to accompany garden-fresh crudités; entombs silky chicken-liver parfait in a sheath of muscat grape jelly; and believes wholeheartedly – and correctly – that sauce gribiche and house-made mortadella belong together. Grilled estate lamb with roast pumpkin, plancha-grilled midnight pearl potatoes, labne and 'nduja is new-school meat-and-veg while an utterly comforting pear strudel proves familiar desserts needn't mean boring. House wines in step with the lo-fi zeitgeist further illustrate Glenarty Road's evolution and reinforce its status as a regional superstar.
ABOUT
Chef Jess Widmer
Price guide $
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Lunch Wed-Mon
Price guide $
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Lunch Wed-Mon
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide's reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
