Estate Vaucluse House

came here with high expectations and found the equivalent of a dusty old restaurant shack next to some deteriorating brick house that is meant to double as 'culturally significant' (rofl). The management havent even the time to clean their glass windows nor the gazebo. No private parking becuase apparently they havent heard of a boom gate, so everyone from the beach ends up parking in their limited spaces. When we walked in out of the sweltering heat, there was no offer of water when we sat down. very unusual 'service. There was a big push and 'recommendation' to 'See the gardens' which frankly speaking had not been watered or taken care off in quite some time. Dont bother coming here, its nothing special - just a locals hang out.

We shared our food on the patio on a hot day. The experience was great, as usual. The steak tartare was the best dish - finely diced steak made for good texture - with a strong flavour that I loved but the others didn't like. Only the shoestring fries were a let down, like they are at most restaurants. I'd seen other fries in reviews with skin on which would have improved mine.

The ageing beauty of Vaucluse House, completed between 1803 and 1839 in the Gothic Revival style, sits in a field of green. Nestled within its grounds, Estate Vaucluse House, allows you to combine your historic house viewing with a spot of high tea ($75/person). Constructed in the same period as The Nielsen just down the road, the interior space was given over to wedding preparations on the day we dined, so we took our afternoon tea on the sandstone-edged verandah. Staff here work to their own rhythm and are not easily dissuaded. This saw our tiered platters of sweets and savouries arrive before our tea orders were even taken. Lucky the trio of finger sandwiches—bested by egg, chive and watercress—weren’t so dry as to leave us parched! While service lagged, the kitchen did a lovely job with savouries. The tiny mushroom brioche bun and the tomato tarte tatin being standouts in the eating. Passed separately from the platter, salmon rillettes smeared onto long thin crackers, were an enjoyable way to begin. Sweet treats, which are admittedly less and less my stomping ground, ranged from hyper-sweet strawberry and cream macarons to well-executed mini caramelised apple eclairs punctuated with toffee shards. Dainty mounds of citrus cheesecake on biscuit bases topped with fresh raspberries were a good diversion from the expected creamy excesses. The Valrhona chocolate and macadamia tart, topped with caramel squiggles, was too hectic for me, but I did appreciate its dainty casing. Buttermilk scones, timed to your liking, were served golden brown. While I suspected they were going to be biscuity, I was pleased when they didn’t dissolve into crumbs after I pulled them apart with my fingers.

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect venue than Estate Vaucluse House for our wedding. From the very beginning, the communication in the lead-up was fantastic. Daniel was incredibly helpful, responsive, and made the whole planning process feel smooth and stress-free. Finalising all the details was clear and well organised, which meant we felt really confident that everything was in place ahead of the big day. On the day itself, the staff (thank you Tim!) were outstanding. They were so accommodating and attentive, making sure all of our guests were well looked after and that we, as the bride and groom, felt completely supported. The food was another highlight - absolutely delicious! So many of our guests commented that it was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding. And of course, the venue itself is simply stunning. Even with minimal styling, the grounds and setting speak for themselves and create such a beautiful atmosphere. We are so grateful to the entire team for making our wedding day feel so seamless and special. We would recommend Estate Vaucluse House to anyone looking for an incredible wedding venue. Thank you xx Madison & Madison

I had a beautiful lunch at Estate Vaucluse House. The food was exceptional, thoughtfully curated, beautifully presented and full of flavour. The service was warm, attentive and seamless from start to finish. A stunning setting matched by an equally impressive dining experience. We’ll definitely be back!! Special thanks to the team for always being so accommodating!