With my two children off to the theatre with their grand parents on Sunday, A window of opportunity arose for my husband Ben and I to book in a child free lunch somewhere. It wasn’t a special occasion, no birthdays or anniversaries fall around this time of the year, instead it was something more precious, A day together just the two of us to enjoy. After working to Singapore the weekend before I was full of gratitude to have the stars align and this time together.
There are so many options here on the Peninsula. Spoilt for choice is an understatement, It was more a matter of where can we get in at late notice. Polperro offered us a booking at 11.45 – 1.45. Perfect. I booked in.
I am super early for flights but for everything else in my life I run late. I called at 11.45 and let Polperro know we were still 10 minutes away. “Thank you for letting us know, Thats no problem” was their reply. It was nice not to feel rushed.
When we arrived, I was a little sentimental, Because this was the location where Ben and I had our wedding reception nine years ago. Lots of beautiful memories. The gardens are romantic and I love the Angophora trees and of course the vines.
We were asked if we would like to try some wines first before dining. “Yes, Please.” Instead of your usual wine tasting at a bar we were led into a private cellar at the rear of the building and seated around a table where sommelier Eric was waiting to guide us through the wines. The 2016 Polperro Landaviddy Lane Pinot Noir was my favourite, Earthy with Turkish delight notes.
The ‘Nitro caramel popcorn, chilli, maple guanciale, saltbush’ was the first dish to arrive at our romantic table for two. It was really impressive and set the tone for what what was to come from ‘the tour’ which was the dining option we chose from the menu. It read- “Sit back and relax as the chef showcases the kitchen garden and dishes from our current menu” Sold! Im so glad we went for this option, We were able to try the charred corn, ranch mayo, gruyere, chervil, also the cured salmon, goat cheese, orange, grape, ginger, heirloom carrots, The Potato Milliefeuille, roll, salt and vinegar were delicious and had no less than 50 thin layers of potato! We were only just getting started. For our main courses we shared, Lamb Shoulder, Silver beet, cumin chick pea and Barramundi, smoked bone broth, tom yum, fennel. Baby cos, almond milk, sweet onion, pork crumble.
It sounds like so much food but it really felt like just the right amount as everything came in manageable shared portions. We finished with Belgium Chocolate Pave and Fresh Strawberries, seasonal sorbet, Chardonnay cream. Absolute heaven.
We enjoyed everything and had such a relaxing day. Afterwards we had an espresso each before heading out side to step into the view. Such a stunning location.
Literally, just down the road from Polperro is Port Phillip Estate and Bass Flinders Distillery. After lunch we called into Bass Flinders and tried the Gin tastings. I am traditionally not a fan of gin, but whenever I visit distilleries I have a try and usually surprise myself. I love Four Pillars Gin in Healesville and Bass Flinders had some equally amazing gins. The Gin 10 and the Monsoon Gin were my favourites. Loved the cardamon flavour in the monsoon! Lachy who was working at the cellar door was really knowledgeable and relaxed creating the perfect Sunday afternoon mood. I also tried the Ochre which was pretty special.
Our child free day was all in all a relaxing day out, delicious!
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