AN EXTRA element to the Willoughby Park winery is their entry into brewing with the Boston Brewery and the attached restaurant. The Head Chef Damien Gates has at his disposal amazing produce, fantastic beer and wine, a wood fired oven and a great location catering for both locals and tourists alike.
I thought it best to start with something light, such as the Beetroot Cured Salmon, with raw and fried beetroot crisps, avocado and organic feta. Delicately cured slices of pinkish/ purple cured salmon were served alongside cubes of creamy feta, with both raw and fried slices of beetroot mixed with various salad greens. The salmon was meltingly tender and contrasted nicely with the textural changes of the beetroot slices.
The next dish to come out was one of their wood fired pizzas. Taking pride of place in the kitchen, the glowing embers of the oven add a smokiness to the pizza and give a wonderful colouring to the crust. When it comes to pizza I usually stick to the classics and today it was a Margarita – a light tomato sauce, slices of mozzarella, ripe cherry tomatoes and dried oregano, finished with a flick of fruity EVOO. I’m told that their doughs are made using their house-brewed lager, and proved for two days to ensure a pillowy softness. Once it came to the table, the pizza was crispy on the base with a pleasing chew, and didn’t leave me feeling heavy or bloated, as can sometimes be the case. Matching the pizza was a schooner of Boston Brewery’s Hefeweizen or Wheat beer. This traditionally brewed, cloudy brew had the usual notes of banana, clove and passionfruit – the hallmarks of a wheat beer. Mildly carbonated, it had a moderate head with a pleasingly sour finish.
The mostly European kitchen brigade come from fine dining backgrounds and the Crispy Skinned Barramundi with a seafood bisque is evidence of that. From the specials board, the aroma of the bisque arrived before the bowl did. A seared barramundi fillet was nestled amongst clams, and a variety of beautifully prepared vegetables (fennel, eggplant, asparagus, carrot and unusually, but a most welcome inclusion, sweet potato), with a heady, creamy bisque on the base. Notes of fennel, star anise, crab and prawn liquor didn’t compete with the seafood but enhanced the overall profile of the dish. The only thing missing to complete this otherwise standout dish would be a big slice of bread to mop up those delicious juices.

I could scarcely believe that the incredible collection of dessert treats on display were real, let alone made in house. Macarons of almost every flavour imaginable, seasonal sorbet, ice- cream, triple chocolate slice and what must be my favourite dessert of all time – Lemon Tart. The glazed lemon-yellow shell is in fact white chocolate with a toasted meringue top; crack through this first layer and you find lemon crème patissiere, then a tart lemon curd, sitting on top of a salt crust biscuit. Not too sweet, contrasting textures and a good use of the sweet, sour and salty flavours to balance the dish – I wanted more which is always a sign of a good dessert.

With a large indoor and outdoor dining space, playground for the kids, live music and casual atmosphere, it’s no wonder this is becoming one of the busiest venues in Denmark. The menu is a mix of family friendly staples but also caters for the more serious food lover with their ever-changing specials board.