Hardy's Verandah Restaurant Adelaide Hills

This place certainly lived up to the 3 chefs hats it has been awarded. From start to finish the experience was outstanding and the recommendations and explanations from Abbas the sommelier took it to the next level. My personal favourite dish was the heirloom tomato's which is easily one of the best dishes overall I've ever eaten. My wife was looked after being a vegan the menu was altered to suit and we both enjoyed immensely. The accompanying wine was also outstanding and I recommend having the wine package included as it lifts the meal. If you are staying in the house or looking to a beautiful dinner just outside of Adelaide give this a go. If the food isn't enough then the view will get you there. Highly recommend!

Having celebrated my 30th birthday at Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, I can wholeheartedly say it was a culinary experience of a lifetime. The food was nothing short of perfection; every dish was not only delicious but also perfectly portioned, showcasing the chef's expertise. The true highlight, however, was the exceptional service from Estate Sommelier, Abhas. His unparalleled knowledge in pairing wines with dishes was evident, and his warm, friendly demeanor added a delightful touch to the evening. To top it all off, the surprise dessert was a heartfelt gesture that truly encapsulated the essence of celebration. In every aspect, Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant exceeded expectations, making my milestone birthday unforgettable.

There's no question that this was a lovely meal and a fantastic experience. The problem is that it is simply not value for money.
At $170pp (without drinks), the degustation was frankly underwhelming. The food itself was delicious, no arguments there, but the serves were tiny and there were only about 5 courses. This was a restaurant stuck in the past. With the huge amount of options for modern fine dining in 2023, there should have been more on offer here. It is clear that you are paying for the view (which was stunning) and for the clout of saying you dined at Mt Lofty House. If that's your thing, great. If you're looking for a delicious meal, an incredible fine dining experience, an excuse to get dressed up, and a place to treat yourself to something special - save your money and pick from one of the many many other restaurants.

This was 90's fine dining - delicious, but overpriced and tiny. I am struggling to understand where my (almost) $400 went? Everything was just.fine. The service was fine - it did take a while to clear the table, and the drinks could have been quicker - but nothing outstanding. A steady stream of different waiters meant that there was no connection throughout the meal, just random staff arriving with plates. If I'm spending that kind of money, I want to know my waiter's name for the night.

Again, the food was delicious, but such small portions and so few dishes was simply baffling at that price point. No one is expecting a mountain of food on the plate, that's not what fine dining is about, but 5 small courses is having a laugh.

The wine list was amazing, but in a city that is overflowing with wineries I cannot see where the appeal was over any of the other options out there (again, for considerably less cost).

It's a beautiful location and a gorgeous old building with a spectacular view, there's no debate to be had there. However, paying double what some other restaurants are charging for an experience that is simply not twice as good was the downside for me.

Very bad service from the manager on duty. Was looking to try out the “best fine dining restaurant in town” for the weekend, but the manager responded with a very unpleasant look as far as we greet him. Wouldn’t recommend people to try out this restaurant if they are looking for good services, foodwise I had once and I’d say it’s fair.

Dined at Hardy's Verandah Restaurant and once again it was supurb, but most of all the restaurant manager Clement went out of his way to ensure our experience was most enjoyable, a true proffesional. Thank you

5 star dining experience. I liked that they offered a pescatarian course menu which worked great as I am not a big beef eater and my husband is not a fish eater so we could each get what we want.

Food was just divine and cooked perfectly. The bread came with normal and Vegemite butter which mellows the taste for me. The service was also top notch.

I had:

Kingfish sashimi White ponzu Radish Yuzu ice
Toothfish Ginger Dashi Abalone
King George whiting l Butter kombu sauce l Shiso
Fresh fig ice cream l Fresh fig l Honey espuma

And the other half had different second and third course, being

Hay smoked duck Plum Turnip
Wagyu brisket l Black Angus tenderloin l Scallop l Pearl onion

Experienced the new large room venue and views were amazing. Really enjoyed the space and service.

A true fine dining experience in the foothills of Adelaide. The matched wines with each degustation course were on point & explained very well by the sommelier. Lunch is the best time to take in the amazing Piccadilly Valley views.

Beyond brilliant plate up was fantastic. Food was awesome. Service was excellent. Highly recommend here from Melbourne and I must say I am a foodie, was not disappointed. Chef Please forgive my photographs they do not do the food justice.

Amazing imaginative food served by professional knowledgeable staff. Their degustation menus are delicious. Our sommelier was a delight, he brought knowledge and character to his explanations of our wine pairings

7 course degustation. Amazing subtle flavours and incredible service. A truly memorable experience

Extremely poor. Food was below par. Tasteless. Nothing stood out in the entree and mains. Sorbet and dessert was the best of the bunch. For first course had to ask for a fork as none on the table, Had to ask for a drink after waiting 1/2 hr. Was never asked again if we wanted a 2nd drink. All together a very forgettable meal. Wold not recommend at all. Very disappointed. Left very hungry.

Amazing views, stand-out service and excellent food. We opted for the 8-course degustation and honestly, every course was brilliant. If you enjoy history and 19th century architecture, it really does add to the experience. The food struck me as being a bit of a fusion between French and Japanese though I don’t know what the restaurant itself portrays itself as. The only suggestion I would make is that the cutlery needs to be upgraded (for this kind of meal I’m fussy and like heavy, sparkling cutlery with no scratches or wear, that’s just a bit more substantial). Extensive wine list too. We went for a French burgundy which was lovely, though $$$$$. Overall, it was a fantastic night and well done to Hardy’s verandah and Mount Lofty Estate. Will definitely return.

5 stars for the food and wine, sophisticated and flavourful, definitely worth to try.
The service has a lot of opportunities, can be more sophisticated in order to complete the whole experience.

The food was fantastic! Bold flavours, and interesting ensembles that kept you excited for the next course. The service was impeccable throughout the venue, from host to waiter to sommelier. The highlight were the stories the head sommelier shared about each wine that paired our 7 course dinner. Would recommend

My partner and I enjoyed the dining experience immensely. The food was a taste journey with each course having unique and well-balanced flavours. The wait-staff were knowledgeable and helpful, particularly the sommelier, who helped us navigate and made recommendations from the extensive wine menu. We are already salivating thinking about the next visit.

Good food looking down adelaide hills.
The price is reasonable thinking that this is hatted restaurant, wine selection and matching was excellent. Especially, sake and wagyu matching was well presented.
All staffs were very kind and knowledgeable.
I was enjoying the food nice and peacefully.
Thank you for the great food and experience:)

This is one of the best dinning experience i ever have. Food was really really amazing, I like every dish I had so do my partner. The bread was soooo soft. The kingfish entree was so good. I really love the third course which was the beef, just perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, the beef brisket also melted in your mouth. The duck was nicely cooked too with a hint of tea flavour. The chocolate mouse dessert was delicious but not surprising compare with the first few courses. And I barely taste any wattleseed flavour in it. My partner said she requested a happy birthday plate with my dessert in advance as it was my birthday dinner, but they didn't serve any. A little bit sad but that was okay as they maybe too busy. Overall it was really a great dinner and I was really happy. Will definitely coming back in the future.

Food was ok - pricey and a bit of a drive out of adelaide city. There is no ale carte even tho booking system says there is and you don’t have option of adding more to your set menu. Staff was nice but for the price we paid could be a better experience.

Amazing meal here for our 25th wedding anniversary. Great dining and a boutique experience - thoroughly recommend although needs some fin tuning

We dined as part of a three day stay at Mt Lofty House and went for the seven course degustation with wine pairing

The service was good (some minor quibbles, below) and the food exquisite. We also really appreciated the 25th wedding anniversary treats as an extra

What could be improved?

First up, the experience is badged as a ‘long story’. It would be really good for the restaurant to provide a little more info - both oral and, ideally, written - about what the courses were and what the chefs vision was. To credit we did feedback to the delightful hosts at Mt Lofty House, who were kind enough to give us a copy of the menu. But I think it would be good to provide similar to all guests at the time of dining, along with explanation of what the ‘long story’ is about! Places such as SnellingsBeach Enchanted Fig Tree do this well.

Second up, the staff, although delightful, seemed rushed - meals were delivered with a rushed description and no time to ask Qs. Similar with our sommelier - lovely person but hard to understand with mask and again no supporting written media to help process the data dump.

In short, great dining experience but could be a little better with some staff training and investment in honing the boutique experience for the degustation and wine pairing

would we go again? Yes, as part of a stay at Mt Lofty or Sequoia