Montalto Winery and Restaurant

33 Shoreham Road
Red Hill South
5989 8412

Staying in Sorrento for the weekend we thought we would book one of the Mornington Peninsula's finest restaurants, with Montalto awarded a Chef's Hat in the last three editions of the Age Good Food Guide. Being one of the first people in the restaurant, we were made to feel welcome and this allowed time for us to take some nice shots of the winery.

The meal began with a complimentary serve of sweet potato soup, we had to refrain from finishing the shot of soup as we had a big dinner ahead of us. Bread is baked fresh on site with 3 varieties on offer, sour dough, olive and seeded served with their very own olive oil.

The restaurant's menu is small, consisting of about 8 entrees and 8 mains. There are no specials, instead the kitchen tailors the menu on a nightly basis according to what fresh produce the restaurant can source. More restaurants should do this.

The smoked salmon with spanner crab meat has to rate as one of the top 5 dishes we have had, this was a big piece for salmon which was very well priced at $22, the crab was flavoursome and complimented the salmon to a tee. The spicy tabbouleh wrapped with cucumber was a slight negative, but this did not take away from how well the salmon was cooked.

Wagyu is a meat that continues to gain popularity among Melbourne restaurateurs. Being such a delicate cut, Montalto offered it carpaccio style, and served with white and green asparagus it was very light in texture and flavor. These two entrees were great displays of what the kitchen are capable of dishing up.

Whenever there is duck on the menu we always seem to put our hands up to try it, rightly so, duck is one of those great meats that has such great flavor. Montalto cooked it confit style with shredded duck flavoured with spring onion and mushroom. The skin on the breast was crispy and the meat just cooked and slightly pink. The accompanying shredded duck was amazing, the flavors were intense yet light. We found this main course at $42 to be reasonably priced, given the generous serving size.

I love my meat but as I didn't feel like a steak, I instead opted for the lamb, like the duck this was cooked perfectly pink, it lacked just a bit of seasoning. It rested on a bed of beans and carrot, with a simple broth.

We still managed to find room for dessert, a panna cotta with raspberry and Red Hill honey jelly. Reading the menu description, we were expecting 3 seperate elements, so were delighted with the layered dessert. The jelly was rich in flavor while the panna cotta was creamy and very smooth. When eaten in a full scoop the mix of flavors makes this a must have dessert.

Montalto does not try to over-do anything when it comes to the kitchen, their flavors are light and intense, with the chef allowing the food to speak for themselves. The ingredients are fresh and local and as a result, the flavours are intense.

On the Saturday we were there the restaurant was full and the kitchen did not look overwhelmed at all, the wait staff were attentive but we would have liked someone to go through their wines with us, over looking their massive vineyard I am sure every table would have enjoyed a bottle of their famous Pinot Noir with their meal.

Montalto definitely deserves their one hat rating, and with the meal we enjoyed we believe they deserve another hat next year.

Montalto is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday from Boxing Day to Australia Day, and lunch daily and dinner Friday and Saturday the rest of the year. You can also choose to experience a picnic at Montalto, where for $70 pp the restaurant kitchen will prepare a 3 course meal for you to enjoy in your own secluded picnic spot on the grounds of the vineyard, all set with linen, crockery, cutlery and glassware. Bookings are a must.