rare hare wine & food store

came here for my birthday with a group of 23 people. we had to eat from the set share menu as it was for more than a group of 10.

first of all, this venue is amazingly beautiful. the tables are long and all my friends were able to sit on the same table. one side of dining area had a window from floor to ceiling with a stunning view of the hills.

thefoodcame out fast and was very accommodating to my gluten free and pregnant friends.

the salami selection was a nice welcoming.

the sardines w preserved lemon was well flavored.

one of my favorite dishes was the daniels heirloom tomatoes. so sweet and perfectly balanced. i wanted to lick the plate.

the beef brisket was delicious and matched well with the brocollini and pumpkin dishes.

i enjoyed it myself very much, however some friends wanted more meat dishes.

perhaps another meat dish for entree for the meat lovers.

loved visiting this gorgeous restaurant! we went for lunch and ordered a number of delicious dishes that you can see in my photos. i didn’t particularly understand why they brought every dish our seperately (15-20) a part. while thefoodwas amazing, i just don’t see the point of serving broccoli on its own, instead of with other dishes. all thefoodwas fresh and the quality was amazing. the view also was lovely! so i’d recommend to head up for this place 😊

⭐️ 5/5 stars -

🥝food- thefoodat rare hare was absolutely divine! the flavours were unique but worked together really well. all the dishes were great, could not fault a single one that we tried. special highlights were the creme, salmon roe chive waffle and swordfish. overall, we spent about $200 pp for 3 people and we were super full. could have probably ordered less.

🥥 ambience - the venue was great with full glass window view across the entire winery. as i understand, rare hare is more casual than doot doot doot/jackalope.

🍓service - the service was great. our waitress, tessa, was super friendly and made sure we were well looked after.

would definitely return again in the future. greatfoodand great venue :)

excellentfoodand service. staff are friendly and vibe is fun and relaxed. beautiful views from the restaurant too.

4.5 excellent

came here for celebratory lunch and unfortunately it was overcast and we were booked for outdoor dining. i couldn’t reach them over the phone but fortunately they had a continuity plan by not having all indoor tables booked and were able to place us inside. after ordering ourfoodand drink we wandered outside to take some snaps, by the time we arrived back at our table there wasfoodwaiting for us (dishes would come as they are ready).

to drink i had their repose cocktail which i quite enjoyed with sweet and sour notes. didn’t get a chance to try out their wine as i was neglecting my drink during dinner and preoccupied chatting and eating.

we shared a platter of their salumi which had varying cuts but it’s hard to beat the classic prosciutto with its salty and fatty characteristics. we also had some sardines on toast, very simple with preserved lemon and a light burn on the bread. the chive waffles with creme fraiche and salmon roe were delicious with bursts of umami.

the kingfish crudo was one of my favourite things, the freshness of the fish combined with curry oil, puffed grains, citrus and fried basil gave it a mixture of textures and flavours without confusing the palate as i could distinguish each ingredient. the barramundi wings were also a great choice which had been perfectly fried so it was crispy on the outside whilst maintaining it’s delicate flesh inside. there was quite a bit of meat on it considering the cut and went well with the almond skordalia which was nutty and the nduja butter wasn’t particularly spicy but mild.

we also got some vegetable dishes to share which could hold their own or accompany a main dish. the charcoal eggplant was great, the various seasonings on top really popped with the red miso standing out and complimenting the sweet eggplant. the humble potato dish caught everyone’s eye with some purple varieties thrown in. not sure if they were naturally purple but there was a slight hint of beetroot. the medley of pine nuts, pickles and tarragon highlighted the local produce.

we don’t always order salmon but for a large chunk like this, it was cooked perfectly inside their woodfired oven. the skin was nice and crispy and the natural fat speaks for itself, came with a sesame cream which didn’t detract from the quality of the salmon. they really did a number on the confit duck leg, the heavy seasoning on the skin really tickled my tastebuds. the accompanying yellow beets and radicchio wasn’t anything to scoff at either. our favourite however was the scotch fillet which was bursting with flavour and was melt in your mouth perfection. it was swimming in a black garlic butter sauce and the thick cuts of sweet leek, chef’s kisses.

for dessert we had their signature woodfired chocolate chip cookie with malt ice cream. the ice cream was melting pretty fast as we soon figured out that the cup was touching the scorching hot pan. the texture of the warm cookie was great, chewy and certain parts crisp. it was pretty sweet and i’d definitely struggle to finish it by myself though i admittedly kept going back for more. the choux bun was airy and filled with a creamy fennel seed custard and rhubarb compote which gave the dessert it’s tartness. we also had their baked pear frangipane which had been overshadowed by the other two desserts, it was decent though.

overall i don’t think i could have chosen a better spot to celebrate, the venue was family friendly and had great views of the vineyard. thefoodwas exceptional with some clear standouts. i would state however that i was unsuccessful in contacting them via phone multiple times as i wanted to make some enquiries relating to our outdoor booking conflicting with the weather.

greatfoodwine views atmosphere but is overpriced for the portion sizes and the rabbit fur coat rack it s complete turn off.. other than that though i would come back for a "special occasion".

fantastic knowledgeable and friendly staff. amazingfoodcooked to perfection. casual classy place with stunning views. we had to wait a bit for a table (great table we got with views of the vineyards) but kept ourselves busy looking at the scenery and doing a wine tasting.

rare hare is situated on the stunning jackalope property and it’s the more casual restaurant of the two it offers. we visited on the weekend for lunch, which was walk in only for groups of less than 10 so we recommend coming early. the restaurant has stunning views of the vineyard both indoor and outdoor seating.

food at rare hare was delicious. we particularly recommend the kingfish, grilled squid and steak. for dessert, we loved the wood fired cookie and one of us who doesn’t usually love desserts went in for seconds! there were no bad dishes, however, we found the chicken a little mediocre.

we highly recommend rare hare for a meal in the area. the service, ambience andfoodwere all great!

can't fault this place. service,foodand ambience on point.

tried the eggplant, barramundi, squid, oysters - all delicious.
well done to the team!

me and my partner went here for lunch about a week ago. it had stunning views and a lovely atmosphere. we did the wine tasting (would definitely recommend). thefoodwas excellent, as was the service. would definately recommend.

beautiful setting, perfect for spring outing when visiting the peninsular.foodis refreshingly different to most winery restaurant offerings and is superbly done. definitely worth a visit

my weekend trip away to mornington peninsula includes a stop to a winery for lunch. our choose destination was rare hare. 

🔆location🔆

rare hare restaurant is situated in mornington peninsula and on a very large winery property where the luxurious jackalope hotel is.

as you enter into the car park, there is a very large black statute in the middle. the restaurant itself is spacious and large. it is very welcoming and i highly recommend that you arrive before 11am to try and get a good seat by the window overlooking the winery. there are beautiful long timber benches, with mix of high top bench tables scattered around.

🔆service🔆

our waitress was accommodating and helpful. but as the restaurant was at full capacity it was a little difficult to flag her down in between meals to get some service.

our dishes came at staggered times, one after another so we had a prolonged extended lunch. it was fine as we weren’t in a rush and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. albeit the heavy rain, there were very big groups gatherings – one was for a birthday and another was for a hen’s party. everyone at the restaurant was having a good time, including us. goodfoodand wine in great atmosphere and setting. cant ask for more!

🔆menu/price🔆

between the 3 of us we ordered: 

sardines, toast, preserved lemon, $5.00chive waffle, salmon roe, horseradish cream, $8.00
wood roasted asparagus, sheeps curd, hazelnut, $16.00charcoal eggplant, red miso, furikake, $16.00chargrilled squid, romesco nero, charred lemon, $17.00beef tartar, mustard cream, salt bush, potato crisps, $18.00lamb rump, freekha, eggplant relish, hommus, $38.00 

🔆verdict🔆

our starters were a delight. delicate and refreshing a good choice to ignite our taste buds for what is yet to come.

although the charcoal eggplant didn’t look well presented on the plate however it tastes delicious. the eggplant is cut in half and the red miso paste is melted and sweetened from being in the wood-fired oven. the coriander leaves, fried shallots, furikake (japanese seasoning) and fresh cut red chilli is sprinkled on top.

the lamp rumb was cooked well but lacked a bit of seasoning. we had to really mix the meat with the freekha, eggplant relish and hommus to enjoy it.

the highlight for me was the beef tartar! oh my goodness! it was marinated soo well and full of delicious flavours we couldn’t stop eating it. at first i thought having the potato crisps on the plate was odd addition but it actually works. you scoop the beef tartar onto the potato crisp and eat it! yummy!

the squid was soooo fresh and tender, and drizzled with chargrilled lemon juice was just perfect!

we would have loved for the dishes to be served together so that we could enjoy them together but i actually understand why they bring out one dish at a time. each dish is cooked with distinct flavours and makes sense to enjoy it alone along with a glass of wine.

overall we had an absolutely great lunch here at red hare. afterwards my friends wandered into the wine-tasting area. there are 7 types of wines to taste at a very low cost of $5! what a treat! my friends ended up buying 5 bottles of wine.

we came to rare hare last night and could not recommend them highly enough! thefoodwas absolutely incredible, the staff were lovely, the service was amazing and the sunset was beautiful! first time in a while we actually sat back and said thatfoodwas incredible, thank you! we will definitely be back :)

3.5 ⭐️

so the views are simply stunning, and it’s a beautiful restaurant.

thefoodis very over priced for the very small serves although they did taste delicious. the egg plant and broccolini were the stand out.

there was a very long wait and they did forget a couple of our dishes but the service was very friendly and attentive.

they have an entire coat room made of hundreds of rabbit skins which i personally hated and imagine that the vegan and vegos out there would also feel the same.

looking at around $150 for two people without drinks to feel like you got a good feed.

incredible shared lunch here. we did the $65 shared lunch and it felt like a bargain for the quality and quantity of food. we started with a glass of wine and bread and local olive oil (essential)
thefoodwas so fresh and locally caught. i'm pescatarian but my partner eats meat and they happily accommodated us both and he still got his salumi.
the murray cod was outstanding. i will be back with more guests. the location and interior is perfect too !