rare hare wine & food store

went here for dinner, nice modern venue. service wasgreatand staff were lovely. we got a few small shares plus the muscles as our large share plate. all the dishes were ok, but nothing spectacular flavour-wise. if you go, it’s for the venue.

getting to lunch in mornington, via two pickups, by 11.30am is a bit of a mission. according to our research, this level of commitment is required to secure a table at rare hare.

today it is really windy and quite wet, with the worst of the showers launching themselves over the famed jackalope statue right on 11.30am as we arrived. the bonus was agreatpart of a communal table right on the window looking out to the expansive vineyard. not agreatdeal of time later and the restaurant was indeed full with a diverse crowd including a large group of ladies that made their presence heard, adding to that festive type of sunday lunch atmosphere.

it’s a celebration, with catherine’s sister’s birthday coming up, and her mum’s not too long after that. whatever the occasion, there is a warmth in the room; a convivial nature; that reveals itself when you are out of the big smoke, and surrounded by all things wine. service is confident, with a style meeting the casual environment, different from the fine diner in the adjoining building.

⭐️ 5/5 stars -

🥝 food - the food at 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 wasgreatwith 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.greatfood andgreatvenue :)

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 our food and drink we wandered outside to take some snaps, by the time we arrived back at our table there was food waiting 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 agreatchoice 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 hadgreatviews of the vineyard. the food was 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.

we decided to try this out seeing it’s high review rating and after having a fantastic sunday lunch with its neighbour.

the good was good although be prepared to pay. plenty of staff to ensure you are taken care of - shown to seats or for orders. there is a no booking policy for table under 10 so we didn’t get any nice views but was right next to the bar table perched on high table of four. privacy wasgreatthough.

we did the hare share as recommended for four but i have to say it will probably turn out cheaper if we order ourselves with the same amount of platter for sharing, especially since we ordered extra oysters and squid because they were not on the hare share menu. we also had a half bottle of a 2016 pinot noir and the taste was as recommended.

food came very fast at the beginning and then there was a wait in the middle before the larger plates were served. we were told we have to leave by a certain time so we thought that was why it was rush but when it came to dessert with 15 minutes left to our time, we were then told it’s okay to take your time.

my two takeaways were the music was turned on too loud for conversation for me and the aircon too cold for a 35 degree day considering most would dress light for the day. not only that but good turn cold very quickly.

last but not least, i find the toilets a little neglected for such a nice place. maybe it’s a temporary one.

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. good food and wine ingreatatmosphere 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 absolutelygreatlunch 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.

what a lovely location and atmosphere! rare hare is agreatcasual dining experience with some class; a more affordable options at jackalope winery. all the menu is made to share and between 2 people, 4-6 dishes would be ideal. my favourite was the straciatella and dukkah which i can highly recommend, unfortunately our jerusalem artichoke dish was slightly overcooked but overall agreatdining spot. i would definitely come back for lunch with a group and then sample some of the lovely wines from jackalope.

about as good as it gets. 

the dear luncher with mrs luncher in tow managed to devour a range of different courses, slurping down a fair bit of the superb wine on offer in the process. 

the dear luncher has slowed down with the reviews of late, but this place deserves some extra time and bandwidth. a stunning setting, easily the best on offer at the divine playground that is jackalope.  agreatoption if you cbf with fine dining, but still want to revel in the moment. and let's face it, rare hare is not far off from fine dining. every dish dazzled. the beef brisket was supposed to be for sharing, but thankfully mrs luncher opted for mussels and so there was no sharing as the dear luncher hates mussels. 

the salumi selection rocked, particularly the mortadella. however, if there was to be one criticism, it could have used a cheese on board with all the meats. 

an absolute must-visit spot for anyone worth their culinary salt.

was very impressed with this place. the setting is absolutely stunning one which you won’t see at many other places. the menu is a little on the different side but the food is absolutely terrific. highlights were the tomatoes, so fresh sweet and amazing, the lamb was so so good and perfectly cooked and the brisket simply devine. tried all of the deserts and the standout for me was the warm choc chips cookie... so gooey and warm.greatservice and nice wines too.

traveled to this restaurant from melbourne,greatjourney just outside of 1.5 hrs. restaurant is set on this winery, beautiful landscape and next to an amazing ultra modern looking hotel, the jackalope. the restaurant setting overlooks outside from its floor to ceiling windows to the vineyard with glorious mountain and hay bale views.
the food is modern contemporary french based with local produce used. although it can get very noisey inside with the music blaring whilst the young hip team of wait staff in denim overalls serve you food and beverages.
worth sampling their tasting menu when available otherwise just the a la carte will do.

finally had time to check out rare hare over the long weekend and was not disappointed by the food!

we ordered sardine on toast with preserved lemon, oysters with ponzu sauce, chive waffle, chargrilled squid, beef tartare, cured kingfish, lamb rump and their wood fired choc chip cookie.

everything we ordered was absolutely delicious and the flavours went so well together! my all time faves that i’d highly recommend are the sardine on toast, beef tartare, cured kingfish and choc chip cookie. the choc chip cookie is a bit on the sweet side - if they put a little less chocolate chips it would’ve been perfect, but overall was such a yummy sweet treat with malt ice cream!

the chargrilled squid left a bitter after taste in my mouth. overall it just felt like it was lacking something to offset the chargrilled flavour. but the squid was cooked really well.

the location and weather was perfect when we went, so we sat outside. the only downside was the amount of flies on the tables which would keep landing on everyone’s food! it would begreatif they put out some candles or natural scents to get rid of them.

rare hare is belongs to jacklope hotel, face togreatvineyard view . service is excellent with contemporary interior design and outstanding food quality . baked cookie is one of favourite dessert in victoria ! you can’t miss that. they have variety of vege selection , all of them are nice and well present ! definitely go back

my key three pointers
* very homely and inviting, you will never want to leave
* communal tables, new friends after a few wines everyone is happy
* they may call it casual but the food presentation was better than some fine dinning restaurants.

mornington peninsula, jackalope hotels more casual dinning experience. this place is an experience and one that you will want to enjoy again. the most spectacular views of the vineyard, glass window interior brings the outside in. the vibe is very rustic with communal tables, some bench seating lots of timber, bricks and let’s not forget a fireplace . i feel away from the city life and i’m only an hour away. the mornington peninsula just stepped it up a notch and what a destination this place has created.
i loved the atmosphere, you could spend hours in the one spot. the food is delicious, they have designed the menu to be a share concept. they have a garden and i can only imagine what fresh goodness is coming from it. we tried a few things on the menu and i’m not sure how i was tempted to order the squid, as it comes with squid ink. i have never had a dish with squid ink, that i have enjoyed . well this dish was mind blowing and i loved it. the salmon was perfection and the side dishes are just as good. carrots how exciting, we’ll rare hare just made them fabulous and green beans. make sure you leave room for the signature cookie which is cooked in the wood oven. yum yum yum. all this, 2 glasses of wine, 2 beers set us back $150.00. it would have been nice to get the bread complementary but it was also worth the extra coin.
my wine of choice was the rose and estate grown, a very good drop.
the service was fantastic and the waitress we had made this 100 times more enjoyable, extremely friendly, hadgreatsuggestions and was happy to take some snaps for us. rare hare has lots of positives, if i have to nitpick i was surprised how small the toilets were considering the size of the venue, after a few wines i felt a little confined while waiting. i would also love to see a cheese platter on the menu, you could take this out on lawn and keep the drinks flowing , i’m not a huge fan of cold cuts.

such a lovely afternoon! the degustation was a excellent choice, flavoursome andgreatuse of seasonal and local produce! wine list was modest the rose’ was perfectly matched & went with most dishes! service was proactive and fun!

delicious food and wine but felt a bit overpriced for the portion sizes. we had a meat platter, cheese platter, fish of the day and 3 vegetable accompaniments- each were very nice with excellent flavour but would like to see more on the plates. overall a very good experience,greatstaff/atmosphere/views but save for a special occasion