rare hare wine & food store

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 a great part of a communal table right on the window looking out to the expansive vineyard. not a great deal of time later and therestaurantwas 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.

therestaurantand winery surrounds are beautiful for a weekend lunch. we shared a few dishes that were quite small for the price. the barramundi wings were definitely the highlight!

excellent food and service. staff are friendly and vibe is fun and relaxed. beautiful views from therestauranttoo.

rare hare is situated on the stunning jackalope property and it’s the more casualrestaurantof 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. therestauranthas 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 and food were all great!

beautiful setting, perfect for spring outing when visiting the peninsular. food is refreshingly different to most wineryrestaurantofferings 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 harerestaurantis 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. therestaurantitself 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 therestaurantwas 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 therestaurantwas having a good time, including us. good food and 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.

12 of us went to rare hare for our team's christmas party. we went with the $65 sharing platter which was essentially 6 courses of dinner. the dishes were delectable and creative. i have never felt so satisfyingly full after a fine dining for the price that i paid. therestaurantitself was perched in the middle of the winery and the dining area was surrounded by glass walls so we had a beautiful scenic view.

traveled to thisrestaurantfrom melbourne, great journey just outside of 1.5 hrs.restaurantis set on this winery, beautiful landscape and next to an amazing ultra modern looking hotel, the jackalope. therestaurantsetting 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.

what an unexpectedly wonderful dinner we were treated to here at the rare hare. the interiors of therestaurantis quite similar to the four pillars distillary in the yarra valley- rustic, yet very much open and airy. the 180 degree vineyard views are stunning.

the food is amazing value for the quality without the pretentiousness of it’s sisterrestaurantddd. service is quicker and you are in greater control of the portion sizes.

highlight: mushrooms, beef tartare, beef brisket.

as soon as we drove through the entrance gates, i was so impressed by what i saw. not only was the entrance amazing, but the interior design and layout of therestaurantitself was amazing. the staff were very friendly and helpful, without being imposing. the food was fantastic. my partner and i ordered the beef brisket with sweet potato and the salmon steak as our mains. we also had the asparagus with cheese custard, ciabatta bread with olive oil and the marinated olives as our sides. we also ordered a rare hare shiraz and willow creek brut as our drinks. every dish was superb, perfectly cooked, exquisitely flavoured and absolutely memorable; the drinks were lovely also. despite the phone line voicemail saying you cannot make bookings for dinner for 2 people, when you speak directly to the staff you will find you actually can book for 2! which was great. we have recommended thisrestaurantto our family and friends and will definitely come back again. highly recommend!

wow - loved this place. rare hare is a beautiful, openrestaurantwith a fire place and beautiful timber. the wait staff were friendly and the views were lovely. we got multiple dishes to share - highly recommend the miso grilled eggplant (amazing!!), cured kingfish, beef brisket and lamb rump.

this review would easily have provided a 5 rating but reluctantly could not due to two faults. (minor as they are). the seats and tables are magnificent in their appearance but a little uncomfortable after a while and therestaurantwhen full is very noisy.
apart from that, everything excellent.
the view, the service, food and wines worth every cent.
we shared quite a number of plates and all exemplified the quality of produce, production and presentation.

i am a food snob, usually i wouldn't even dare think about going to arestaurantthat was rated under a 4, but i don't know ... something told me that i should give rare hare a shot.
i think that the people who gave a negative review of this place were bitter because, although this is a "small place" in the "middle of nowhere" it is unbelievably popular - and well deserved might i add. i'm sorry but first in first serve - you snooze you lose - etc etc. i came exactly at 11 so i had no troubles getting a table.
the service was outstanding with the wait staff coming in to drop a few witty quirky lines that made patrons feel like not only are they a valued customer but they interacted just enough to make the dining experience enjoyable.
i love places like this where they take fresh ingredients, cook it to perfection and add just enough ingredients to highlight and not overpower the fresh produce that they are displaying.
things i ordered:
salumi selection 8/10  everything tasted delicious just wish we were told what our selection contained
oysters- 9/10 - creamy and delicious
deviled eggs - 9/10
kingfish- 8/10 fresh flavors, well balanced and not too overpowering
squid-7/10 cooked well flavours were not wow
whole market fish- 10/10 so goood butter herbs on a perfectly cooked fish - delightful
mussels - 9/10  in a thai curry sauce that was delicious but did not over power the freshness of the mussels

after visiting america this year i felt that nothing in melbourne could impress me with terms of simple flavours that would wow me... but i was wrong. my poor fiance can expect a few more 1 hour drives just for rare hare. oh i forgot to add - the views : spectacular - beautiful vineyards with very stylish decor - but just an fyi if you sit outside you will be visited by wasps.

thank you for putting back some hope back in my life that fine dining in melbourne is not as boring as i had envisioned.

greatrestaurantwith wine tasting and a beautiful view of their winery from your seat. menu is a shared style where there are salumi, starters, small and larger dishes, and dessert with an excellent wine menu.

came here on labour day for lunch. walked in and waited a few mins to get a seat without a reservation. surprising since they are known to have queues in excess of 2 hours.

we had serrano and thin bread crisps, devilled eggs, beef tartare, kingfish and chargilled squid with a glass of cab sav.

must have the chargrilled squid! omg out of this world. the accompanying romano nero sauce was the best thing i've had.

must be a place to visit when in the area. the place has a mona feel to it.

why 4 stars? seating arrangment. benches where you sit with others. we were sandwiched between two couples who were seated on the edge/sides of the table and therefore had to ungraciously climbed over the bench to sit.

we arrived at 11.40 on a sunday to ensure we secured a table. as other reviewers noted, bookings are not possible if you are fewer than a party of eight. within an hour, therestaurantwas full. i loved the food. i loved the nibbles we selected and just loved the selection of vegetable dishes. the carrots in particular were divine. all the meat and fish dishes were fantastic. the desserts were only ok. the cheeseboard with the unbelievable beetroot pickle is the best thing to order in lieu of a sweet dessert. we had the rosé which was delicious and well priced. kudos to the complimentary sparkling water on tap. i just loved it. it is quite noisy. we got away with less than $100 per head and we ordered a lot (see photos) and had two bottles of wine. we finished with a cocktail at the hotel bar. recommended.