yabby lake vineyard

turning 50 is a big thing. so it was with good fortune that my mornington peninsula-based family suggestedyabbylake for lunch for our group of 9 on saturday afternoon in mid-may, 2016.  the whole experience was delightful.

tucked away up a narrow road, the long drive winds its way through the vineyard to the top of the hill. broad views out over port phillip are beautifully framed by the large windows. the venue reminds me of designer architect build of the 70s, but with a bit of recent slick and sensitive updating. i felt right at home.

the service is attentive, pleasant and timely. the pink claw rose complimented the assortment of starters well. we shared gorgonzola & kale arancini, the salumi board and chicken terrine which were delicious. our boys very much enjoyed the homemade sausage roll and perfectly crisply roasted kipfler potatoes. mains of porterhouse, pies, and salmon were washed down by the not to be missed 2013yabbylake single vineyard pinot noir, which was a stand out.  

lunch can often be an endurance event and the desserts fade as the finish line approaches, but not in this case. the pannacotta was a delight and the choc tops, although simple were just right. i can't recommendyabbylake highly enough.

we had lunch atyabbylake on a rainy saturday. ordered 2-course meal, chicken pate was great for sharing, both main (steak and baby snapper) were perfectly cooked, so tender! choc hazelnut torte was so rich and delicious. fantastic services, thanks chris, miki and justine. highly recommended.

yabby lake came highly recommended from the folk at the merricks general wine store. situated as one of the most northern wineres in the mornington region, it makes an ideal final stop on the way back to melbourne. the winery is halliday 5 star, it produces some serious wines sourced from both its mornington and heathcote vineyards. there are plenty of standouts, theyabbylake pinot gris and the syrah both stood out along with their pinot noir's.

i have eaten atyabbylake a number of times over the years, and it used to be fantastic. formerly they had a lovely menu linked to chinchin, then changed to compete with other more quasi bistro type places.

unfortunately they have headed downhill like a slalom racer recently.

we had booked a table, upon arrival though they had my wife's name wrong and had given it away, so scurried to find another.

the menu is now so short that of the five mains, one is vegetarian, two fish and then a duck and a steak. which quickly was reduced further as they had sold out of duck. which is a disgrace when it's a long weekend and they were fully booked.
so if you we didn't feel like seafood then steak it was.

our mains arrived in less than 15 minutes, which is almost fast foodesque, unfortunately it was before our entree, which had been forgotten.

at $36 one may expect a decent piece of meat,yabbylake was consistent on the day- both our steaks were similar to boot leather.

needless to say, we won't be heading back.
sad that what used to be a lovely spot has so fallen so far.

an amazing lunch atyabbylake vineyard with two friends from the gold coast, sitting on the balcony overlooking the vines - it truly is a beautiful setting. the waitress that was serving our table was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and the wines. the highlight for for me was the local mussel hotpot, although all the dishes were of the higher standard. well worth the drive and will definitely be back.

not happy at all with service even before going toyabbylake. i made my table booking a week in advance for 12 people to celebrate my birthday. i booked the table outside and the lady said in case the weather is bad she will pop me on a waiting list for a table inside. i called a few days before to make sure everything was still ok and was told i was now unable to have my table because another table who was inside had said if it's a nice day they would like to sit outside. i spoke to the manager and she said that these people had booked before me so they had priority. she also said they knew these people would want to sit outside if the weather was good, so i asked why i was even able to book the outside table to begin with. no sufficient answer. the manager went on to rudely say they have priority and she wasn't going to argue with me. i cancelled my booking and will be taking my business elsewhere.yabbylake obviously doesnt have the ability to organise and manage large group bookings effectively. don't rely on them for any important occasion.

our weekend started with lunch atyabbylake vineyard, a winery founded by the kirbys (the family behind village roadshow).yabbylake vineyard’s main focus is pinot noir, with chardonnay and pinot gris following behind. in fact, their block 1 pinot noir won the jimmy watson prize this year. there’s an adjoining cellar door and cafe, which is open every day for lunch except for easter and christmas. the cafe is in a lovely setting, overlooking the vines, and inside it’s light and relaxed. the food m