Coriole Vineyards — Attraction in Adelaide

visited recently for the full 'feed me' menu w/ wine pairings. the 2nd star is for some decent pairings of flavours with the food served, and a generally attractive venue.

areas for improvement: salad was either over dressed or had been sitting for some time, as there were 'clumps' of greens that were not just soft, but actually soggy. the beef main was cooked nicely, but unfortunately the quality of the ingredient was poor--the lack of marbling in the meat and intramuscular fat translated into a chewy, flavourless course. the wine pairings were occasionally well-matched, but overall the selections definitely did not place their main product in the best light--none of them inspired us to purchase a bottle to take home.

finally, some of the servers were wonderful, but our initial greeter raised a significant problem that soured the experience for us. . .in reserving the table, we chose coriole specifically for the views of the vineyards while dining. upon arriving, we confirmed our reservation and were offered the table furthest from the vineyards and closest to the entrance door. i clearly stated that our expectation was to have a table window-side, and i could see that there were available tables, some that could be bused in a matter of minutes.

pointing out the available tables, the greeter claimed that the number of bookings meant that this entrance table was the only one actually available. i repeated my expectation and eventually our desired table was provided.

this is all well and good, but it became obvious to us over the course of our meal that we had been lied to, as there were literally NO other diners joining us for our sitting. within 30 minutes of arrival, we were the only ones still in the restaurant. truly shocking and unforgiveable flaw in customer service. not a misunderstanding on our part, not a mistaken claim.

i'm not entirely sure how such a bold-faced lie was going to stand up as if we had accepted the entrance table, we would still have been the only patrons for...

I can’t say enough about how wonderful our experience was at Coriole restaurant this week – delicious food, beautiful setting, and absolutely lovely staff. My mum and I have been looking forward to bringing my (almost 90-year-old) Granny here for months, and the staff did an absolutely wonderful job looking after us. I’d asked ahead if they’d be able to provide her with a sturdy chair and they were more than happy to organise one with arm rests and a cushion. They were also very understanding of our dietary restrictions (had let them know in the booking) and let us taste the by the glass wine before we decided on a bottle). We went on a weekday and (though the restaurant still filled up) we were able to relax and enjoy a long lunch off of the à la carte menu. We had a great table by the windows overlooking the hills and a fantastic waitress who was happy to talk us through the menu and answer our never-ending questions about the food, wine, buildings, and history of the estate. The wine was excellent (we had some Fiano and Chenin Blanc) and we all loved the food – I’d go back again just for the focaccia. The sirloin dish had amazing flavour, and the Coorong mullet was fresh, perfectly cooked, and just about fell off of the fork. This all came with an extremely generous bowl of potatoes and was followed by a gorgeous citrus meringue for dessert. I think we cleared out half of the cellar door’s stock of Chenin when we left (wonderful staff in there as well). I’d highly recommend coming by for a tasting and to enjoy the cottage garden and views over the hills and McLaren Vale township. (Also, FYI for anyone with an EV that they’ve got a couple of charging stations over by the winery). This was a very special day for us and definitely a highlight for my Granny. It was made all the better by the generous staff, beautiful setting and top-tier food. Big thanks to the FOH and kitchen staff for looking after us so well and being so accommodating. We can’t wait...

We attended Coriole in the week leading up to new years - the location chosen due to our friends researching potential venues for their wedding. The view is absolutely stunning and atmosphere in the restaurant, beautiful.

Our disappointment began when we were told that our group of 6 had to all choose the same Feed Me Menu option (either $80pp with optional $45pp wine pairing or $95pp with optional $55pp wine pairing). The majority of the group wanted the $95 option so that was chosen despite not everything on the menu being accessible to the entire table due to dietary restrictions & preferences.

The next surprise was the serving size of the dishes. For a table of 6, 1 small plate of each starter was provided meaning each person got "a bite" (i.e. 1 quarter of a beetroot).

When we asked to see if there was more coming, while the staff were polite, we were made to feel uncomfortable and like we were being difficult -- it was specified that the second (smaller) portions we were eventually provided (for the 2 starters) were "extra".

The bowls of olives were generous, but the 1 piece of bread pp we got at the start was all that came.

The main chosen (beef) was very underwhelming. We'd received a rhetorical question upfront about us all being happy with medium rare, but 1 came out medium rare, and the other medium well - neither of them warm. We had 3 thin slices per person.

While most of the dishes were tasty, no one left feeing full despite the "feed me" menu and were in unanimous agreement that the meal was incredibly overpriced and that Coriole was a definite "no" for the wedding.

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✩ (3.5) /5 Value for money: 💰/5 Customer service: ❤️❤️/5 Atmosphere: 😍😍😍😍/5

Will visit again: 🚫

*It's never easy to leave a negative review as we love supporting local businesses, but it's also important to us to maintain a consistent level of honesty across all...