Lost Phoenix Farm — Restaurant in Hindmarsh Valley

On the 4th of October, I was supposed to go to Lost Phoenix Farm for dinner for my 21st Birthday with my close friends. Having eaten there before for dinner, and having a lovely time, I wanted to have a special meal with my friends. I had booked 6 months in advance and had put it on the notes that it was my birthday as I was hoping to get a nice table.

My friends and I drove down from Adelaide that day, as we were staying in Victor Harbour that night so we could go for dinner, and as we had time we decided to go to Lost Phoenix Distillery around 2:30 before our 6:30 reservation. For those who don't know, the distillery is adjacent to the restaurant in a warehouse and is partnered. When we first arrived I was a little shocked to see a gazebo up between the two buildings, as a wedding was being set up as we arrived. I assumed it was for the following day as I had received booking confirmation both via email earlier that week and that morning via text. We went into the distillery and got a drink when my phone rang and left a voice message from an unknown number. It was the restaurant calling to tell me my booking was CANCELLED. Confused, I then received a text from Will explaining that they had a SCHEDULED power upgrade that evening so that the restaurant would be closed. He also pointed out to me that he had been calling me and emailed me to let me know.

I had been called once from that number previously and they had not left a message, so I assumed it was junk

There were no voice messages left until a couple hours before my booking was meant to be,

no attempts of text messaging, and

the single email that was sent to me was sent THAT MORNING at 10 am and went to my junk.

As i had received both text and email booking confirmations I had no idea that my booking had been cancelled.

Further to this, my friends and I came to realise that the reason for cancelling the booking was so that they could set up for a wedding the following day, which I found out I had friends of friends going to. I tried to justify why this would not be the case and that it as out of the restaurant's hands, however as we looked around the premises from standing outside the restaurant (as again, we were THERE when we received the call), it was evident that they were doing stuff for the wedding. To say I was disappointed was an understatement.

In Will's text he invited me to come back on Sunday or Monday of that long weekend and have a couple of free drinks in the restaurant but unfortunately, i was going to be back in Adelaide. It was a kind gesture that made me feel a little better about the situation.

Devastated, I messaged back Will and was very polite in explaining that I could not make it, and asked if I could come back with my partner the following weekend and receive the offer, as I did not want to taint my previous amazing experiences at the restaurant. However, I never heard back.

The lack of respect, communication and regard for my plans because of poor planning ruined my 21st, and I will never eat...

First time visitors to The Lost Phoenix Farm and will definitely be going back. I absolutely loved this place. We spent a lazy Sunday afternoon with the sour dough bread, overnight lamb and grilled chicken with fries. Finishing off with a share (we did not need this but could not resist) of a burnt cheesecake with home made blackberry sauce - not a massive sweets fan but this was superb. The chicken was probably the most tender I have ever had. The staff were attentive without being in your face, and this was despite them being super busy, and the whole experience left me wanting more more more. We were slightly jealous of those who were organised and let the restaurant know they wanted to have the Sunday roast - looked amazing (I so wanted to pinch some roast potatoes) and having since had a good look at their website they also do a pie and pinot lunch - we are definitely up for that. Can not recommend this enough, best restaurant experience I have had in...

The service at this restaurant was outstanding. The staff were warm, attentive and made the visit very enjoyable. The setting is also beautiful with peaceful views of grapevines and grazing livestock, which really added to the experience. That said I did feel the food didn’t quite match the high standard set by the service and location. Some dishes seemed a little underseasoned and while they were pleasant, nothing really stood out. The mac and cheese for example, was quite simple and the cos lettuce dish felt a bit too minimal for the $20 price point. One other thing to note is that the restaurant was loud during our visit, which made it a little harder to relax and enjoy the atmosphere as much as we’d hoped. Overall, it was a lovely place to spend time. Thanks to the wonderful staff and stunning setting. With a bit more attention to creativity and flavour in the menu and perhaps some improvement in acoustics, it could truly be...