Circa 1876 Restaurant The Convent Hunter Valley — Restaurant in Pokolbin

I am a celebrant who absolutely loves doing weddings at Circa 1876.

Every aisle is a bit nerve-wracking. It can be a strange surreal moment, almost an out-of-body experience, with all eyes on you. ⁠But despite this, I love the drama of a long aisle. Circa 1876 has the longest, most dramatic aisle in the Hunter Valley. ⁠ Walking down that aisle is a moment you’ll remember forever.⁠

But if you're more low-key, don't stress. They've also got a restored Welsh Baptist chapel with a short aisle that's cute-as-a-button.

Regardless of which ceremony spot you choose, you can chill in the Champagne Lounge before the ceremony! Fix your dress or suit, have a drink, and calm those nerves. I can even do a meditation with you if you want!

The main ceremony location is so magical that you might not even need an arbour. Floral designers love to show off their skills by having the giant urn overflowing with dramatic blooms. Get ready for some serious enchantment, folks. Your guests are going to be luxuriating on these gorgeous white pews, chilling under the shade of some beautiful trees for the ceremony.

Do you know what else I love about the ceremony space- we're standing on STONE, not grass! No more sinking my heels into the grass and ruining them. Same for your gorgeous wedding shoes.

If you’ve ever been to a wedding and left hungry, you’ll know that’s something you’d never want for your guests. Trust me, no-one is leaving Circa 1876 hungry. The venue's renowned restaurant located in an historic cottage offers an exquisite modern Australian dining experience. They have their own organic kitchen and use local produce to bring that "farm to fork" vibe to life. I'm drooling just thinking about it. I adore the concept of dining under chandeliers for a grand yet somehow cosy feel.

Whether you're seeking a small and intimate gathering or a grand celebration of up to 150 people, Circa 1876 is a wedding venue that offers something truly unique. The experienced team at Circa 1876 is dedicated to providing personalised and attentive service, ensuring that every detail of your wedding is executed flawlessly. Great accommodation options are also found onsite at it’s sister property The Convent boutique hotel.

These photos are by Raquelle Loraine...

We had dinner here for my birthday a few days ago. For context, I had come here for a birthday lunch a few years back and was so impressed by the food, the service and especially the dessert (I still rave about it), and the overall look and feeling within the restaurant, hence why I asked to go there again.

This time around it was just downright disappointing. The service was not at all what I’d expect from a fine dining restaurant. While friendly, no information was given about the dishes, food was just dropped off and it felt like lazy service. In addition, there was a print mistake on the drinks menu (which happens and that’s ok), meaning we ordered a wine that we expected to be bubbly. When the server came with the clearly non-bubbly wine, we were made to feel as if we should have known that it was a mistake made on the menu. It was my birthday, which we made clear in the booking and any restaurant in this price range we have been to, has always given consideration to a special occasion. Whether it was a detail in the dessert or another nice touch. This time around we weren’t even asked what the occasion was. This was in contrast to a birthday lunch I had there several years ago. The food was not exciting and some dishes were very bland tasting, especially the vegetarian ones. For instance the zucchini flowers tasted like nothing, except plain cream cheese and the pasta for the main was the same level of quality as something you’d get at an Italian chain restaurant. The salmon was cooked well and so was the meat, but nothing extraordinary.

Overall it was just not what I’d expect for a $110 meal and I’m not sure if I’d be back. Felt...

I’m very disappointed with my experience at Circa. We came here for our anniversary dinner and were really looking forward to it — unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations.

It started out well. We placed our set menu order within 5 minutes of being seated, and the entrées came out promptly (about 10 minutes later). The scallops were delicious, and my husband enjoyed the beef tartare.

But after that, everything went downhill. We waited 50 minutes for our mains to arrive. During that time, we noticed at least four other tables that came in after us had already received (and even finished) their mains. I had to follow up with the staff, and about 10 minutes later, our mains finally arrived — it really felt like they had forgotten about us.

By the time we were eating, two of those other tables had already left. My fish and my husband’s duck were just okay — nothing special. Honestly, the potato side dish was the highlight of the mains. Desserts were also average.

To be fair, the wait staff were very apologetic and handled it graciously — they removed two of our earlier drinks from the bill to make up for the delay. The issue didn’t seem to be with them personally, but likely with the kitchen’s timing.

Overall, the experience was very disappointing. We arrived at 6:30 PM and didn’t finish until 9 PM — and we’re not slow eaters. While we appreciated the staff’s effort to make things right, it wasn’t the enjoyable anniversary dinner we were hoping for, and I sadly wouldn’t recommend Circa based on...