The Gates Restaurant @ Leogate Estate Wines — Restaurant in Pokolbin

We just dined at the gates restaurant and it was a disappointment across the board. They were clearly short staffed both in waitstaff and kitchen staff which didn’t help. (there was around 5 wait staff and 3 in the kitchen from what we could see serving around 70 people in three areas). It was very surprising given food, service and atmosphere that they have a hat and we question their consistency as our experience seems to be vastly different to some of the other reviews.

On food we ordered the three course meal. The kangaroo was ok and the escargot was abit different to other places given the red wine. Nothing to rave about, but the entrees were fine and served within a reasonable time.

For mains we ordered the prawn tagliatelle and the toothfish. The toothfish was good but again, nothing to rave about. We had to send the tagliatelle back as it was oversalted and very acidic at the same time. The presentation was also poor as it looked like pasta dumped on a plate with sauce plopped on top. We would not recommend that dish and were surprised a hatted restaurant would serve that up. I wish I had a photo but this dish does not measure up at all and would avoid. In lieu of the tagiatelle, we were offered food from another customer so we wouldn’t have to wait. We were ok not to order but the staff insisted and we ordered the steak tartare as it would not take too long to prepare. The dish turned up almost immediately but it was not great to see that the staff would take food from another order (even though we said we are ok to wait).

The steak tartare is also odd. The egg was excellent but the steak did not seem raw and looked brown rather than red. We suspect it’s becuase this dish has an higher onion to beef ratio compared to other restaurants. The flavour was just ok.

The dessert was not bad other than the fact that it took a very long time to serve. We also had to help ourselves to water at one point as they were clearly short on staff. There was around a 30 minute wait for dessert, including 20 minutes for our second course/mains to be cleared.

There was a slight adjustment to our bill (one person was charged for 2 courses rather than 3) which we appreciated, but the overall experience was very disappointing. Perhaps we got a bad night and they were not ready for a busier mid-week sitting, but could definitely have benefited from some heads up or additional staff.

Atmosphere was also average as many of the two seat tables were crammed into a small area in the centre of the dining room. Our seats felt far too close to our neighbours - for context, if I moved my chair back abit, I would have bumped into the person behind me.

They were clearly struggling with a few things that night and we hope it was just an off night. However, the consistency of the quality of food and service could be improved based on our very...

When the entree was brought to the table, our initial thoughts were that we would be in for a treat! It was presented beautifully, with quite the number of elements to tickle our taste buds. The radishes were seasoned, perhaps even pickled meaning they were full of intense flavour which complimented the beetroot and burrata which had a very faint flavour. The entire dish was light and a great way to start the three course meal and get the juices flowing. Zepher Tours asks you to select your main dish prior to arriving at Villa du Pays. We each decided to choose one of the two choices, so that we are able to try more of a variety. This is the point where things started to well, confuse us a bit. After a great entree, the steak was served with chips and a bread roll, what you would expect at most local pubs. That said, the steak was cooked perfectly to order. There was a significant portion of chewy fat that was inedible, but when you cut around it, the steak was actually quite a nice cut of meat. What would have been nice is some jus from the pan, served with some baked glazed vegetables. Simple, yet elegant and befitting of such a venue. We weren't too sure what to expect with this vegetarian option, but given the other option we are sure glad we did. The pasta was tasty, in that the mushrooms and cheese were perfectly portions and worked in harmony to provide a bliss of flavour. However it was missing something that we can't explain. It was nice but it wasn't "wow". The salad was brought out mid way through our main meals. Not too sure why the salad couldn't have been presented on the plate, but at least there was some greens to go along with the steak and chips. The dressing though was purely salt and water, which made it a bit unpleasant when eating salted chips as well. Almost too much salt! The saviour of the day was the dessert. This was different to what we were expecting, not just the presentation either but each element. The ice cream contained small chewy biscuit pieces which was quite interesting at first. The whole dish was very sweet, but because the serving size was smaller it wasn't sickening sweet, but the right amount. The meringue pieces added texture that you otherwise didn't have, but the letdown was that we presume they were store bought. Not quite light and airy, but solid pieces...

“Exquisite”

“5 stars”

“One of the best the Hunter has to offer.”

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From the moment we entered, the staff were friendly and ensured we sat at a table with a lovely view and air conditioned area.

Started with freshly made bread with oil and butter with dill. This was nice - could have had some fresh salt to balance the taste - but still nice.

Entrees - The Pork belly and scallops are to die for. The flavours were absolutely stunning. Perfect size serving of pork belly with just the right amount of meat to fat ratio. Skin was crispy, and flavoured to perfection.

Mains - The roasted lamb was nice. Good serving. Possibly a bit overcooked but still lovely. Other dish was eye fillet which was nice. Keen to try some of the older steaks next time. The sides of chips were amazing. One of the best chips I’ve had. Lovely and crunchy on the outside and beautiful and soft on the inside. The side of broccolini was well presented and came with shaved almonds.

Dessert - Had the bombe alaska... this was amazing and simply a stand out dish. Absolute stunning flavours and a great way to finish.

Service: Fantastic! Very friendly and knowledgeable. The staff genuinely engaged with us and showed us special care. Highly valued, appreciated and not overlooked.

Wines - Great wine list. They also have beers.

Food: Fresh, well presented, good size portions— and absolutely delicious. Some of the best the Hunter has to offer.

Price - $$$ (but worth it)

There are lots of fine dining options in the Hunter - and this place sits within the to 10. In one word, this restaurant and food is exquisite. 5 stars the whole way.

To the staff: thank you for your...