Hentley Farm — Restaurant in Seppeltsfield

I have waited some weeks to write this review. My experience was just awful. In my opinion, the people at Hentley Farm appear to need customer service training as well as some training around proper food management and Duty of Care.

It was supposed to be a wonderful 27th wedding anniversary lunch. We flew to South Australia to celebrate and my husband wrote to Hentley Farm in advance asking if they could cater to my dietary requirements. I am allergic to shellfish. The email exchange prior to booking assured us this would be no issue so we booked.

On arrival we were seated in the entrance hall and told we couldn't go to our table yet. So we were offered water or a drink. As we were going to do a paired wine with lunch we declined the drink! Some 30 minutes later we were asked if we would like to have a pre-lunch drink at the bar. Again we declined as we had selected the wine pairing. 10 minutes later we were taken to a beautiful dining area and commenced lunch. With no wine to be seen for the next 30 minutes! Eventually we managed to ask someone to please bring one of the paired wines as we had been at the restaurant for nearly an hour and we were celebrating (or trying to). It was amusing to watch the wait staff avoid eye contact during this time so we really did feel like we had to wave them into action. After a little "confusion" at the back of the room, someone brought the wine.

I can say the food I had was very very tasty and the paired wines were interesting and well paired - for the price we paid they needed to be!

When we initially sat down I said to the waitress that I was allergic to shellfish and when she asked I stated I was anaphylactic (in fact I joked -as I usually do -that I would prefer not to die during the meal). It was all going superbly and we had enjoyed many of the courses until I had an anaphylactic reaction. I ended up outside lying on the boardwalk in the rain. Staff at Hentley evidently ran around with a first aid kit which really is no use. I was very ill (no further details as it's extremely unpleasant but you can google it). And my husband took care of me (yes I do carry an epipen), eventually getting me to the car and back to our accommodation. Needless to say it wasn't a very nice way to end the afternoon and it certainly ruined any celebration as well as the rest of the weekend.

I eat out a lot. And I manage my allergy by being very upfront about it and never eating anything that's a "maybe". The last time I had this kind of unpleasant experience was years ago.

A courtesy follow-up phone call, to someone who had been that unwell in your establishment, wouldn't have been a big ask - we heard nothing. My dear husband is such a gentleman he paid the $750 lunch bill - I can assure you I wouldn't have had I been coherent.

Following our return home my husband emailed and later spoke to the manager of the restaurant. He was told she was away at the time (I wonder who was running the place?) and she was unaware that I had been ill as nobody had mentioned it. Someone who ate at the restaurant and then was so unwell that they ended up lying in the rain wasn’t worth a mention to the manager? She asked for our address to send "a gift to further express my personal apologises". That was nearly 3 weeks ago and we are still waiting. Last week someone from Hently called and said the manager had asked her to make contact. She asked my husband if he wanted to be booked into the restaurant! So clearly there are some internal communication issues that go beyond just ensuring you don't kill your guests.

Memorable for all the wrong reasons. Disappointing in...

Unforgettable & Undeniably Perfect...

PART 3.

Third time isn't just a charm... it's also delicious hahaha.

Dining here is always amazing. We indulged in a completely different menu that once again captured everything that is beautiful about fresh summer SA produce.

Washed down with a bottle of sparkling and the Beast Shiraz and once again my birthday was utter bliss.

Thanks heaps Hentley Farm team.

See you next year for round IV.

PART 1.

How many dining moments have you shared where you struggle to find words to express your joy? Well I can happily say, this was one of ours.

Surrounded by a summer landscape and out-buildings built in a forgotten time, we became submerged in the theatre Hentley Farm cleverly creates.

Chef Lachlan and his enthusiastic team elevate the dining experience to a place few reach. The degustation menu takes you on a journey of taste bud exploration and explosion. Slightly dramatic I hear you say... well you obviously haven't dined here and if you have and disagree, then clearly you’re wrong - ha!

Over the course of hours we became immersed in every mouthful that was presented proudly by the kitchen team (a total of 11 dishes I think) each of which built upon the next.

We can't thank the crew at Hentley Farm enough for creating a memory that we will cherish and talk about with our friends forever.

PART 2.

What's better than going to Hentley Farm once? Going twice...

There's something special about returning to place where you are remembered. One year almost to the day we dined again, this time for dinner.... and it was decadent.

We were spoilt for over 4.5hrs and loved every second, every moment, every bite.

Thanks again to the HF team for making my birthday one...

A Seamless Union of Heritage, Hospitality & Flavour – A Must-Visit in the Barossa

Our wine tasting experience at Hentley Farm was nothing short of exceptional. Set within a beautifully restored 1840s stone cottage, the space strikes the perfect balance between heritage charm and understated elegance. The moment you step through the door, you’re enveloped in an atmosphere that feels both refined and welcoming — we genuinely thought we’d walked into their restaurant, which we now cannot wait to return and experience.

The layout is intimate and thoughtfully styled, with a warm, rustic aesthetic that immediately makes you feel at home. We were lucky to be seated right by the fireplace — a small detail, but one that added so much to the overall ambiance and sense of occasion.

What truly elevated the tasting was the impeccable hospitality. Shirley and Ashley looked after us with such care, knowledge, and warmth — their attention to detail and passion for the wines made the experience all the more memorable. Each wine was thoughtfully introduced and perfectly paced, allowing time to truly savour the flavours. And the complimentary snacks served alongside the tasting were an unexpected delight — beautifully prepared, balanced, and far beyond what you’d typically expect from a standard cellar door visit.

Hentley Farm doesn’t just offer a tasting — it offers a curated experience. It’s elegant without ever feeling pretentious, generous without being showy, and deeply rooted in a sense of place.

Tip: Be sure to book ahead — this is an intimate space and one of the most memorable cellar door experiences in the Barossa. Highly,...