The Woolshed at Ayrburn — Restaurant in South Island

"... where design and people are at the heart of everything we do ..."

however ... Whatever you do here, DO NOT eat upstairs in the attics and just leave ... make sure you mention it when reserving your table.

Ayburn at Arrowtown, the Winton group has set up this magnificent venue, I have never seen anything like it, Yarra Valley, Mornington, Margaret River, Hunter Valley, etc.

It has a few restaurants; the Manure, the Woolshed, and another fine dining in the making ... a wine tasting room, an ice-skating, July Winter wonderland, a tourist destination, and what I believe to be, a retirement village ... also, some non-producing/producing vineyards on the main entrance to make it look like a legitimate vineyard/winery.

From the moment you enter the gate, the roadwork, infrastructure, and the backdrop, snow-capped mountains, the Coronet ... put all wineries in Australia to nothing ... it's just a magnificent development. Well done to CEO Chris Meehan and team.

However ... it's not complimented by the management and operation of this place ... let's start with their online reservation system.

Their reservation system (seven rooms) is slow and embarrassing, considering the millions they invested in this development.

So we've reserved in-person, at the venue, the Woolshed, the day before ... when we arrived, we were promoted or demoted to the upstairs area, the attics ... maybe for a function, with a long table in the middle, with sets of lamps hanging from the low beams, yes, a perfect room, but surely not for a couple on an anniversary. The low sloping ceiling is a hazard to the patron's heads, and staff, must be an OH&S issue at best.

Sitting on a table next to piles of spare chairs doesn't feel like a fine dining establishment, and far from romantic.

On the service ... Reservation, just not good, mispelled name, incorrect email address, not their fault entirely.

Not happy not being told that we've been moved to the attic. After all, we are paying the same price for food and drink with less luxury.

Having said that, we must give 10/10 for our waitress Lucia, she's beautiful, pleasant, warm, hard-working, Argentian bella who single handedly served the entire attics dining area ... approx..18 to 20.patrons on her shift ... up and down three flights of stairs ... what a girl ... smiling, no complaint.

Is anyone else helping her?

What's the management SOP of this magnificent development?

There's always a gem in any team ... that is Lucia, she's an asset to the business, and I hope she'll continue serving patrons there.

Lucia seems to be very knowledgeable with her wines too, she recommended the ten acres Pinot Noir, and yes, it's far more superior than the more expensive Pinot Noir by the glass ... I've tasted out of their Pinot Noir.

We were looking for Lucia at the end of our dinner to thank her, however she has left for the evening, send us a message if you are reading this ... we are grateful that you made our anniversary evening better, it could have been bad ... pro-active staff is so rare these days.

Foodwise, complement to the chef ... we have dined in many places, from the simple roast potatoes, the Octopus ... yum ... brussell sprout was over-cooked, and not a fan of the sticky date pudding rendition, keep it simple Butterscotch sauce ... but that NZ $84.00 perfectly cooked 500 gm rib-eye on the bone and that peppercorn sauce is in my top best steaks ... (yes, Japanese rib-eye is better in general, but not at NZ84.00/500 gms and definitely not their Peppercorn sauce) made the journeys to Arrowtown from Melbourne worth the effort and every penny.

In the end, we wish Ayburn well, it's one of its kind ... backed by an amazing concept, fine food, and superb wines ... especially those outstanding Chardonnay and Rose' (did a tasting at the Manures) ... and I'm a carnivore Pinot Noir kinda guy ... so...

We visited Aryburn twice this week; once for lunch and then separately for dinner. The food was generally excellent (the highlight being the bone-in ribeye even at @ $86 for 500gms). On both occasions we were let down by the service. At lunch, it took 20 min to take our drinks order and then another 10 to take our food order even though 2 tables around us had their orders taken despite being seated after us. To be fair the waiter said he was overwhelmed and was flustered. When he did serve us, he was friendly and professional. By far the most disappointing experience was the service at the end of the dinner visit. We had a reservation at 6:30pm but weren't seated until 6:45pm which wasn't too much of a problem (even with a kid). We have a 7yo so notice (he moans profusely) when food is taking a long time. The atmosphere and drinks were pretty good so as soon as he was served, we didn't overly notice the "adult" food taking a long time. The problem started when I ordered a dessert. We were told they needed the table back and asked us to move as they have a 2 hour limit apparently. We hadnt even been at our table for 2 hours and it was 8:26pm when they asked us to vacate. The fact we were 15 min late being seated and then the food was very late in being served to us, apparently made no difference. When i pointed this out when paying the bill, the lady just stated that the table was needed to seat the next customers. A larger table next to us was eating starters when we arrived and was still there when we were moved on so I found this a pretty piss poor excuse tbh. If we were personally responsible for the slowness, then I would understand. After i paid, she then offered a complimentary dessert in the bar area, but my family had already left and that wasn't the point as they should have sorted that when we were still seated at our table. A very, very sour ending to what had been a pretty good experience that had mostly made up for the poor service a...

A Truly Memorable Dining Experience

The food was absolutely incredible. We had the cut of the day, cooked to absolute perfection. The sauces and sides were simple yet flawless clearly made with the freshest ingredients. It's easy to overlook condiments and sides, but here, they were standout elements that elevated the entire meal.

The bread and butter combo was nothing short of spectacular. The grilled octopus was a revelation, tender, perfectly cooked, and nothing like the rubbery versions you often find elsewhere. The beef tartare was another highlight: seasoned to perfection and served in a bone, adding a beautiful rustic touch that tied into the restaurant’s farm-to-table ethos.

The atmosphere was stunning, with perfectly dim lighting creating an intimate and cozy setting. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel special the moment you walk in.

Service was a solid 10/10. Our server, Charlotte (a lovely Brit who must be somehow related to Princess Diana because she was so lovely/jovial), was phenomenal. I'm seven months pregnant and she kept bringing me extra butter for the bread, now that's my kind of woman. She knew the menu inside and out, gave thoughtful pairings, and made the experience feel fun and personalized. She struck the perfect balance between attentiveness and giving us space, always present when needed, never overbearing.

All in all, this restaurant is the perfect spot for an anniversary dinner, a girls' weekend, or a memorable family gathering. It would also suit a lads dinner as it's fancy but not too posh. An unforgettable culinary experience from start to finish. As a mum don't bring screaming babies or toddlers for dinner it would ruin the vibe completely for everyone else. If you have young kids you're better off at the bakehouse during the day at...