Image Credit: Bri Hammond Photography
If you wander just a block back from the Kingscote waterfront, past the local chemist and the soft hum of a suburban block, the salt air carries the scent of something unexpected. Here sits Ritual, an intimate new wine and dining bar operating out of a reimagined 1950s residence. Once a Lions Club and originally a horse stable, this lovingly renovated sanctuary intentionally defies the modern rush, inviting you to drop anchor and simply exist.
Proudly woman-owned and run by a two-person team, Ritual is an “epicurean love letter” to Kangaroo Island, blending remote coastal charm with European roots. Behind the scenes, owner Sarah leads the vision alongside Mateusz.
“I run the space, lead the wine and cocktails program, and shape the food vision,” Sarah explains. “Mateusz brings the food to life and does the hard work of adapting heirloom dishes for a commercial setting and for dietaries. Many moons ago, when I first shared with him my dream to create this space, he dove in wholeheartedly and hasn’t flinched once, despite all the challenges that came along the way. He’s deeply courageous and holds the utmost faith in my creative direction, allowing me the space to lead and offering the practical support to make it work.”
The concept for the space grew out of a desire for intentionality in the local community. “The concept of ritual has been an important part of our connection to Kangaroo Island as well as our cultural traditions,” Sarah says.
“The way we prepare and gather over meals is a ritual. The world of wine is full of ritual. Celebration, mourning and gathering are rituals we all partake in. And we each have our sacred little practices whether they’re social or romantic or spiritual, regardless of how informal they may be. We wanted to create a place in Kingscote that felt more intentional – a space that had the capacity and ambience to hold people’s rituals of connection, however small or unnamed.”
“I’d always wished someone would create a cosy, ambient space in Kingscote with a highly curated soundtrack and small batch Australian wines I could sit and sip while contemplating life. It took many years before I entertained the notion that I might be the right person to make that very specific vision come to life, and in the end, I realised it was the best way I could contribute something personal and worthwhile to the town I live in and love.”
Transforming the historic 75-plus-year-old building into that very vision became a deeply personal, hands-on journey for the duo. Inside, the atmosphere is relaxed and homey, with hand-textured walls, hand-sewn linen curtains, and a hidden hearth discovered during renovations creating a moody backdrop.
“I had a builder look over the space and confirm it had good bones before committing, and I honestly thought it’d be a challenging but straightforward process – hire a few tradespeople to do the parts we didn’t know how to do (ie. most of it), paint the walls and put up some pretty decor… but life had other plans,” Sarah recalls.
“We ended up having to doing almost everything ourselves but there has been so much love in that. Mum sewed the curtains, I spent months up a ladder hand-texturing every visible surface, Mateusz tackled everything that required a power tool, and we spent a lot of time connecting with and healing the property.”
“Trees that had been needlessly damaged were salvaged into the hanging botanical centrepiece in the main dining room, and we incorporated a lot of furniture and decor from older local homes around the island that delight residents when they recognise them. The most rewarding part has been in the completion – being able to serve people in this space, see their faces light up when they take it all in, or when we sit in the venue after hours with a quiet glass and just reconnect with all the layers of sentimentality contained in the decor here, it’s just so exciting to see it’s come together.”
Operating on Fridays and Saturdays from “noon ’til moon”, Ritual does away with rushed booking durations. You can settle in on a vintage couch in the sunroom gallery or retreat to the secret coastal harvest garden, where Ligurian bees pollinate herbs beneath an old peach tree. Lap blankets are on hand for when the ocean breeze rolls in.
The ever-shifting menu is anchored in heritage Polish and Italian family recipes, weaving together rustic euro-deli panini, wild native Australian ingredients, and hearty dinners like traditional Polish bigos or rich Northern Italian carne in tecia. It is the latter that holds a particularly special place in Sarah’s heart.
“Oh it’s so hard to pick a favourite, because rotating through the dishes is what gives me the most pleasure, but if I had to pick one of my personal favourites, it has to be the carne in tecia,” Sarah says. “It’s an heirloom recipe from the Veneto region of Italy passed down through generations of women in my mother’s family – we all make it the way nonna taught us.”
“On her most recent trip to Kangaroo Island, mamma taught Mateusz exactly how to make it ‘like home’ and then we worked tirelessly to adapt it for service at Ritual, including a vegetarian version that’s just as good. Carne in tecia is a long, slow dish with a rich tomato base, and as the scent permeates the bar, it connects me to all the women in my extended famiglia who’ve cooked it for me and before me.”
True to its name, the beverage program is a thoughtful, curated ritual. The wine list exclusively champions small-batch, independent Australian winemakers.
Designed as a safe, inclusive, and sensory-aware space for adults aged 18 and over, Ritual gives off the feel of stepping into a private family home. In a world of moving fast, this hidden gem at 13 Murray Street asks only one thing of its guests: slow down, connect, and stay a while. Ultimately, it’s about leaving feeling completely restored.
“Something that I’ve heard a number of guests say after they’ve visited Ritual is that they feel deeply nourished, and that’s really what I want people to walk away with – a sense that they’re not just full but filled,” Sarah says.
“It’s not just about grazing or imbibing. It’s a wholistic experience – mood, low lighting, curated music, food and drink yes for sure, but also intimacy, connection and a warm, welcoming vibe. I love that people are leaving with that same sense of nourishment whether they’ve come for a solo fireside wine with a good book, or an uninterrupted catchup with close friends in a cosy corner, or a slow romantic evening with their favourite person.”
Ritual
Where: 13 Murray St Kingscote
When: Fridays & Saturdays, noon ‘til moon
For more information, click here.
