One of Robe’s best-known dining spots is entering a new era, with the couple behind local favourite Union Café transforming Sails into an entirely new restaurant, wine bar and tapas space.
For well over a decade, Sails at Robe was synonymous with local seafood and lobster. Now, the long-running Victoria Street venue is being completely reinvented by Jack and Tayla Edwards.
Jack has spent much of his career in the kitchen, while Tayla has focused on the operational and business side of hospitality.
“Taking on Sails was a big decision for us, but we saw a lot of potential in the venue and with growing catering enquiries it was the best decision,” Tayla said.
“It’s such a well-known space in Robe, and rather than simply taking it over and continuing as it was, we wanted to create something that felt like our own.”
That new chapter is ARDO, the couple’s most ambitious hospitality project to date.
“We wanted to build somewhere that we would genuinely be excited to eat and drink ourselves, somewhere with really good food, a great wine list and cocktails, but without losing the relaxed feeling that people come to Robe for.”
The newly renovated space is warm, coastal and relaxed, with new lighting, furniture, floor-to-ceiling sheers, pendant lights and refreshed finishes throughout.
But the biggest change has been the transformation of the former wine room into a dedicated bar and tapas space, giving people the option to drop in without committing to a full sit-down meal.
“You might come in for a cocktail and a couple of small plates, sit at the bar for a glass of wine, or settle in for the whole dining experience,” Tayla said.
The look is earthy and coastal without leaning too heavily into the traditional beachside aesthetic.
“We wanted it to feel refined but still relaxed and very much at home in Robe.”
The pair have also deliberately retained parts of the building’s character, working with the venue’s existing bones rather than completely starting again.
The aim was for the renovation to feel like a natural evolution of Sails, while keeping some of the elements regulars would still recognise.
That same philosophy carries through to the food, where the focus is on quality South Australian produce, particularly seafood and ingredients from the surrounding region.
“Jack’s style of cooking isn’t tied to one particular cuisine, so there are Mediterranean and Asian influences throughout the menu as well as Australian native ingredients.”
Rather than following a rigid entrée-main-dessert format, the menu is built around different-sized plates and designed to suit the way people increasingly like to dine.
Guests might stop in for a few snacks and drinks at the bar, share smaller plates around the table, or build the meal into a full dinner with dishes from the grill and larger plates.
“We’re putting just as much thought into the drinks,” Tayla said.
Wine will be a major focus, with a strong South Australian lean and a mix of familiar producers, smaller wineries and more unusual bottles.
“Alongside that we’ll have a proper cocktail program, local beers and a bar that we want people to feel comfortable visiting even if they’re not coming in for dinner.”
Even the name carries a personal connection.
Jack grew up with the nicknames Eddy and Edwardo, with ARDO taken from the end of Edwardo.
“We liked that it was short and distinctive but also had a personal meaning behind it rather than just being a name we came up with for the restaurant,” Tayla said.
“It also gave us the freedom to create a brand that felt separate from Sails and begin a new chapter for the space.”
For Jack and Tayla, that new chapter isn’t about filling a gap in Robe’s dining scene, but adding something different to an already strong hospitality offering.
They want ARDO to work just as well for an anniversary dinner and bottle of wine as it does for a casual catch-up over cocktails and share plates.
“Ultimately, we’d love ARDO to become one of those places that locals genuinely use throughout the year, while also being somewhere visitors put on their list when they’re planning a trip to Robe.”
ARDO will officially open on September 5, with a ticketed grand opening marking the next era for the long-running Victoria Street venue.
Ardo Robe
When: grand opening September 5 from 5.30pm
Where: 2 Victoria Street, Robe
For more, click here.
