Not all those who wander are lost! If you’re driving down to Victor Harbor, we recommend making a stop at Hindmarsh Valley’s latest restaurant addition, Lost Phoenix Farm.
Lost Phoenix Farm opened in February 2022, treating guests to a delicious, family-friendly dining experience, and sweeping views of the large hidden property.
The new restaurant is brought to you by owner, Will Doak. While you may not know the name, you will certainly know the food. The experienced former chef has worked in some of Adelaide’s best restaurants and is taking this opportunity to come out of the kitchen.
“This is my first time being an owner/operator of a restaurant. I was previously a chef. I worked at Press Food & Wine, Orso (opened Orso), then assisted opening Fugazzi with my friend Max Sharrad. So, I was Head Chef for Fugazzi for a little bit too, before coming here,” said Will.
Located on an old winery site next door to Cut Hill Distillery, Will and his team spent eight months transforming the old tasting room into a restaurant. Now that the fresh lick of paint has dried, the only thing you can smell is the delicious culinary delights prepared by Head Chef Bridget Corver.
“I’ve worked with Bridget since she was an apprentice at Press Food and Wine. She’s superb,” said Will. “We’ve come up with the menu together, but she’s got full reign of the menu. I give her my total trust and respect. People love working with her, she’s fantastic.”
As Glam Adelaide sat down to eat, we were not disappointed. The opening weekend set menu began with whipped buffalo ricotta, topped with charred and marinated peppers, lemon, and a sweet sherry dressing. The light and airy whip paired perfectly with the Pavarotti, a lightly salted fried bread, which boasted a crispy golden surface and soft, inner belly.
If you bit into the Pavarotti far enough, it turned into a pitta pocket – a perfect vessel to hold the array of marino meats and hand-crafted salumi, topped with fennel seed, chili, and orange. We polished off the local roasted olives, before gazing at our surroundings.
Inside the venue, the back wall is lined with a variety of mix-matched vintage mirrors, which reflect the row of old ladders hanging from the ceiling. The ladders act as brackets to hang a number of green, leafy plant pots – a creative alternative to the good ol’ chandelier.
Behind the front desk sits rows upon rows of colour-coordinated wines and spirits. In the sea of blue and green labels, we spot bottles of the Lost Phoenix Gin and Lost Phoenix Vodka, distilled by neighbour, Cut Hill Distillery. Although the two businesses are separate entities, Cut Hill welcomed Lost Phoenix to the block by naming some of its products after the site.
As we returned our eyes to our table, our main had arrived in a timely fashion. We dug into a perfectly cooked overnight lamb shoulder, topped with chermoula, preserved lemon, roasted eggplant and herb yogurt. The soft, melt-in-your-mouth lamb paired with the herb yogurt reminded us of an upscale yiros – but better.
Our dining experience came to an end with a decadent chocolate brownie, decorated with a salted caramel sauce and crème fraiche (a light, airy cream topping).
While the food was absolutely spot on, Will reminded us that the property is more than just food and wine.
“The place has got endless potential. It’s a restaurant for now, but we’ve had lots of requests for weddings and private functions,” said Will. “We’ve got a dancefloor, we’ve got DJ stuff organised, we’ve got speakers, we’ve got 45 hectares of lawn area… we’ve just got to put those [wedding] packages together.”
Lost Phoenix Farm also hopes to introduce pre-made picnic hampers to the venue in coming weeks, filled with all the goodies and a rug to get you started.
“We just want people to come here, feel relaxed, and have fun. Re-write the laws of hospitality where you have to rely on bums on seats to fill a restaurant,” said Will.
“If we’ve got no tables free, we can say ‘look – we’ve got picnic baskets with all your bits and pieces in there (bread, charcuterie, condiments, the Full Monty). It’s all QR ordering, so take your code down, go sit down in the field, order a few cocktails, and chill.’”
Lost Phoenix Farm certainly has something for everyone. Grab some food on Thursdays – Sundays between 11:30am – 5:30pm. Drinks on the lawn are available until late, with beanbags coming soon.
To book a table or read more about Lost Phoenix Farm, click here.
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