At 730 meters above sea level, Mt Lofty commands a wonderful view over Adelaide and it’s coast. During day light savings the view at Mt Lofty Summit Restaurant is a magical experience – the sun sinking slowly into the distant sea, orange and red colours light the sky. In autumn and winter however, unless you’re there before six o’clock you’ll sadly miss the show.
The Summit Restaurant sits inside the larger tourism complex also holding a visitors information centre and casual café. Constructed in 1997 it offers a place for help with accommodation or sightseeing or a pleasant spot (especially outdoors when the weather is fine) for a coffee, sandwich, ice cream or light meal.
Inside the restaurant, floor to ceiling glass reveals the wonderful view. The interior is softly lit with almost all tables offered a grand view. Tables are well spaced, covered in linen and the atmosphere is casual but generally subdued. For those facing away from the view there is semi-open kitchen to keep diners entertained. The Summit Restaurant is a very pleasant space but could be warmed up with lit candles on each table.
On Thursday night at 6:30PM, the restaurant was empty. Being the first guests we were efficiently welcomed and made to feel welcome. Menus were presented in carboard covers brandishing The Summit Restaurant logo. I’m sure they looked wonderful eight years ago – but today were stained and tattered. The inside pages were however crisp and fresh – apparently it was a new menu and chef this week.
A short wine list didn’t cover the major bases or breadth and width of Australian or indeed South Australian wine. Having said that, there are one or two gems but at prices the average customer wouldn’t dare to pay. The incredibly fine 1998 James Irvine Grand Merlot was on the list and too tempting to resist. Priced at $155 (over 100% retail!) it wasn’t a decision made lightly.
The wine was offered for tasting and then poured into the standard table glassware (the kind you find at cheap and cheery Italian and Chinese restaurants everywhere). After enduring a glass from the chunky rimmed stems, I inquired with the waiter if other glasses were available. She returned moments later with the perfect solution - Riedel Cabernet glasses. Maybe I looked suspicious and they thought we’d smuggle them home?
Once the wine matters were resolved, it was onto the most important matter of eating!
Complimentary bread, lightly toasted (to mask its age) arrived with olive oil. The serving size was very generous and provided a distraction while awaiting the entrées.
An entrée of gnocchi with roast tomato, capsicum, goat, basil and thyme ($16.50) had good texture, while the sauce provided an underlying richness of flavour; basil provided a refreshing scent and slight sweetness. The goat in the sauce was not consciously noticeable – it was slowly cooked and then flaked into the sauce but could easily have been lamb. Serving size was huge – personally, I’d improve quality and decrease quantity.
The second entrée of salt and Szechuan pepper quail on fried noodles and sautéed greens ($16.50) showed potential. Despite being ‘salt and peppered’ the quail was lacking seasoning and was inconsistently cooked – overcooked in most places but bloody near the bone. The fried noodles were inedible and best pushed aside. If the seasoning of the quail was perfect and the noodles removed, this dish could be a winner.
A kangaroo fillet on sweet potato, onion confit with pumpkin chips and a red wine sauce ($27.00) was cooked to order (rare). The kangaroo was tender, juicy and flavoursome. An accompanying onion confit provided sweetness to the dish that pleasantly contrasted with the gamey flavour. Pumpkin chips were bland and uninteresting but would keep the kids entertained. It was an overall safe but relatively successful dish.
If it wasn’t for the beef fillet on mash and mushroom, prosciutto and fried leek ($28.90) the meal wouldn’t have been so disappointing. The beef fillet was cut like a minute steak and despite being ordered rare was cooked medium. On top, tower-style, was a limp spring onion (huh?) that had been in the bottom of the fridge for far too long. The accompanying mash was dry, textureless and tasteless (is it possible to be all three of those? Yes!). This dish should not be served anywhere and certainly not at this price.
A neighbouring table, enjoying a honeymoon in the Adelaide Hills had selected The Summit Restaurant at Mount Lofty on their final night before heading home. We had been politely observing their food and had seen the inconsistency of dishes. Seeing their steak, it was observed to be more of a traditional eye fillet cut. They turned to us near the end of the night and inquired what we had thought of the food. Everyone agreed it was disappointing – especially the steak (even theirs).
Mt Lofty Summit is a wonderful place to visit on a clear day at any time of the year. The Summit Restaurant is also a wonderful dining space. It’s a perfect recipe for a wonderful restaurant – a possible showpiece for South Australian produce, wine and cooking. Sadly, it isn’t. Somebody needs to seriously get this place into gear before it does serious damage to Adelaide Hills and South Australian tourism generally.
(note: this restaurant was waited on by two floor staff and one person in the kitchen when we visited. Personally, they both did an outstanding effort that should be applauded, considering the poor produce and presumably tight budget).
Atmosphere: Wonderful views and a comfortable dining space. The food doesn’t live up to the surroundings.
The Bill: Entrees about $16.50, Mains $27-30.
The Summit Restaurant
Mount Lofty Summit
Summit Road (via Freeway – Crafers turnoff)
Adelaide Hills
P: (08) 8339 2600
Open: Dinner Wednesday – Sunday, Lunch 7 days.