There’s plenty to be said for a lunch that leaves room for another course and a little more conversation, and Lucia Roche Estate is embracing that very spirit.
The newly opened restaurant brings together Mediterranean dining, estate wines and handcrafted cocktails in a relaxed space showcasing warm tones and considered details that set the scene for a venue built around shared moments.
The approach draws on the Italian tradition of making a meal an occasion for family and friends, with elevated yet approachable food and the welcoming atmosphere of regional hospitality.
Long lunches and plates passed around the table are central to the experience
In the kitchen, stone-fired cooking anchors a menu celebrating seasonal produce from the Hunter Valley and beyond.
Diners can start with focaccia and local olive oil, whipped ricotta with lemon zest and thyme, or warmed Hunter olives before moving on to wild mushroom arancini, pork and fennel meatballs or beef cheek with cauliflower purée and truffle oil.
The pizza selection stretches from a classic margherita to a Calabrian combination of nduja, chilli, garlic and hot honey.
Pasta offers another reason to settle in. Mafalde comes with basil pesto, pistachio and stracciatella, with the venue suggesting Sauvignon Blanc alongside it.
The menu also features prawn linguine with white wine, garlic, chilli, Napolitana sauce, basil and olive oil. When paired with a Reserve Chardonnay, you’re looking at an experience you won’t soon forget.
And for those keeping the long lunch going, tiramisu, baked chocolate tart and sticky apple and cinnamon pudding round out the menu.
The drinks offering continues the local focus
The local focus continues on the drinks menu with Hunter producers including Tyrrell’s, Thomas Wines, Audrey Wilkinson and Vinden appearing on the wine list.
There’s also a playful streak to the cocktail list, with a Pistachio Martini combining vanilla vodka, pistachio cream and white chocolate liqueur.
Signature cocktails range from a blood orange Fiamma Spritz with a chilli rim to a Mediterranean Mule with limoncello and burnt rosemary. And the Valley Spritz brings together elderflower, prosecco and fresh cucumber, while the Fig & Thyme Collins pairs gin with a fig and thyme infusion and soda.
Lucia Roche Estate
You can find Lucia Roche Estate in Pavilion E at Roche Estate on the corner of Broke Road and McDonalds Road in Pokolbin. For more information and bookings, visit luciarocheestate.com.au.
