Mornington Peninsula – Sunday 5 January 2025 – Lunch

I’d like to tell you a story. Let me begin by an admission that the restaurant is in the right. As in most accidents there is contribution by all parties though. This is one of those stories. Dun-Dun.

Polperro is a beautiful winery in the heart of Mornington Peninsula’s Red Hill. Today it is approaching thirty-five degrees, there is some nice music playing on the lawn, and the restaurant is cool and welcoming as the first guests arrive for midday seatings.

Everything is calm and just so. Riccardo comes to Catherine and my table and greets us with a nice introduction, and we have time to peruse the menu and wine list while our guests make their way to the restaurant. The first admission is that they are just under twenty minutes late to the table, having made their way from Melbourne.

Knowing our dining window is only two hours, we look to simultaneously catch up with our guests, but also order our drinks hastily, and hope that our snacks start coming out. This is a five course tasting menu with numerous components, and some need to be amended for Catherine’s gluten intolerance. We speak to Riccardo before our guests arrive to make sure the kitchen saw our note on booking, but are not explained what menu changes will be necessary. I notice early on some confusion on this, with the oyster covered in a delicious dessert lime foam, which is initially sent back to the kitchen, before being cleared again for take off to our table unchanged.

There is an early pace about things, but certainly not a rush, and it feels like we will not be catching up with the first course snacks taking quite some time to deliver to the table. As I’ve mentioned, starting proceedings late is our fault, but it cannot be that rare. The concern sets in when there are lengthy gaps between the chicken chawanmushi course, and the Moreton Bay bug course, and yet again to the final savoury course of impressively handled duck.

Earlier we had been warned about our two hour window (which was clear on booking as well) so with one course to go, and getting towards 2.15pm we are very aware our time is coming to an end. Interestingly, as a sign of things to come, the doors to the terrace are opened covertly around 1.30pm and the warm air starts heating the dining room, as a nod to the need to finish up that seems to be a feature of the early service, but perhaps not a good feature on a thirty-five degree day.

We know we have outlasted our two hour window, and we were given fifteen minutes grace, so we certainly do not complain about being escorted outside, though carrying our own drinks (wine and water glasses) was starting to verge on impolite. This was the point where the reasonable levels of service turned to average. With the later service guests coming in at 2.30pm the doors quickly shut, which was fair enough as I wouldn’t want to come to a baking restaurant either.

What also shut was most signs of any further service, with the terrace often bereft. We asked for our sparkling and tap water to be refilled and were given a jug of outside temperature water with no ice, and forgotten about for most of our time outside until later when my sparkling was again refilled. Our superb, but melting dessert, of chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet, was delivered long after any opportunity of a two hour dining window, making us start to question whether having a five course meal was even possible.

We were not alone by any stretch on the terrace. There was at least half a dozen tables finishing their meals in the heat, and others attempting to beat the dining window inside. At no stage was there any apology for the longer waits between courses, or for the stretching of the service team. In fact, I had to ask for my wine to be refilled with our bottle at the waitperson station so many times that Riccardo joked I was “thirsty”. The issue was each refill was three sips, and I like to drink a little after each mouthful. It is a winery after all.

Right at the outset we had apologised for starting the meal late. These things do happen though and we were on time having been close by earlier in the day. We tried to find out where our friends were on the way from Melbourne, but there is no mobile reception in the restaurant. Ironically I went out to the terrace to check if I could get better reception through the very doors that were opened ninety minutes later to let the restaurant warm up, but on this early occasion I was asked by the floorstaff to not use that door again!

Having let Riccardo know that our friends were 15-20 minutes late, the best practice would have been to bring snacks to the table which is the first course, quickly after they arrived, but I know kitchens don’t work that way and there is an order to service. At a restaurant with a set menu it is easier though.

In closing, I have clearly admitted fault, though there is contribution from the restaurant too. My advice is not to dismiss Polperro as a dining option, but to perhaps be fashionably early, or choose the later sitting. I also would like to suggest to the restaurant that some outdoor fans or a mist on the terrace could be a nice touch, and not outside the budget given the $140 per head menu, and reasonably expensive wine list (for a winery restaurant). Case closed.

Polperro Winery
https://www.polperrowines.com.au
150 Red Hill Rd, Red Hill
Phone +61 3 5989 2471

Recommended Mornington Peninsula lunches with review links:
Tedesca Osteria
Paringa Estate
Laura at Pt Leo Estate
Rare Hare
Ten Minutes by Tractor
Yet to be written about: Montalto

Recommended Mornington Peninsula dinners with review links:
Doot Doot Doot
Audrey’s

Summary of our week in Rye visiting various cafes and restaurants, including T’Gallant
And keep in mind St Andrew’s Brewery for a casual lunch too