Eat & Drink
Wine, Dine, Celebrate
The best eat & drink in Fleurieu Peninsula
Everything edible on the Fleurieu - wineries, restaurants, cafés, breweries, distilleries, markets and makers.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is a genuine paddock-to-plate region, and eating your way around it is half the reason to visit. This is one of South Australia's most productive corners - vineyards and olive groves, market gardens and orchards, almond and citrus, cheese makers and small-batch producers all within an easy drive of one another.
It shows up everywhere. Spend a morning at the famous Saturday farmers market in Willunga, graze your way through farm gates and cellar-door kitchens around McLaren Vale, or pick up fresh fish, local cheese, olive oil and just-baked bread to take to the beach. The region's restaurants and cafés lean hard on what's grown nearby, and many of the best meals are had at winery and brewery tables looking out over the vines.
From long vineyard lunches and seaside fish and chips to country bakeries and good coffee in almost every town, there's something for every appetite and budget. If you're planning a trip around food, aim for a weekend so you can catch the markets, and book ahead for the popular winery restaurants - they fill quickly, especially in spring and over the summer holidays.
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224 places
Penny's Hill Estate
The historic Ingleburne homestead winery, home of the Copper-dressed Shiraz, the Kitchen Door restaurant and the Red Dot Gallery - one of the iconic McLaren Vale estates.
Pertaringa / Bec Hardy Wines
$$Two brands, one beautiful cellar door
Contemporary cellar door on Hunt Road showcasing both the Pertaringa and Bec Hardy ranges - wines by the sixth-generation Hardy family.
Pirramimma
A fifth-generation Johnston family estate making McLaren Vale Shiraz since 1892, from some of the region's oldest vines.
Pizzateca
A family-run Neapolitan wood-fired pizzeria set in the middle of the McLaren Vale vineyards - one of the great Fleurieu long-lunch destinations.
Port Elliot Bakery
$Country bakery on North Terrace
Long-loved country bakery in the heart of Port Elliot, famous for pies, pasties, vanilla slices and coffee a short walk from Horseshoe Bay.
Primo Estate
$$$Joseph and the Il Briccone spirit
Family winery by the Grilli family known for Joseph wines, the Il Briccone blend, and one of Australia's most admired Italian-accented ranges.
Qahwa
A specialty coffee roaster and licensed beachfront cafe near the Granite Island causeway - one of the better coffee stops in Victor Harbor.
Red Dot Gallery at Penny's Hill
A constantly-changing contemporary art gallery built into the historic 'Ingleburne' cellar door at Penny's Hill, alongside the wine tasting room and The Kitchen Door restaurant.
Red Poles
$$Cafe, gallery and B&B on McMurtrie Road
Long-running McMurtrie Road cafe, restaurant, art gallery and B&B hidden in the bush behind Wirra Wirra - a McLaren Vale institution since the 1990s.
Richard Hamilton Wines
$$Leconfield sister brand with Willunga views
Family-owned McLaren Vale winery on Main Road with a modern cellar door set amongst vineyards, views to the Willunga escarpment, and sister-brand Leconfield.
Robin Hood Hotel
A classic main-street country pub on Strathalbyn's High Street, serving modern Australian dining in a heritage stone building in the heart of town.
Rudderless Wines
A 5-acre estate vineyard wrapped around the historic 1858 Victory Hotel at Sellicks Hill, made by the Yangarra winemaking team.
Russell's Pizza
$$Woodfired pizza in a heritage yard
A Friday and Saturday night institution - Russell Jeavons' woodfired pizzas served under the stars in a walled garden behind a Willunga stone cottage.
S.C. Pannell
$$$Mediterranean varietals & a hilltop restaurant
Stephen Pannell's renowned cellar door and restaurant high above McLaren Vale, specialising in Grenache, Tempranillo and other Mediterranean varietals.
Sabella Vineyards
Italian-accented cellar door and restaurant pairing Sabella estate wines with Joe Cangiano's wood-fired Italian cooking on McLaren Vale's main road.
Salomon Estate
An Austrian Salomon family Finniss River estate producing premium Fleurieu Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and the flagship Alttus blend.
Samson Tall
$$An 1854 chapel turned cellar door
Intimate cellar door housed in an 1854 stone chapel on Strout Road, with an adjoining historic cemetery - one of McLaren Vale's most atmospheric tastings.
Samuel's Gorge
$$1853 barn with views over the gorge
Boutique winery by Justin McNamee in an 1853 stone barn overlooking the Onkaparinga Gorge, specialising in Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz.
Scarpantoni Estate Wines
$$Italian-Australian family winery since 1979
Three generations of Scarpantonis run this McLaren Flat estate, pouring a broad, affordable range from the veranda with vineyard views.
Sellicks Hill Wines
The Petagna family cellar door at the foot of the Sellicks Hills, with a sea-view courtyard, a wood-fired oven and house-made Italian-leaning food.
Serafino McLaren Vale
$$$Cellar door, restaurant & accommodation
Family estate on Kangarilla Road combining a celebrated cellar door, restaurant, conference centre and on-site accommodation, set around a lakeside garden.
Serafino Restaurant
$$$Lakeside restaurant at the Serafino estate
Serafino Wines' lakeside restaurant on Kangarilla Road: modern Australian dining overlooking the estate's landscaped lake, paired with the full Serafino wine list.
Settlement Wines
$$Seaview Road family winery
Family-owned cellar door on Seaview Road, McLaren Vale, specialising in old-vine McLaren Vale Shiraz and Grenache.
Settlers Spirits
A boutique craft gin distillery on the southern edge of McLaren Vale, vapour-infusing each botanical individually in copper pot stills - eleven gins on tasting plus whisky, rum, vodka and liqueurs.
Eat & Drink in Fleurieu Peninsula - frequently asked questions
What is the Fleurieu Peninsula known for when it comes to wine and food?
The Fleurieu is one of South Australia's great paddock-to-plate regions, anchored by the McLaren Vale wine district where Shiraz is the signature grape - it makes up the bulk of the crush - alongside increasingly celebrated old-vine Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. Beyond the cellar doors it is a genuine larder, with olive groves, almonds around Willunga, citrus and market gardens, Jersey-milk cheese and small-batch makers all within an easy drive. Names like d'Arenberg, Coriole and Chapel Hill sit alongside breweries, distilleries and weekend markets.
How many cellar doors are there on the Fleurieu, and which wine regions should I visit?
There are well over 100 cellar doors across the Fleurieu, spread through four main wine regions: McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Currency Creek and the Southern Fleurieu. McLaren Vale is the best-known and most concentrated, famous for bold reds, while Langhorne Creek and Currency Creek are quieter and reward those willing to explore a little further. You can easily build a day around a handful of cellar doors in any one of them.
Do I need to book to visit cellar doors, and are they family or dog friendly?
Walk-in tastings are common, but booking ahead is strongly recommended for seated tastings, long lunches and any group, and it is essential at popular spots, especially on weekends. Many McLaren Vale venues are very family and dog friendly, with lawns, playgrounds and kids' menus at some, and dogs welcome on a lead at numerous cellar doors - it is always worth confirming each venue's policy before you go. Most open daytime hours, roughly 10am to 5pm, with some restaurant and bar spaces running later.
Where can I find Fleurieu produce, cheese and craft beer or spirits beyond the wineries?
The Saturday-morning Willunga Farmers Market is the classic spot to meet local growers and makers, from Fleurieu Milk Company Jersey dairy to cheese, olives and seasonal fruit and veg. The peninsula also has a fast-growing craft beer and spirits scene, with breweries and distilleries offering taphouses and tastings, several of them family-friendly with outdoor space and lunch. Cheese lovers can also seek out local dairies and producers such as Blessed Cheese in McLaren Vale's main street.
When is the best time to visit the Fleurieu for food and wine?
Cellar doors are open year-round, but autumn around vintage (roughly March to May) is a beautiful time to visit, with the vines turning colour and harvest in full swing. McLaren Vale's long-running Sea and Vines Festival was retired after 2019, but the region's wineries and restaurants now run their own food, wine and music events through the year, with plenty happening across the June long weekend in particular. Summer and spring are also popular for sunny days spent grazing across multiple cellar doors.