Having returned to family hands, Crittenden Restaurant has reopened with a completely reimagined dining experience.
Margaret and Garry Crittenden established the winery restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula in the 1990s. The restaurant was previously leased to an outside operator, but last year returned to family ownership.
The family has transformed the restaurant from the ground up with a full redesign, and a renewed culinary direction and guest experience led by Head Chef Brunno Melo and Venue Manager Gauthier Georgelet.
Melo has crafted a menu that includes modern Australian cuisine infused with Mediterranean influences.
“Our philosophy is about expressing a true sense of place – coastal, seasonal, and deeply connected to the Peninsula,” says Melo.
“We’re inspired by the produce and people around us, creating dishes that are honest, textural, and balance.”
Guests can enjoy a full four-course feast paired with estate wines, graze on small plates of fresh seafood, or share a charcuterie platter.
Two dishes on the menu are cooked on a Josper grill – the Raven’s Creek free range dry-aged tomahawk pork chop with cabbage, capers, burnt pear glaze, and pickled chilli; and swordfish steak line-caught off Mooloolaba, with burnt lime and smoked maple chimichurri.
Managing Director and Winemaker Rollo Crittenden says the new space reflects the way they want people to experience food and wine at Crittenden today.
“We hope guests feel the same connection and care that have always defined Crittenden, now expressed through a refreshed, modern lens,” he says.
Co-Owner and Marketing Director Zoe Crittenden will lead the creative evolution of the restaurant alongside her brother.
“We’re honoured to continue Mum’s legacy and her commitment to genuine hospitality,” says Zoe.
“Our new space is both modern and welcoming, designed to showcase fresh, thoughtful dishes that pair beautifully with our cool-climate wines.”
The transformation has been a family effort, with Crittenden Lakeside Villas General Manager Linda Crittenden leading the restaurant’s redesign. Overlooking the lake and vineyard, the restaurant spans three distinct spaces: a main dining, covered deck for al fresco dining, and a landscaped terrace.
“From the beginning, we wanted the space to feel connected — to the vines, to the landscape, and to the people who gather here,” Linda says.
While the restaurant takes centre stage, the Crittenden Cellar Door remains the home of the family’s award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Savagnin.
The restaurant is open now for lunch seven days a week, and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. To book visit www.crittendenwines.com.au.
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