CASUARINA ESTATE RESTAURANT So Much to Enjoy! It was always going to be interesting returning to Casuarina Restaurant almost 17 years since our last visit to this iconic Hunter Valley restaurant. In the 1990’s, Casuarina Estate Restaurant (located on Casuarina Estate) had a reputation for being one of the finest dining establishments in the Hunter Valley. It received numerous awards that included the Restaurant-Catering Association Best Restaurant award for four years running, the American Express Best Restaurant in the Northern Region for four years and inducted into the American Express Hall of Fame. Casuarina Estate was sold in 2000 and operated with varying degrees of success until 2015 when purchased by local businessman Dallas Rosekelly, who immediately set about restoring the property and renowned restaurant to its former glory. 30 | ISSUE #13 2017
On walking into the restaurant, we were immediately welcomed by the familiar face of Michael Watson - the restaurants former Sous Chef who worked with the original owner and master chef Peter Meier for ten years. Michael was back behind the pans to lead the restaurant into a new era as its head chef. It is easy to see why this is one of the Hunter Valley’s most iconic restaurants. Here everything is large in style, size and comfort. The restaurant has undergone an extensive renovation, which included refurbishing the kitchen and installing a new bar area, outdoor seating area, carpet and lighting. The dining room was also modernised with a nod to the building’s heritage and features dark vaulted ceilings and stunning modern industrial drop lights. The menu is well organised with a wide variety of mouth-watering entrées, mains and desserts available from the kitchen, such as Oxtail Soup, Seared Tasmanian