Sleek yet approachable, comfortable yet polished, Lucia offers a modern Med menu, a killer wine list full of local stars and one of the best locations in the Hunter Valley. And unlike almost all the dinner options in the Hunter, Lucia isn’t part of a winery or hotel, nor is it a pub.
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Whenever Christina and I head to the Hunter Valley, we struggle with two main questions — obviously after ‘where shall we stay?’ and ‘where do we stop for a road-trip pie?’
Question One is generally: ‘which Hunter Valley wineries should we visit this time?’ Question Two is: ‘Where do we have dinner?’
The first question comes from a place of pure overwhelm, of over-abundance. We have so many favourite wineries and there are still so many we haven’t visited yet, we don’t know where to go first.
The second question is quite the opposite.
Apart from a few delicious stalwarts – the likes of Esca at Bimbadgen, Tower Lodge’s restaurant, the hearty feasts of the Blaxland Inn – it can be a bit tricky to find a place for dinner somewhere that’s not a winery, hotel or pub.
That’s where Lucia Roche Estate not only fits perfectly, it dominates.
Right in the heart of Pokolbin, a stone’s throw from several wineries and putting distance to the excellent Aqua Golf in the Hunter Valley Gardens (and close to our hotel), Lucia takes up one of the permanent pavilion buildings at Roche Estate.
Once the home of Tempus Two, this icon of the Hunter is now an entertainment precinct with cellar doors for McGuigan Wines and Tempus Two, with more dining and drinking options still to come.
Lucia Roche Estate, Pokolbin
We approach the impressive crescent row of angled roofs that make up the pavilions of Roche Estate and take in the views over the vast lawn lines of grapevines.
From the road, this space looks a bit like a secret bunker, its low-impact design seeming to flatten itself into the landscape. From here on the deck though, the precinct feels elevated and open. On the grass in front, a great big grey kangaroo takes his evening meal.
We second the motion and turn to the doors of Lucia, flung open and welcoming.
We’re quickly seated by Lucia’s manager, John Samway, and he walks us through the menu, starting with a signature cocktail.
Christina’s Sicilian Sunset – a riff on a Paloma with tequila, Aperol, blood orange – is refreshing and delicious. Mine is a margarita with a clever Italian twist: tequila and fresh lime but with the addition of limoncello that gives the drink extra punch and a lot more flavour.
Think I’ll be borrowing this one over the summer.
While we’re working our way through our cocktails, our food comes out and, thanks to John’s guidance, it’s exactly what we’re hoping for.
To Start With
In keeping with the drinks (and Lucia’s obvious lean towards modern Mediterranean/Italian fare), entrees are billed as antipasti, which I think is much more correct.
There are three choices of bread; the first two – focaccia and sourdough – you can ignore, but the third is the house ‘pillow bread’, which is a must for anyone coming here.
A bit like the famed puffy bread of Totti’s, Lucia’s pillow bread – cooked in the kitchen’s impressive stone wood-fired oven – puffs up with air and collapses when you cut into it. The difference to Totti’s is this bread is actually tasty and has a wonderful soft texture.
We use it to mop up and demolish the various antipasti plates set before us: rich wagyu bresaola, tender prosciutto, delicate whipped ricotta, morish pesto Genovese and – best of all – spicy, meaty house-made nduja.
As he sets this last one down, John gives the best commentary of the situation:
“You know what you’re getting into,” he smiles. “Get the pillow bread, the nduja, slide a bit of wine over the top of it. Beautiful.”
We follow his instructions to a tee. And speaking of wine, we’re treated to some belters.
The list – apart from a couple of French Champagnes – is completely Hunter Valley. At last! Somewhere that takes advantage of its own provenance.
We make the most of the situation, relishing the virtues of Lisa McGuigan’s Pinot Grigio (she’s sat at the table next to us with some friends by the way) and the superb Reserve Chardonnay from Silkman Wines.
From the Oven
Next, John brings us out one of the kitchen’s specialities from the wood-fired oven: a Napolitano-style pizza. Topped with roast pumpkin, goat’s cheese and crispy sage, this is a delicate sweet treat that works well after the substantial flavours of the antipasti.
But it’s the base that’s the real hero in this pizza.
The middle is tender and thin but structurally sound while the crust is puffy, crunchy and somehow chewy at the same time. Move over Gigi’s, this is the real deal.
We mention this to John, who nods and smiles modestly. He mutters something about the dough being between 70-75% hydrated and makes a humble exit, returning with more superb Hunter wine.
From the Grill… Kind Of
Lucia also has a few share plate options for mains that deserve special attention. My attention is drawn to the pork and fennel meatballs – partly because I’m a sucker for polpette, but also because this dish is $38 for four. They’re going to be pretty good meatballs!
I also have my eye on the beef cheek for obvious reasons.
The one dish we’re not too fussed about is the one that John presents to us and I’m so glad he did. The somewhat undersold “300g wagyu rump steak” is in fact a perfectly sous vide slab of exquisite beef cooked until all that wonderful fat has rendered then reabsorbed, and the protein structure has completely broken down. The result is a steak that cuts with a spoon and has a dense, silken texture.
The red wine reduction is so dark it’s almost molasses. The side fries stands no chance as we mop up every drop.
Hunter Valley wine, again is a hero here. We’re talking a beautiful Barbera from the Little Wine Company and Andrew Thomas’ wonderful Synergy Shiraz.
To Finish
By now, we’re full, but there’s one last hand to play. John deals the ace in his sleeve: a sticky apple and cinnamon pudding with a sambuca butterscotch sauce and vanilla gelato.
Again, it’s a dish I would have (and probably should have) walked past, but it’s simply sensational. Rich, yet not overbearing, sweet but not immobilising and the sambuca adds spice rather than potency.
Lucia Roche Estate
It feels like the Hunter has been crying out for a place like this. If ‘homely fine-dining’ were a thing, it’s the way I’d describe Lucia. It’s unpretentious, but at the same time there’s incredible skill in the kitchen.
Front of house is the same. And the decor, which is full of beautiful little details, completes the look.
With samples of art deco, speakeasies and Italian trattorias everywhere, and expensive soft furnishings and drapery filling the gaps, Lucia is, simply put, a lovely place to come for dinner.
There’s something about a venue “not trying to be anything” but actually being everything in that same breath.
We dined as media guests of Roche Estate, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.
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The Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest wine region, is full of great wineries to visit, great wines to drink stunning scenery.
And there’s plenty more besides wine and views here too. Wonderful restaurants, fun activities, great hotels… and we cover a lot of this here in our latest stories from the Hunter!
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