A variety of dining styles can be enjoyed from a range of restaurants and hotels. The Normanville Beach Cafe is within walking distance and is a fantastic spot to watch the sun setting over the ocean.

 

 

 

 

The beautifully restored 1855 Normanville Hotel also features a reasonably good bottle shop with a very good selection of McLaren Vale and Fleurieu wines in stock. Notably, it recently won the Australian Hotels Association award for Best Hotel Restrooms. Go and christen them yourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haven't been there yet but Lilla's Cafe in Yankalilla scored some favourable reviews of late. Read more here.

Sunset Cove Resort (formerly Paradise Wirrina Cove) is only a short drive away and their restaurant can be enjoyed after a round of golf on their premiership course. (I don't know if you have to play golf first or not...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurants Further Afield

 

The Adelaide Review included a feature on the more interesting local restaurants in their XMAS 2004 edition. Go find it here.

 

Star of Greece Cafe (reviews)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star of Greece is 40 km from Solitude Drive and our experiences back up the reviews we've seen. Great fish, relaxed service, views to die for. Score 8.5/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fino

We'll be able to tell you more about this highly rated Willunga place after we've been there. In the meantime here's what the Adelaide Review's John McGrath made of it.

Russell Jeavons

Russell's only open on Friday nights! Look forward to a rustic, casual dining experience a bit like you might expect in your next door neigbour's shed. The impressive pizzas change each week and depend largely on the available local produce. You'll have to BYO. While you're there remember to pick up supplies of his increasingly hard-to-find dukkah. 8.5/10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more about Russell Jeavons, go here.

 

Victory Hotel (reviews)

The Victory Hotel is exactly 30 km from Solitude Drive (25km by the back road). Open for lunch and dinner 7 days I think. One of the best walk-in cellars I've seen. Pub food with a local twist. 8/10.

Lake Coolangatta Café (reviews) (more reviews)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lake Coolangatta Café is 35 km from Solitude Drive. It opens at weekends for most of the year and almost all week in summer. If in doubt, call them first! Terrific food on a shifting, sandy surface. 8/10.

Salopian Inn (Review)

Some of the more serious food this side of Adelaide. To go here you're in McLaren Vale anyway so make sure you go see some cellar doors.

 

 

 

 

Beach Kiosks

Independent Weekly's detail on who got the gigs for the beach kiosks.

Who's running the new kiosks on the coast?

Three successful tenders were announced last week to develop three kiosks on the Southern Coast -- at Maslin Beach, Aldinga Beach and Silver Sands. But who won the tenders? Insider can tell you: Doug Govan the publican at The Victory Hotel at Sellicks Beach will be redeveloping the Aldinga Beach North site with Andrew Patterson and Tim Whitrow. Former Star of Greece chef Glen Robson will be operating the Maslin beach kiosk with Deb White. And the existing operator of Coolangatta Café, Shane Ortis, has won the tender to redevelop the site at Silver Sands.