Lake House at Daylesford

4 King St
Daylesford, VIC 3460
https://lakehouse.com.au/restaurant/

Lake House fills me with warm fuzzies. I booked a stay as a winter getaway from exam study, and everything about it exceeded my expectations. We’re talking treetop spas at sundown, multi-course in-room dinners (surprisingly excellent), lazy afternoons by the open fire in the library, and long, leisurely meals at the crowning jewel of the estate – the two-hatted Lake House Restaurant. The five course dinner Tasting Menu ($225pp) relies heavily on produce from their own farm just 10 minutes down the road, as well as quality local suppliers, to create a hyper-seasonal menu reflecting the best the region has to offer. Whilst Lake House is very much fine dining, with linen table clothes ironed to a crisp, and staff dressed for black-tie events, the 40-year history of the restaurant has given it time to mellow out. The resulting ambience is warm and welcoming, maintaining just that slight air of exclusivity without feeling stuffy or snooty. If I had any criticism, it’s that the pricing is on the steeper side for a short-ish set menu that doesn’t break new ground. But honestly, I was so seduced by the gourmet breakfasts (a la carte and buffet), lake views, and immaculate service, that I was willing to overlook that and enjoy dinner at Lake House for what it is – a really, really lovely night out.

Rating: 15.5/20 – quiet luxury.
Recommend: coming in early for drinks – in the library by the fireplace in winter, or overlooking the lake on the terrace in summer.
Highly recommend: booking in for a stay. most of their packages come with dinner at the restaurant.

The first ‘seasonal bite’ that landed on our table was a delicious Pomme Dauphine. A fancier version of the KFC Mashies, the airy potato puff has a delicately golden shell, and a buttery centre of potato, accentuated by a dollop of leek and herb emulsion.

On the lighter side was a spoonful of Tuna Tartare, the ruby fish fresh like a cold winter morning, the firm texture contrasting with crisp bitter-sweet kohlrabi, and a hint of mushroom from the earth.

To go with the snacks is an entire loaf of Lakehouse’s famous sourdough, made daily in the bakehouse on their farm down the road. It is a textbook sourdough, with a crackling crust giving way to a soft, slightly chewy middle. And as with all good bread, it comes with a generous side of high quality, delicately milky butter.

Now onto the courses proper! The K’Gari Spanner Crab, Steamed Dashi Custard is like a super fancy decadent take on the humble chawanmushi, the delicate sweetness of the seafood given an umami boost by the rich shiitake dashi broth.

Each course has a dish titled The Art of the Vegetable, which heroes their farm’s seasonal produce. In this case, it’s a simple but stunning plate of Heirloom Beetroot, cool and sweet as if it’s been pulled out of the winter soil just minutes prior, the deeper earthier notes complemented by soft garden leaves, and thick dollops of yoghurt.

I was surprised to see Cured Sher Wagyu Striploin on the next course, when all the other dishes were still relatively light. Turns out, this was way more than what it says on the cover. Though it has the DNA of a hearty beef and onion stew, it’s been reimagined as a slow-braise of fall-apart beef, blanketed with paper-thin slices of buttery, barely-cooked wagyu, and shavings of winter vegetables. Once at the table, it’s finished with a clear yet potent oxtail broth. This is a dish that exudes both comfort and sophistication.

Similarly delicious was the Portland Calamari, the sweet curls barely cooked, paired with an earthy roasted turnip and broccoli fronds for a wintery take on a traditional warm-weather dish.

The final savoury course focuses on hearty dishes, perfect for chilly Victorian winter. The Roaring Forties Lamb was an easy choice, consisting of multiple cuts, all cooked to juicy perfection. An unexpected Middle Eastern twist comes in the form of a bracingly spicy, toothsome pearl couscous, as well as a slip of charcoal-cooked eggplant, its sticky sweetness almost stealing the show from the fatty, tender lamb.

For vegetarians, there’s the Russet Potato Pavé. This is probably the only dish I was on the fence about. Whilst I loved the buttery layers of potato, I found the outside to be overcooked and somewhat chewy. And the combination of snow peas and shiitake on the side, whilst well-done, reminded me of a Chinese stir fry. I was however rather impressed with the fun little potato puffs that came as a garnish.

I couldn’t resist grabbing the Cider-Braised Brussel Sprouts ($18) on the side, which came with spiced pork fat melting into the delicately bitter folds, and hedonistically tossed with entire chunks of lardons.

I haven’t had a dessert as good as the Harcourt Figs for a long while. The lush, seductive fruit comes accompanied by a fig leaf ice cream that sparkles like the sap on a fig tree in summer. But what really sets this dish off is the drizzle of new season honey, its woody, slightly floral notes rich like liquid gold. It’s a simple dessert, but the quality of the ingredients makes it unbeatable.

If you want a showstopper however, get the Floating Island – an impressively tall meringue hiding a creamy centre of mandarin custard, garnished with fresh and freeze-dried citrus, and just a whisper of sweet lemon verbena. Balanced precariously on top is a razor-thin shard of crispy tuile, just sturdy enough to hold up the scoop of mandarin sorbet. It is an absolute technical marvel, but also scores high on pure deliciousness.

But wait, there’s more! Our meal is rounded out by a delectable selection of Petit Fours, along with your choice of coffee or tea. The Dark Chocolate Pralines were like a grown-up version of a chocolate crackle, crossed with a Lindor ball. The expertly tempered dark chocolate shell cracks to reveal a centre of chocolate cream, topped with crunchy puffed rice. As delicious as the pralines were though, my heart goes to the Tonka Bean Caramel, which is just a decadent mouthful of caramelised burnt butter, the bitter edge rounded out by the smooth, vanillic notes of tonka.