Mt Lofty House Brings a Slice of Sydney to the Adelaide Hills

“I took a trip in February; it was my first trip to South Australia,” Brown says. “It left a good impression, particularly the Barossa and the Hills. So, I went back to Sydney for a few months and prepared to make the move.”

Now, Brown is the head chef at Adelaide’s next fine-dining destination: Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, which is located at Mt Lofty House. Brown moved to Adelaide after being impressed by South Australia’s produce, products and the Adelaide Hills. His new kitchen is part of the multi-million dollar Mount Lofty House redevelopment, which includes yet-to-be-built six-star villas.

The chef, who was at Sake in Sydney before moving here, has been tinkering with the menu since arriving in the middle of the year. Brisbane-raised Brown has worked in many of Australia’s finest kitchens including the Stokehouse, Quay and Tetsuya’s as well as a two-year stint in Japan. He says his food will strike a balance between his French training and his Japanese experience.

“We’ll be doing a four-course and seven-course [degustation] plus snacks and petit fours throughout the meal,” Brown says of the menu, which will be based around charcoal. “This will keep it flexible and interesting. We will change the menu as frequently as the ingredients allow.”

Brown has brought three chefs with him from interstate. Brown says they will deliver old-school cooking that is refined and contemporary, and, currently, the menu features a show stopping chocolate orb dessert (pictured).

“It takes two to three days to produce,” Brown says of the conversation-starting dessert. “It’s always fun to have a bit of theatrics at the table.”

In service, ex-Magill Estate and Otto Ristorante (Sydney) sommelier Patrick White returns to Adelaide for the head sommelier gig and another ex-Magill Estate identity, Martin O’Connor, is consulting for Hardy’s after recent stints at Appellation and Botanic Gardens Restaurant and has recently launched his business, MoCo Restaurant Consultants.

Hardy’s Verandah
72 Mt Lofty Summit Road,
Mt Lofty House
8339 6777

Photos: Meaghan Coles