Pt. Leo Estate’s new restaurant

Fine dining came to the Mornington Peninsula with the opening of Pt. Leo Estate last October.

Added to that is the Mornington Peninsula vineyard.

It has already become a must-visit destination for anyone coming to Victoria.

The impressive sculpture collection strewn throughout the grounds is only one drawcard.

But the key attraction has been the Pt Leo Estate Restaurant offering sweeping views towards nearby Western Port Bay.

And now, Pt. Leo Estate has developed a second, more refined dining option in Laura. 

The 45 seat restaurant is named after the celebrated Jaume Plensa sculpture.

It is focused around a set-course menu of up to six dishes celebrate the cool-climate surrounding the area and is very much the brainchild of culinary director Phil Wood’s who put it together as a tribute to the Mornington Peninsula and its produce.

The restaurant opened on March 8.

Its menu changes with the season and the produce that comes out during the year.

And because it’s the Mornington Peninsula, the dishes are laden with Flinders Island mussels, topped with seaweed butter and dehydrated tomatoes and local corn polenta.

Or diners can expect John Dory paired with pickled vine leaves, grapes, pine-nuts and burnt butter.

The wine list is also extensive.

There are 600 fine wines available.

The wine list has been designed by head sommelier Andrew Murch and his focus is firmly placed on local and regional wines. 

The restaurant has also recruited experts in the field with staff led by restaurant manager Ainslie Lubbock and new recruit Madeleine Morgan (ex-Rockpool Dining Group). She has come in as restaurant manager.

“Laura is a love letter to the Mornington,”  Wood told delicious. “The menu paints a portrait of the region using the highest quality ingredients that I can find, focusing on six key areas: land, ocean, vineyards, livestock, dairy and orchard. I’m really excited to show people what we’ve created, and what I’ve discovered.”

Leon Getler 10th March