The Views, Halls Gap

After a whole day of hiking and walking at the Grampians (Boronia Peak, Boroka Lookout, Reeds Lookout, the Balconies, the Pinnacle), my friends and I decided to treat ourselves to a well deserved feast. Given the rave reviews on TripAdvisor, I figured out that The Views would be overcrowded with hungry backpackers. So I felt a bit silly when I entered the restaurant at around 8pm and only a couple of tables were taken.The interior of the spacious restaurant was carpeted in red and sits adjacent to the Grampians Motel.  The floor to ceiling windows offer a nice view of the field outside. You might even spot wallabies hopping around.

Once we were seated, a friendly staff drew out a blackboard displaying the day’s specials and rested it on the table right next to ours. Well, now I feel obliged to order something from there.The always jovial staff members will be happy to provide some helpful recommendations and welcome a friendly chat. Looking at the board, I was immediately drawn to the Italian Beef, tomato and herb ragout served with home-made spaghetti by their Italian chef.

Italian Beef, tomato and herb ragout served with home-made spaghetti, $26

The mere sight of this dish made me drool. Here the spaghetti strips were silky and cooked to al dente. It’s served with a luscious beef ragout and sprinkled with fresh rosemary leaves. I like my pasta sauces to have a strong herb flavour but not too overpowering and this dish definitely delivered. As I speared my fork into the spaghetti, twirled it around allowing the strands to wrap around itself and tipped it into my mouth, the texture on my palate sent me in raptures.

Eye Fillet, $34   

Eye fillet beef steak topped with a mushroom and red wine sauce, served on a bed of creamy mash potatoes. Matt ordered a medium rare, however it turned out to be a tad bit overdone i.e. medium. Having said that, he was quite pleased with the tenderness of the beef. Every element of the dish was well seasoned.

Rolled Chicken, $26

Keat ordered this dish of twice cooked (poached and roasted) rolled chicken thigh infused with sundried tomatoes and spinach, wrapped in proscuitto. To add a punch of flavour, the dish was tied together with a chive and garlic sauce, served on herb couscous and a side salad.

As cliché as it may sound, there is always room for desserts!!!

Chocolate Fudge Cake, $9

The rich and moist texture of the chocolate fudge was a nice contrast to the lightness of the vanilla ice cream. The white chocolate dressing that coated the top had a distinct vanilla flavour, adding a subtle, sweet flavour to the dish.

Apple and Raspberry Crumble, $9

Keat had her eye on the apple crumble so we had to have a bite. The apple slices were perfectly poached to the right softness and tenderness topped with crumbly rolled oats with a sprinkle of icing sugar. For me the dish was a tad too sweet for my liking. However do note that my threshold for sweets is lower than the general population.

If The Views was located near Melbourne CBD, it’ll be one of those places where I would return time and again. I don’t simply say this as I am a self-confessed foodie, well to put it bluntly a picky eater. Highly recommend this place.

Cuisine: Modern Australian/ Italian

Contact: 394-404 Grampians Rd, Halls Gap VIC 3381. (03) 5356 4248

Opening hours: 7 days a week