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New year, new learning opportunities at The Cooking School

Sunday 1st March | 10am – 2:30pm

Enjoy a delicious summer session at The Cooking School. Expand your culinary repertoire this year with an informative, intimate and hands-on cooking session with 2 senior chefs from the two-hatted Lake House restaurant team producing a 3-course seasonal menu.

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There's a rhythm to life at our house on the lake - a sequence of ongoing daily rituals... Bread is rolled, fresh flowers are arranged, coffee is ground, tables are set. Mountains of fresh produce come through the kitchen doors, borne by proud suppliers. Cooks butcher, peel and chop. The rhythm continues on through the day into the evening, with the soft murmur of guests and the clink of glasses. Final lights out offers a mere few hours respite before the bakers return and the rhythm resumes once again.

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"Lake House is the success story of regional dining that everyone looks to for inspiration"

Australian Gourmet Traveller

A team passionate about hospitality delivers beautiful cutting edge, seasonal food matched with an internationally acclaimed wine list. Under the direction of Culinary Director Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, the kitchen work from the ground up producing virtually everything, from house baked breads to an extensive charcuterie range, on the premises. And Alla’s dream of a raft of excellent small scale local suppliers has finally come about – due in no small part to her own efforts. Several excellent organic farms are now located within minutes of Lake House.

Produce is often hand picked for a morning delivery. Local lamb, rare breed pork, grass fed beef, fresh water fish, sheep and goat’s milk cheese, heirloom fruit from old orchards and windfalls from local gardens arrive at the kitchen, which since the early eighties, has fostered an open door policy, mentoring and supporting small sustainable producers and growers and developing a local food culture amongst fellow restaurateurs, chefs and residents.

Regular guests will tell you of their favourite season and of memorable dishes. Perhaps the butter poached pheasant with chestnuts and Farrow in Autumn, the spring lamb with asparagus and morels. The duck with orange braised witlof; the golden roasted free range chicken of summer with corn and yabbies, or the truffled Pecorino tart with artichokes Barigoule, eel, Murray Cod and trout; rabbit and hare, speak of local waterways and fields.

Wild damsons, Winter Nealis pears, quinces and yellow crab apples feature in fabulous desserts and, in time honoured country fashion, are also made into delicious preserves for enhancing leaner seasons. Each seasonal menu takes you on a trip down country lanes, through the orchards and across the farm paddocks of the region.

During the day, the sunlit restaurant offers magnificent views through wonderfully large windows. Guests enjoying drinks at dusk on the outdoor terraces will witness the daily ritual of our resident kookaburra family flying in to be fed.

On our table

Menus are generally altered twice each season, according to best available produce. These changes generally follow the seasonal calendar, although Mother Nature, marching entirely to her own drum frequently throws some surprises at us.

 

As part of our policy of developing a direct relationship with our growers and producers – much of the produce used at Lake House is sourced from nearby including from our own Dairy Flat Farm.

Valentine's Day Dinner

Friday 14th February | $195 pp 

Treat your loved one to a romantic and memorable dining experience! It’s a beautiful time of year at our house on the lake – think pre-dinner drinks on the Lagoon Deck as the sun sets over the far shore, fresh-cut flowers, delicious food, and wine.

Tasting Menu $195 per person. To make a booking, please contact us on +61 3 5348 3329 or click below.

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Menus

  • A la carte & tasting menus are available at both lunch and dinner.

    A La Carte
    3 courses 135
    4 courses 155
    Prices include a shared salad, coffee or tea & Sweet Indulgences.

    Tasting Menu
    Signature Menu 175
    Vegetarian Menu 165
    Sommelier’s Matched Beverages 85

    Midweek ‘In a Hurry’ Lunch
    (excluding public holidays & holiday periods)
    2 courses 110
    Prices include a shared salad, coffee or tea & Sweet Indulgences

    Book Now Download Sample Menu

Opening Hours

  • Our restaurant is open for lunch & dinner daily except Thursday.
    For groups of 10 or more, see our private dining options
    Reservations are recommended.

    Lunch 12pm – 2.30pm (last reservations) daily except Thursday
    Dinner 6.00pm – 9.00pm (last reservations) daily

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Australia's iconic gourmet retreat...

Our other spaces

The Argyle Library Bar

  • With soft grey studded leather couches, citrus velvet armchairs and unique rotating art exhibitions from
    some of the region’s famed sculptors, painters and glass blowers; the Argyle Library Bar is a recent addition
    to the property.

    A place for in house guests to relax throughout the day; the Bar features a cult and classic collection of
    magazines as well as daily newspapers. The ever expanding Culinary Library collection is a drawcard for avid foodies and you’ll often see the chefs looking for references in books to herbs and heirloom varietals planted amongst the 6 acres of gardens.In the afternoon and early evenings the bar is set for Aperitivo; perhaps a spritz or a classic martini. After dinner it’s all about premium rum, cognacs and a large collection of aged whiskey by the fire. There’s even a grand piano for a little impromptu entertainment…

    With soft grey studded leather couches, citrus velvet armchairs and unique rotating art exhibitions from
    some of the region’s famed sculptors, painters and glass blowers; the Argyle Library Bar is a recent addition
    to the property.

    A place for in house guests to relax throughout the day; the Bar features a cult and classic collection of
    magazines as well as daily newspapers. The ever expanding Culinary Library collection is a drawcard for avid foodies and you’ll often see the chefs looking for references in books to herbs and heirloom varietals planted amongst the 6 acres of gardens.In the afternoon and early evenings the bar is set for Aperitivo; perhaps a spritz or a classic martini. After dinner it’s all about premium rum, cognacs and a large collection of aged whiskey by the fire. There’s even a grand piano for a little impromptu entertainment…

    Show More

Lagoon Deck

  • In warmer months, guests can enjoy the Lagoon Deck with beautiful views across Lake Daylesford and beyond. We suggest arriving early for your restaurant booking and starting with drinks in the sunshine – perfect.

Restaurant Gift Vouchers

  • Dinner for Two

    Enjoy a three course a la carte dinner in the award-winning Lake House restaurant for two.

    $270

    ORDER ONLINE

  • Degustation for Two

    Enjoy a multi-course lunch or dinner in the award-winning Lake House restaurant for two.

    $350

    ORDER ONLINE

  • Lunch for Two

    Enjoy a three course a la carte lunch in the award-winning Lake House restaurant for two.

    $270

    ORDER ONLINE

Buy the Book

Three Decades On – A new book from Alla Wolf-Tasker

In this book, Alla Wolf-Tasker shares her love for the region and Lake House, her admiration for great producers both local and across Australia, with wonderful recipes, captivating stories and magnificent imagery.

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Feature Package

Dine and Unwind

Relax and unwind during the week with our special package.

Dine and Unwind 60 min massage plus dining time $215
Spend a blissful few hours at Lake House. Start with a one hour massage designed to ease tired muscles and soothe a busy mind. Then, once you’re totally relaxed, enjoy a 2 course a la carte lunch at the multi award winning Lake House restaurant. Monday – Wednesday subject to availability.

To find out more about Dine and Unwind or to make a booking please contact us on +61 3 5348 3329 or enquire below.

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Our Awards and Accolades

  • 2 Chefs Hats

    The Good Food Guide

  • Hot 50 Restaurants

    The Australian

  • Best Australian Property in a Food & Wine Region

    Luxury Travel Gold List

  • Top 50 Restaurants

    The Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide

  • Hall of Fame

    The Australian Wine List of the Year Awards

Our Press

  • “…a masterclass in how to do it right.”

    Good Food Guide

  • “The wine list is stunning, fresh and handled with the right balance of deference and friendliness. In all, a remarkable example of talent and determination”.

    The Australian Hot 50

  • “After 35 years, Alla Wolf-Tasker’s regionally focused restaurant remains one of the best in Australia, a masterclass in precise cooking and top-quality ingredients”.

    Gourmet Traveller

  • “Forager’s Feast.  Already famed for its two-hatted restaurant and luxe accommodation, Lake House is fast becoming known for its cooking school where the focus is on foraging and local produce.”

    Delicious

  • “This impressive collection is utterly mesmerising. Select one of the many excellent local wines, to give you a regional flavour. Or choose from the enlightened selection of Australia and New Zealand’s Best. On a global front, the range is nothing short of outstanding, including a heady collection of Burgundy, grower Champagne and Italian reds.”

    The Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards

  • “…it offers guests much more than just a superb meal. With 33 sleek rooms and suites set in about 2.5 hectares of garden extending down to the waters of Lake Daylesford, as well as a spa nestled among the treetops, the entire resort is enveloped in a tranquil, welcoming ambiance that has enchanted visitors from around the world.”

    The Financial Review Sophisticated Traveller

Restaurant Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Policy

All reservations made over our premium times require a credit card number to secure the booking. No deposit is taken, however, a cancellation policy does apply. Click here to view our cancellation policy.

Children at Lake House

In the Lake House restaurant, we try to accommodate children where possible. Special menus are designed for our younger clientele in mind should they not wish to try the a la carte menus. Families, please note that premium evening sittings in the restaurant over weekends are fixed price $135 per person. If you are travelling with children, there are several options if you wish to avoid this per person price for young ones. Children’s Menus are offered at lunch or in the evening delivered to the comfort of your room. Babysitters can, of course, be arranged with notice.

When dining in the restaurant we ask patrons to remember that waiters are working with hot food & liquid and we require all children to remain seated throughout the meal.

A Note on Allergies

Lake House makes every effort to do what’s possible to accommodate guests with food allergies. However, please note, flour, dairy, fructose, onion, garlic, and other similar traditional cooking ingredients are routinely used in our kitchen as part of our normal daily preparation. As a result, a complete lack of any trace of any of these routine ingredients cannot be guaranteed.

Further, given the nature and complexity of our dishes not all ‘diet’ preferences & intolerances can be accommodated. Vegetarian dishes and those that can be modified to be gluten free (note traces may still occur) are noted on our menus. We also offer a specifically designed 8 course vegetarian menu for your enjoyment.

Parking at Lake House

We offer free car parking in our public car park. Vehicles are left at guests own risk.

Credit Card Surcharges

Visa & Mastercard 1%, Amex & Diners Club 1.75%. No surcharge for Eftpos