Beautiful D’ Arenberg Cube Restaurant in McLaren Vale, South Australia
In the beautiful vineyards of McLaren Vale lies the magnificent D’Arenberg Cube restaurant. The cube is home to beautiful degustation courses, tasting experiences and art exhibitions. From the outside this five-tiered Rubix cube look-alike building looks small compared to the surrounding vineyards but once inside it has much to offer.
I visited the cube to celebrate my partner’s birthday so I had us booked in for the Eleven course degustation lunch, dining over roughly a 1 ½ hour period.
Upon arrival after being greeted at door we took a self-guided tour through the quirky interactive maze called the Alternate Realities Museum on the ground floor. It is a gallery full of wonderful pieces of art and puzzling displays, worth a visit even if just passing through.
After our tour we headed up to the fourth floor which is the wonderful Tasting Room. We were introduced to the Maître D at the bar and were given the opportunity to try as many wines as we liked from their selection as we waited for our time session. The price is included in your dining experience and if you’re not a fan or unsure of wines- like us- they offer alternatives and give suggestions.
When they were ready the attentive staff took us down to the third floor to the dining room where we were greeted by several waiting staff. They took our coats, seated us formally and put a napkin on our laps. They then offered us beverages, introduced themselves and the experience and then proceeded to bring out a variety of ‘snacks’ to get started.
The snacks blew our minds, although they sounded simple, they were decadent well throughout pieces that take you on a magical journey.
Following the snacks were a variety of savoury courses, containing seafood dishes, savoury Waffles with Chicken Butter, Alpaca tartare and Lamb Tartare (Not like the sauce served with fish by the way). A dish completely made out of different Chicken components, one of which they named the Chicken Sandwich completely made of Chicken and let’s not forget the Wagu Beef steak that is brought in from Japan that is level nine graded, the best of the best they claimed. All of this and so much more as each dish has many components and detailed descriptions. The dishes were delicately served and presented differently every time, you can tell a lot of thought has gone into not only the food but the presentation and experience of the food.
After the Savoury courses it was time for dessert. First was a deceiving ‘Cheesecake’ Which was made out of lots of little things but had a huge flavour impact. Next they brought out a ‘Deconstructed Lemon Meringue’ which was served with a flat hexagonal shaped 3D printed piece made out of Meringue. The 3D printer is the only one in SA, so having that piece was marvellous.
Finally, we had some Petite Fours or as they are named in the menu you receive at the end of your dining experience, The Final Fuckeliana. The first of three was a puzzling dish where they served a small glass tube of Goji Berry Popping Candy Sherbet on a wooden board with a mirror piece installed served with a house printed 100 dollar note, with the advice of ‘please don’t snort the popping candy but do eat it from the glass or suck it up of the board’. Next was a trio of house made jellies made from wines served in a glass jar filled with lollies. Lastly was a house made ‘Ferrero Rocher’ which was decadent, but needed more crunchy bits.
All this being said the experience and food were sensational. The staff were knowledgeable and attentive. The dining room was quirky and fun but sophisticated. The travel and price were well worth it. When you visit make sure to ‘visit’ the bathrooms on the first floor to see their wacky décor and quirky presentation too.
Overall thankyou D’Arenberg team for a memorable experience. We will be returning in the Summer or Spring for another enjoyable menu.
If you visit the Cube please do tell me about you experience and most favourite dish.