One thing the Mornington Peninsula is endowed with is big open spaces of land. Some times paddock stretch as far as the eye can see. Vineyards, farms, horse stables, parks, reserves and estates are numerous all the way down the Peninsula. One reserve\estate and restaurant is The Biers at Mount Matha. This restaurant is part of a very old and rambling estate\farm which appears to go on and on for acres. You need a cut lunch to get you to the main restaurant because the drive to it, on the estate, is so long.
Perched up high on a hill, over looking most of the estate is a cluster of old farm buildings. They are rustic but plain. Attached to the main building is an al fresco easting area. This very pleasant area at one time was probably just a modern undercover area attached to the side of the original building. Now being closed in and light and airy it makes for a delightful dining experience. A great place for a wedding or engagement. With beautiful and expansive grounds surrounding the restaurant area this location is secluded yet open.
So what of the food? The service firstly was very good. Plenty of staff to take drink orders and obey your every wish. The host himself was friendly and chatty. Beers and wines are well represented on the drinks list with better than average support for local brewers and growers. The Main Menu had good choices and the large table of friends I sat with had a lot of trouble deciding between some excellent sounding dishes. The food matches the mouth watering descriptions laid out in print, no one on my table complained about their meal.
But the Briers is more than just food and drink. Though a little spares in yesteryear structures and oddments it is well worth a walk around the grounds. There are many areas to this huge estate. I kept my wandering to the hilly restaurant area. The main building has a bar and a big open area which is being use as an art gallery. I would well image if a wedding was held here this area would become the dance area, though tables and chairs setup here would make for a quaint old world celebrational experience.
You would think this place perfect. I have not bitched about anything yet. As with most places of public eating and entertaining there is always a chink in the armour of an otherwise perfect setting. So here it is. The toilets are shared with non-dining folk and are not only outside but a short walk through an open area. If it is raining, as it was on the day we visited, you get wet. And the dunnies are basic, partially open to the weather and cold. Don't sit, just stand or hover.
This is a place you must visit. The fine food and excellent selection of thirst quenchers may be the draw card but the sheer size of this once prodigious estate has to be seen to be believed. If you don't want to layout for a meal in the restaurant bring a picnic and join the working class. Feed the ducks or water foul, enjoy the big open expanses or walk off a few hundred kilojoules. You can do it all here. This end of it is free. So grab it.
Revisit; I recently when back to the Briers for lunch. It has changed hands. The new owner said it was a little run down when they took it on. The dinning area looks tied and a little dirty. To the the sound of a staff members crying child in the reception area I ordered both entree and main. The entree was Dukka and a hot white roll with oil and salt. The Dukka was very nice, the bread roll a little ordinary. To the sound of the same child now bouncing a hard ball on a echoing wooden floor I eat my Beef Wellington. The meat was dry and a little over-cooked, the sauce barely had any taste but the greens OK. Service was OK also and the view pleasant from the dinning area.
The Briers may have had its day. I was hoping for a quiet steak lunch, I was disappointed on both counts. Try coffee and cake but seriously dine elsewhere. Sorry guys, you will have to do a lot better. And organised a baby sitter. The wining, crying child and continuous ball bouncing in the reception was awfully off-putting.
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