The Dining Room at Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill is elegance and luxury personified. Freshly recognised with two hats in the 2025 Australian Good Food Guide, this exceptional restaurant goes beyond the plate to create a truly immersive dining experience.
Walking into The Dining Room, it’s the design and styling that first catches your eye. It’s refined simplicity from floor to ceiling, with a natural palette and thoughtful details that mirror the surrounding landscape. Designed by award-winning interior design studio Hecker Guthrie, it is a picturesque location for long lunches or decadent dinners.
The team – led by Executive Chef Nick McGonigal – are warm, attentive and genuinely welcoming. Their deep knowledge of local produce and Lindenderry wines makes navigating the menu feel effortless.
McGonigal, who recently stepped into his new role at The Dining Room, has taken the venue to new heights. Originally from Melbourne, Nick has an expansive and colourful culinary history.
Over the past decade, he has honed his craft both at home and abroad, training with some of Australia’s most celebrated kitchens – including Melbourne institutions Cecconi’s and Society, as well as Sydney’s acclaimed Bentley. His training also took him overseas, where he worked as Chef de Partie at three-Michelin starred The Ledbury in London under Brett Graham.
Nick’s passion for and commitment to sourcing of local ingredients is evident in the lovingly-curated tasting menu: The Dining Room Experience. This six-course degustation, paired with a selection of Lindenderry’s finest wines is the ultimate paddock-to-plate experience.
You’ll start with the Abrolhos Scallop with XO sauce, sustainably harvested from the waters off the Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia and paired with Lindenderry’s Macedon Ranges Sparkling Rose. This starter perfectly awakens the palate – the delicate sweetness of the scallop enriched by the umami of XO sauce and paired with the lively bubbles of the sparkling rosé, gets the taste buds tingling for what’s next.
The next two courses highlight more of the exceptional seafood sourced both locally and close by in New Zealand.
The Ora King Salmon is served with Pea and Mint Chantilly and Broad Beans, the creamy chantilly and earthy beans perfectly complementing the salmon’s rich, buttery texture.
The third course, Shark Bay Scampi served with Forestry Mushrooms and Potato Cream is unmissable. The tender, sweet Scampi, offset with the potato cream and meatiness of the mushroom is the perfect flavour explosion. If you’re dining à la carte, be sure to include this dish – it’s a standout that elevates the entire experience. These courses are respectfully paired with Lindenderry’s 2024 Pinot Gris from the Macedon Ranges and the 2024 Lindenderry Rose created right here on the Mornington Peninsula.
After three unforgettable courses, the meal moves into its main act. Depending on the season, The Dining Room Experience offers a choice between the Sher Wagyu Rostbiff with Black Confit Mayonnaise and Beetroot, or the Spanish Mackerel paired with Asparagus, Seaweeds and a silky Potato Cream.
The Wagyu, served medium rare, quite literally melts in your mouth; the salty black garlic perfectly complementing the sweet, earthy profile of the beetroot. The Wagyu is paired with Lindenderry’s 2023 Pinot Noir – the varietal the region is most celebrated for thanks to the area’s maritime climate and volcanic soils.
The final course is dessert – white chocolate frozen yoghurt with quince and macadamia – a refreshing end to an exceptional meal. Who would have thought that after five remarkable courses, there’d still be room for more? The beauty of this menu lies not only in the exquisite flavour combinations but also in the top-quality ingredients and the primary focus on protein and vegetables, leaving you satiated without the heaviness.
Nick and his passionate team source many of their ingredients locally, right here on the Mornington Peninsula, from trusted suppliers like Main Ridge Dairy, Torello Farm and Flinders Truffle. McGonigal also works with local gardener Mary Loucas, and The Dining Room’s own onsite gardener John, whose deep knowledge of the land helps shape each dish from the ground up.
“This role feels like a natural homecoming,” says McGonigal. “Lindenderry offers the rare opportunity to shape a menu that reflects the rhythm of the land just outside the kitchen window. From working with our gardener to grow bespoke herbs and vegetables, to collaborating with passionate Peninsula producers, it’s a holistic, creative process that honours the integrity of the ingredients.”
A visit to The Dining Room at Lancemore Lindenderry will leave you feeling warm from the inside out. The ambience, the people, and the care taken to curate such a thoughtful, beautifully balanced dining experience make this an unforgettable memory your tastebuds (and your soul) won’t forget.
The Dining Room is open for lunch Friday – Sunday 12pm – 3pm and dinner Thursday-Sunday 6pm-11pm. We highly recommend booking in advance.
