Accommodation

Yarra Valley 2012: Barolo Lodge

2/16/2012 04:09:00 PM


For the night we stayed in the Yarra Valley, we were lucky enough to be put up at a gorgeous four-bedroom B&B with an outdoor hot-tub and a private chef to cook us dinner! You know, with the Yarra Valley being so close to Melbourne, I’d never thought of it as a destination for weekends away. But that all changed the second we walked into Barolo Lodge.

Barolo Lodge
13 Sloss Road
Healesville VIC
Ph: (03) 5962 4613
Website

Even though it was just the second week of January, it was surprisingly cold while we were in the Valley, with overcast skies and lots of rain. We arrived at the lodge late in the afternoon, to find it perfectly prepared and welcoming.

Soft lighting was on in the bedrooms, chill-out music was playing, the fireplace was on, the hot tub was ready to go, and the dining table was set, with a copy of that night’s menu!


Lovely cosy lounge room

Outdoor hot tub area


Dining room

Chef Gianpaolo arrived at 6pm to begin cooking, and dinner was ready on the dot of seven. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy the cosy lounge room (with pay TV) and relaxing hot tub!

Barolo Lodge doesn’t sell wine itself, but are happy to open any bottles that guests have brought with them – we chose a lovely Napoleone & Co apple and pear cider which we’d picked up at Punt Road Wines earlier that day.


Chef Gianpaolo specialises in Italian cuisine, and uses local produce where possible.  There's no menu as such to choose from, rather, the meal is created taking guests' dietary requirements into account.  A 2-course meal like we had costs $60 per person, and a 3-course meal (including a dessert course) is $75 per person.  A cheese course and panforte is included in both options.  (See the website for up-to-date room rates and further information).

Insalata Caprese – vine ripened tomatoes, fior di latte buffalo mozzarella, olivetto unfiltered virgin oil & house olives Warm Organic fruition sourdough
Our starter was a vibrant Insalata Caprese, full of juicy tomatoes of varying sizes and colours, glossy jet-black olives, peppery basil and soft, creamy fior di latte.  It came with crusty organic sourdough - perfect for mopping up all those tasty juices!

Pollo Rustico – Prosciutto wrapped Lilydale free range chicken, spinach and pine nut stuffing, creamy potato mash, buttered beans

Whilst the starter was light and refreshing, the main was pure comfort food: a chicken breast wrapped in proscuitto (and sage - yay!) and stuffed with pine nuts and spinach, served with buttery beans and a decadent cheddar cheese mash. Oh my goodness, that mash was incredible! I shudder to think how much butter and cheese it contained - but what a lovely treat!

While we ate the mains, Chef Gianpaolo set up the cheese platter in the lounge room for us to enjoy at our leisure, and quietly left the property.
Formaggi - Local Yarra Valley Cheese (cheddar and provolone) and fruit, with fruit bread
I love how cosy the above picture looks.  I was having a chat with David the owner the next day, and apparently many customers fall asleep on those comfy couches in front of the fire, and don't even make it to the bedrooms!  Now that's relaxation!

Panforte
If it wasn't clear throughout the post, I absolutely loved Barolo Lodge, and it was definitely the highlight of the trip!  The only thing I think that could enhance the experience even more would be fluffy bathrobes and Wi-Fi.  Either way, I think it would be a fabulous spot for a wintry getaway with friends - and indeed, whenever I've shown my friends pictures of the trip and the property, I've gotten the same response: "Ooh, we have to go there too!".  I highly recommend it.

Sarah and Sandra stayed at Barolo Lodge as guests of Yarra Ranges Regional Marketing.

This is the fourth post from my Yarra Valley 2012 Trip series.

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3 comments

  1. Anonymous5:27 PM

    Thank you Sarah,

    It was a pleasure having you stay with us. The private dining experience has really taken off and we are preparing many more dinners over the coming months.

    We look forward to seeing you again.

    Best regards,

    David and Gianpaolo
    Barolo Lodge Yarra Valley

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:29 PM

    Dear Sarah,

    It was a pleasure to have you stay with us at Barolo Lodge in the beautiful Yarra Valley.

    The private dining experience has really taken off and we are hosting many more dinners over the coming months.

    We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.

    Best regards,

    David and Gianpaolo
    Barolo Lodge Yarra Valley

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi David & Gianpaolo,

    Thank-you for your comment! Great to hear that the private dining experience has really taken off, I think it's definitely worth it and makes a stay even more special. :)

    Look forward to seeing you again soon!

    Cheers,

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete

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