The Cellar Restaurant in Cessnock

What a cozy restaurant. I had the beef rump cap. It was so tender & absolutely delicious. Thankyou for a lovely evening.

Very disappointing. Extremely overpriced.Portions sizes were quite small for its pricing.3 chicken wings for $18.Quesadilla - corn tortilla tasted old. It was dry, tough like a leather which I’m guessing they heated up on the microwave.Whipped butter and the bread was the only decent food from what we’ve ordered.Staffs were friendly, but I would not go back nor recommend this place to anyone. Such a shame.

By far the best meal I have ever had in my life, we have booked in for lunch tomorrow because it is exceptional! Brilliant food, wonderful service, wow!

Plasticky food and very stingy wine service. The waitress emptied the last dregs of a bottle into my glass and didnt bother opening another bottle to top it up. Happened again to my friend who ordered a red. Paid $15 for 1/4 glass. Wont be going back.

Great mixture of choices. We tried the Monkfish and the Lamb Rump. The former was nestled in a delicate broth with local herbs, while the latter seemed seared then roasted and served with carrot, beetroot and jus. Both were splendid and pleasantly surprised. This is adventurous food for the Hunter at attractive prices. More if it please!

Delicious food, wine and very cool atmosphere. Definitely order the oysters and monkfish. We didn’t get the lamb but it looked delicious on someone else’s table. Staff were lovely. Fire was on, making our winter meal very cosy. Highly recommend!

Excellent cuisine. We all raved above our dishes. Our waitress was wonderful, very professional.

Fantastic atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food. I had the beef brisket, Brussels sprouts, dutch carrots and chips. Tasted awesome. Would come back.

Everything we ordered was delicious and hot. Fish was little bit dry in the fried fish would recommend to ask for some aioli. Brownies were amazing would come again just for it.

We came once before current management took over. Covid and inflation impacts are felt, quiet for school holidays. So;Ambience: 4/5Food: 4/5Service: 3/5Value: 2/5Overall: 3.5 / 5I think it is worth visiting once. Beyond that, manager needs to consider offering for the times. Not whole lot of people spending $55 ppax

Truly amazing food, great service, lovely wines and nothing was too much trouble. Definately recommend this restaurant and would return on another visit. Thanks Vanessa

I cannot remember when was the last time i enjoyed a meal like this. The wine recommendation was on point as well.

A wonderful experience! Although a little delayed with the wait staff both the food and drinks were spectacular. Received complimentary bread for our wait which was a nice touch. Pumpkin gnocchi was so full of flavour and the pork included a variety of beautiful and unusual flavours. Would 100% attend again!!!!

13 people for a birthday party on a Wednesday night . Which a cake was brought to the restaurant, notice was given .Average travel for each guest an hour and a half each way , a big commitment for the guests. 6:30 booking our party left around 9:10pmPossibly the restaurant fed 50 covers in a 120 seat restaurant . Not bad for midweek in winter . Average cost for our 13 per head was approximately 60 dollars . Fair due to the quality of the food served . When the waitstaff were present they were pleasant and professional. Though their attentiveness was neglectful. Patrons at the table had to get and find a server to get drinks , more than four times .Food was an 8 / 10 .The insult was being charged $8:50 per person to have the cake served , we were told we could not cut it ourselves, and we’re not informed when booking this was the case . This was paid but 13 hard working patrons wiil think twice before going back

For some years this venue was a must visit when we came up to the Hunter Valley as they had some of the best steaks we have had. Todays visit left us completely underwhelmed. Firstly and we do not understand why they have a harsh booking /cancellation fee, then to follow rules on what you have to order (with NO lunch menu)Given wine and food tastings are part of the experience in the Hunter all we wanted was a light lunch but we were told we had to order a main each or an entrees and side each, mind you entrees Start at $20 & sides $11After negotiating, ridiculous I know, we ordered 2 entrees and one sideChicken Gowgee, Choko, Ginger Broth, Spinach -small average tasting dishPork Belly, Black Pudding, Pear, Truffle Jus Vinaigrette- dry tasteless dish very disappointingRissoni salad -not sure what part of this dish was salad with the exception of the green garnish, it was just rice in a tomato based sauce????Service like the food not good, the waitress was not personable nor engaging at any time.I did not take any pictures which for me is unusual as i do this all the time, but the food was quite uninspiringUpdate- i recieved a call today Wednesday 29th, from. One of the owners following my feedback, she was lovely to speak with despite my negative review and is taking onboard the feedback, I will visit again next time we go to the Hunter with a open mind

We had a lovely dinner here tonight. Food was tasty and generous portions, service was exceptional and the atmosphere was quite friendly. Loved the vibe inside. Will be returning soon

I would like to share my experience with the people who have young children and considering to visit this restaurant.We went there with two 3 three year olds and in the first 15 minute we received a very irritating warning from one of the serving staff. The children were just looking at the fire pit in the middle, not running between the tables or bothering other people. The food still wasnt at the table. She showed us the menu and said that as its explained here, please get your children to sit down and be quiet before the cranky chef comes here and tells youIf the children are not welcome in your restaurant, the management should have clearly mentioned it on the WEBSITE, on the booking page, not as a quick note in the menu as it is too late to get out and find another place to go. Also the way of writing this note is not the best as it sounds very discriminating towards families with children. Everybody knows that it is unfair to expect toddlers sit down quietly for a long time.The food was ok but nothing special in my opinion.

Unfortunately, we could not enjoy our meal because we were freezing!Staff were courteous to all of us and turned a heater on. But it was still so cold.The food was ok, wine very average.Take your Ugg boots and ski jacket in winter.

We dined as a group of 8 for lunch June 22. We felt there was not a lot of variety with the main meals and considering the conditions stated that a minimum of 1 main meal per person, was very limiting. I personally would have ordered 2 to 3 entrees that appealed to me rather than going with a main to meet these conditions. We have been able to do this numerous times in other restaurants and it is usually to the restaurants benefit. Based on this restriction I would not go back to this restaurant.

We had a lovely lunch at the Cellar. We got to take the dogs for lunch. They allowed us to order a number of entrees so we could experience more dishes without having a huge meal.

Amazing food, cozy ambience, friendly staff and excellent service! Absolutely could not fault our experience. Make sure you save room for dessert; I promise you it’s worth it!!

After a long wait for our meals we were disappointed with the food which was excessively salty and very bland. The salmon was not fresh in fact we could not finish it for fear of getting ill. On notifying the staff they simply shrugged it off and made no apology…. This restaurant is a rip off and does not live up to its pretensions of fine cuisine.

Satisfied? Yes. Our waiter was very friendly, knowledgeable. and very hospitable. She also gave us local intel on the candles they used at the tables.The pre dinner gin and tonic was well made and the main (the big lamb shoulderfor main we had was delicious and cooked to perfection. We had a ‘fireside’ table which was nice BUT sorely disappointed that the fire was a gas fake abomination that back in late 90’s used to be a REAL fire with proper firewood timber.If they could it back it would make the place 100x better. All in all our experience was good and had a lovely evening and would recommend it wanting simple hearty food with good service.

Please re-consider going to book The Cellar Restaurant.Made a family booking for four adults, noting that there were dietary special needs, as they asked us to do.When we arrived, we found that there was a token one item on the menu that fitted the dietary needs, but not suited to us. The management was inflexible on offering another alternative (and it wasnt a dramatically difficult need to meet). Nor would they budge on our booking, charging a cancellation fee when we left.Its not so much the lack of options as the rigid, customer unfriendly approach of the senior staff that was the grating point.

The location is pretty good if you plan to visit the Hunter Valley Garden. But, please remember to make a booking before. Also, please be aware that you need to order the main dish for each adult. Although the service is very considerate of the guests, Kids meal fish chips are over cooked, not freshly fried, No dressing for the lamb dish until we asked for it, ordered the side dish with charging entree price.Overall, it seems no good money for value restaurant. Very touristy orientation places with great location

Need to write this review only to hopefully deter others from dining here based off the positive reviews, which is why we chose eat here.I will say that the venue is beautiful, staff are very friendly and the food presentation is nice however that is where it ends.The best part of our meal was the table water, wine and bread. We had two entrees and two mains. We were in the mood for dessert however could not bring ourselves to order anything else from here. Our entrees were slightly better then our mains however my partner could not even finish his. For my main I had the kangaroo which came with three pieces of meat, two pieces were rare and one was well done. All food lacked any life and flavour. It was bland, unseasoned (no table salt or pepper was provided). They tried to be innovative with the main meals but the execution was not there.Not anywhere near worth it for the price you pay.

This restaurant was simply magnificent. The staff were delightful and engaging, the room was beautifully presented and the food was impeccable. We had a really lovely evening and my 10 year old fussy eating daughter demolished her kids meal and dessert. It was just a lovely experience. I would highly recommend to support this local restaurant. A little bit pricey for those on a budget, but well and truly worth it for the whole experience and to ensure our local businesses and products are supported and are around for a long time. Thank you for a lovely evening. Only thing that would make it better is to have the HVJ village open into the night to explore and shop.

The food looked pretty. Thats where it ends. The food was really over cooked.12 hour slow cooked rump cap was so tough and chewy. It came out like a well done steak. Flavourless and inedible. The sides just had no seasoning or flavour and was bland.The duck was a bit better. Half was overcooked and chewy but half of it was nice. But once again, the food was just bland.Air con wasnt on in the restaurant so it was hot and sticky with all this humidity lately. Could be a nice and romantic place but its just so uncomfortable and overpriced considering everything was overcooked and unseasoned.We got told later that Tuesday and Wednesday is like the Hunter Valley weekend. So possibly we didnt get the normal chef or something. But whatever the reason, we left hungry and a lot poorer.

With a last minute booking we were expecting a nice dinner out, but WOW were we blown away by the quality of the food at this restaurant! The quality and execution of the dishes matching that of some of Sydneys top restaurants.The interior is unique with what feels like an outdoor area, with gardens on either side, yet fully enclosed with air conditioning & windows all around. The gardens, lighting and fireplace create a great atmosphere, particularly at night.However, the food is the real attraction here!The standouts for us were:- ENTREE: Prawn Gow Gee with mushroom style broth- MAIN: 12hr Cooked Black Angus Rump CapThey also have a wonderful selection of wines & the staff are very friendly. If youre in the area do yourself a favour and book yourself in for a dinner, you wont be disappointed!

The restaurant is aesthetically very pleasant. The service was very good. The food was, for the most part very good, however I was served the duck with bokchoy which was almost impossible to cut into with cutlery provided.A minor issue.Our biggest problem was the obvious desire to move us on. We had a 2 course meal (entree & mailwith a bottle of wine and had only just finished our 1st glass when the main course arrived. If we hadn’t had to finish our wine we’d have been finished up in less than an hour.Put a dampener on what should have been a lovely evening

First time visitor and pleasantly surprised by both the food, service and ambiance. Highlights include the black Angus rump cap which was cooked to perfection and the slow cooked pork belly was a good entree choice. The Moreton bay bugs were also cooked well (not overdonehowever the sauce whilst interesting, was a little underwhelming. For dessert, the Malibu cheesecake with pineapple and coconut was excellent and a great way to finish the meal. Staff were very nice and attentive to all our needs.

We visited this restaurant when we traveled to hunter valley.The food tastes delicious. It is the best food that I have tried in hunter valley. I highly recommend this restaurant because you will have an excellent dining experience.The owner or manager is friendly. The customer service is good.Some of the comments mentioned the portion is small, but I dont think so. We believe the portion size is just right.The price is reasonable. For the kid meal, $20 with extra ice cream and brownie. Our little one loves it. Everything is perfect. We will visit again if we come to hunter valley next time.

Booked this place last minute in December and amazingly they had a spot for 7 ppl! Staff seemed so busy, think they needed more ppl. The slow cooked lamb was the highlight - so tender and juicy. Kids meals were big and comes with dessert that the adults ate and really enjoyed (brownie with hokey pokey ice cream I think)!

This place is absolutely delicious!!!! We ordered the lamb rack, 12 hour cooked rump, chocolate mousse and cheesecake. It cant be more delicious!! The rump was extremely flavoursome and tender. I also really loved the puff and cookie ice cream with the chocolate mousse and the (unbelievablytardy mix of pineapple and cheesecake! Absolutely cooked to perfection!! They managed to squeeze us in even though we did a last minute call. Thanks!The staffs were really friendly as well but they are quite short on staffs so do allow for extra dining time. Would be even better if they can wear masks but definitely the food is worth trying when you visit this place!!! 😚

Excellent place - I would advise booking in advance though. The wines are of good quality, the meals are quite well proportioned (I made the mistake of over ordering!)The steak was great and you can tell great care was taken to prepare the meals. A great place to eat after a day in the Gardens!

What a wonder place for dinner. We were warmly greeted by the staff and seated immediately. They were very polite and friendly. Took our orders quickly and the meals arrived pretty quick.Our steaks were perfect and very delicious. Even our kids meals we fresh and full of flavour and even come with free dessert. We were extremely happy with the whole experience. Thank you to everyone at the Cellar Restaurant.

My family and I were the first to sample the 2021 Summer menu and we can confidently say it was a really wonderful and memorable experience.The food was exciting, experimental and intimate as it felt like the head chef was expressing their new ideas with a culinary medium. The flavours and presentation were innovative and subversive... and yet maintained a level of rustic charm. For example, the beautiful Barramundi dish used herbs native to the Australian bush. The desserts were truly a standout, and the wide selection of local wine from the Hunter region amplified our dining experience. The atmosphere is cosy, romantic and sleek. The service was also brilliant.The only downside I could identify would be the wait time, however I personally thought it was ok considering there was alot of craftsmanship that went into the food + it all came out at once so no one had to wait more.We will definitely be coming again~- Luke

This place was fantastic! Main meals were very nice and the desserts were exceptional- which we were not expecting. Highly recommended and we will be back soon.

Awful experience at The Cellar. Don’t waste your money!POOR SERVICE: Our waitress was very friendly but she had NO KNOWLEDGE of the menu, didn’t know the ingredients and couldn’t pronounce a dish. To add insult to injury, a very LONG WAIT in between the dishes even though the restaurant was partially empty and when the food finally arrived it was definitely NOT worth the wait.BAD FOOD: My god the food was just awful. Everything was terribly cold, weird flavours that didn’t work, dry and poorly seasoned. We had a dozen of poorly shucked stale natural oysters ($40as entree. For mains my partner had the cold tasteless pork cutlet on a bed of soggy wombok with a weird texture cauliflower and raisin caper dressing ($36meanwhile I had the world’s driest roasted chicken served with an overpowering spiced pumpkin, mustard and tomato dressing ($36).Poor service and bad food? Red flag! Red flag! Red flag! Absolute shame because the restaurant looks beautiful.

Cellar restaurant = stellar restaurant. The food is upscale, portion sizes are small however. Serving time is average but the flavours are good. Very good selection of wine (you wouldnt expect any less in the heart of the Hunter Valley), the decor and the ambience are contemporary. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to those looking for a fine evening at a diner.

On my way around the vineyards. This was my 4th one. Not impressed! Had fun and the lamb was nice hense the 2 stars instead of 1, but I left hungry. Spent a lot of money and didnt get what I paid for! Would be better off going to Coles n having a big feed. Bones in the fish! Not cool. Disappointing.👎🏿

Waitress service was friendly but the food was not overwhelming. Entrees were ok but we were hungry so they didnt last long. My husband had a lamb croquet which he said tasted like just leftover lamb in breadcrumbs, nothing special even though it looked good.Mains lacked flavour and no side or veg on my plate. I had barramundi which was served with what looked like a stalk of fennel or lemon grass, either way it was woody and inedible. Crispy skin from the barramundi was sitting on top of the fish which is served in a broth. The waitress served the broth onto the plate from a teapot straight over the crispy skin, oops no longer crispy. Broth had no depth of flavour and wasnt much more than a weak fish and maybe mushroom stock. My husbands steak was nothing special either but at least he got a potato gallette on the side. Just as well as the steak was quite small. Disappointing.

Absolutely phenomenal. As someone who regularly travels with a dog, it can be difficult to have a nice lunch for various reasons..The Cellar absolutely exceeded expectations in every aspect.The lamb, absolutely stunning and incredible value for money. (Designed to feed two, but you’d probably do 4!perfectly cooked and seasoned.Potatoes dauphine done perfectly, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and the perfect compliment.Service - top notch, attentive, fast, warm and welcoming and even tended to the pups needs too with a water bowl and offering to wrap up leftovers for later.Rounded off with a great outdoor space that’s also covered for any changes in weather.

Had a great dinner, very friendly staff, I had the kingfish for main.... Again...The staff were amazing, but shoutout to Mackenzie as she was very kind and friendly and helped us with anything requested. The whole team here at the Cellar Restaurant are amazing and friendly, but Mackenzie definitely went a bit further than any other member of this awesome team to keep us happy.(Dont hate me for having a side of tomato sauce with my fish lmao)Cant wait to come again for next seasons fish dish 😍👌😌🐟

We had lunch at The Cellar for our wedding anniversary and it was lovely. A big open space so we felt safe and it made the room quite quiet. We shared some oysters to start and they were lovely and fresh and salty. We both choose the salmon duo entree which was also lovely. I had the kingfish for main which was perfectly cooked although the accompanying vegetables were a bit of a challenge to eat, especially the broccoli stem. My wife went for the blue swimmer crab (which was still in the shelland she loved it.A very nice lunch and we would certainly recommend dining here.

Stay away at all costs if possible.Wished Id read the previous reviews before coming, apparently there had been a chance in ownership.Was really disappointed with the amount of food that was actually served. But even putting that aside, the pork belly was dry and steak was cooked beyond medium rare as requested. Given that the mains all cost around $40, I wouldve expected at least decent quality food to pub-food standards or above.Be warned that the staff will only tell you that there is a minimum order of one main per person only after they have forced a bottle of still or sparking water on you. I witnessed the staff giving a group of tourists dirty looks after they tried to order just a few mains shy of one per person as they wanted to share the food amongst themselves.

Extremely disappointed that The Cellar Restaurant has changed owners and is no where near as good as it used to be. We have been visiting for five years - we used to make the four hour round trip for special occasions (yes, it used to be so good that we would drive two hours to get there, just to eat lunch). The menu used to have a huge selection of entrees, main meals, incredible side dishes and salads and a wide range of sauces. Now, the menu is extremely limited, and the items we ordered were very disappointing.We didn’t know that the restaurant had changed owners this past month, so when we arrived after our two hour drive looking forward to ordering our favourite meals, we were heart broken to see the new menu. Our oysters tasted awful, and were served without lemon or an oyster fork. The prawn tart had no flavour at all, and the pastry was so dry that my husband almost choked on it.The cutlery we were given was dirty, and I had to wipe the greasy stains off with my napkin. We weren’t given steak knives, and my steak was so tough that I had to fight my way through it. My husbands steak looked like it was cooked nicely, but mine was extremely tough. The side of mash potato was TINY (and tasted very bland, especially in comparison to the wonderful truffle mash they used to serve). Our Dutch carrots were hardly cooked (they were crunchy and blandand the lack of salads on the side menu left my palette feeling greasy and salty. There used to be a delicious heirloom tomato salad that was refreshing and perfect to pair with heavier meats.We’re very sad that our favourite tradition of five years has come to and end. We won’t be visiting again. If anyone knows where the old owners have gone, and if they’ve opened a new restaurant, please let us know. It’s very unfair that the new owners get to keep the glowing reviews the restaurant gathered in the past. Very misleading for new customers.

Went there for a local ladies lunch today. The location is central with ample parking and shops, some outdoor seating with umbrellas but mainly indoor seated restaurant with open gas fire in winter and air con in summer. Modern Australian menu and excellent childs menu choices (not a nugget in sitevery accommodating and friendly staff, patient and playful with little ones. Coloring pencils, UNO and wooden train set kept my son entertained, thank you for an excellent set menu for our group 5 ☆

The food is awesome and the environment is very nice. Definitely should try this restaurant if you are nearby. We had 5 different dishes and they are all good. That shows how good the chef is in cooking. 👍👍

The food at this establishment was quite nice. I had the chicken and my wife had the lamb. The meals were well prepared and the service was good as well. The decor could use some updating. But otherwise not a bad spot for lunch or dinner.