Circa 1876 at The Convent Hunter Valley

Circa 1876 has been on my list of places to dine at in the Hunter Valley for years and it certainly did not dissapoint. The attention to detail is truly amazing and everything I hoped for. My husband and I went here for our 5 year wedding anniversary and was made to feel as if it was our wedding day all over again. From the wonderful service to the exquisite food this place is a must when visiting the Hunter Valley.

One of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at! Food and service was incredible.

Fantastic food with plenty of complimentary samples from the chef which gave you a real taste for something you may not have order but would like to next time.

Excellent meal
Normally can’t get in but because of COVID lockdown it made it easy

Service was amazing along with incredible food. The duck is to die for. Will definitely return.

I must say I am disappointed with our last visit. We are locals and have been celebrating special occasions at Circa since 2019. We love fine dining and there are not many opportunities to do that in Rutherford where we live.
I found the food beautifully prepared, yet everything had sugar/sweetness to it. I wanted good, robust, authentic taste as well as innovation. I appreciate that the Chef was trying some kind of Asian/Mediterranean fusion, yet the food TASTE suffered for it.
I ordered the steak medium-to-well, and it was very well done. You did the right thing and gave us desert free, and I deeply appreciate that.
I would love to come and eat cauliflower puree with plenty of garlic and onion and SALT, no sugar; I would like to eat parsnip strips well caramelized and with SALT and pepper and a rich creamy sauce, or as chips; I would like to eat sauces that deep and rich and savory - not sweet. I think you get my point.
Anyway, I would love to know what the chef thinks. And if the flavours change, please let us know and we will return.

Circa 1876 has it all. Great ambience, beautiful surroundings and good food. The buildings and property are amazing. Staff were great.

We were very lucky to be able to get in on short notice as lockdowns had meant a bunch of cancellations. We had the last meal of our honeymoon here and it was fantastic.
Definitely would go back again. Food was excellent, they were very flexible with dietary needs.

The food, wine, service and ambiance were all exceptional. Surprise treats from the chef made the experience more special and we would highly recommend visiting Circa for dinner.

A beautiful rustic venue with well portioned meals that taste delicious

Excellent service, wonderful ambience, delicious food.

Spectacular venue, excellent food with outstanding service!

A beautiful setting, the service was very good, however, the menu was very limited and the dishes offered were a little uninspiring for a restaurant if this caliber. I understand it may be difficult under the current circumstances so we will return.

Beautiful place, the food is exceptional friendly staff.

Loved the lunch. We had a later booking and felt a little rushed. We were looking for a longer slower lunch with the late booking

The restaurant is like walking into the most fantastic country museum taking you back to the 1800’s as you glimps into the windows set to the era but once inside the entry passing the cellar and brass bull on your left you are greeted by the most lovely and friendly staff. The fixed price menus is perfect especially with a quality menu. Additionally between courses my tastebuds were excited with the fruit flavoured butter with the bread and the pallet cleansing sorbet between entre and mains. This restaurant is a must visit especially with the fire and ambience of the evening.

Circa 1876 is a whole package experience. Starting with the setting in bucolic gardens surrounding the convent. The ambience inside the restaurant strikes a wonderful balance of old world charm, rustic farmhouse and modern touches. The food was excellent; we ordered Quail and Duck Parfait as entrees. Both were presented with flair and very subtle but complex flavours. Mains were Wagyu sirloin and Duck which were the standout highlights here. The elegant and nuanced flavours of each dish were gently coaxed out with their very carefully curated accompaniments. Rather than relying heavily on seasonings, the chef chose to bring out the natural savoury and umami qualities of each ingredient with well balanced natural sweetness and caramelisation from accompanying sauces and vegetables. The Duck in particular had a sophisticated approach to not only flavour but also texture with the use of unctuous duck liver mousse piped into an airy tempura battered zucchini flower. Desserts were equally inspired and creative with again subtle sweetness which was brought out well with a combination of both contrasting textures and tartness. Our sommelier Nathan helped us with recommendations and we selected a Les Jamelles 2018 Malbec from Pays d'Oc which really came alive with the food.

Overall a wonderful and enchanted experience!

Everything about our dining experience was excellent. Well done on every level.

We will be back.

Thanks for having us.

Lisa

The food was not exceptional. Main courses were alright but nothing special. We were warned off the duck so went for the fish and Wagyu strip. Fish was fine as was Wagyu but these were not especially restaurant dishes.Desserts were tasty and interesting. Our main concern was the wine prices. Local wines that were marked up 300%. Really!

Beautiful setting, amazing staff and the food was just brilliant!

Fantastic ambiance, delicious food, wonderful wine range. Very much look forward to our next meal at Circa 1876 and possibly our wedding.

Our set menu was a delight, even for our teenage sons. One guest had allergy restrictions and staff went above and beyond to check each dish. Excellent ambience and attention to detail. Our dining experience was outstanding. Presentation of each dish surprised us each time, well done Circa 1876.

Food was mostly good. Some details were not great eg laminated menus for a fine dining experience. Wine list very limited - not aligning with the region or fine dining. Wait staff were attentive but need a bit more polish.

We had a lovely night , the food was delicious, the service was great aswell everyone was very friendly, il definitely go back again

Fabulous service and food - the extra touches including aperitifs (the mango butter was amazing!) and sorbet palate cleanser were so delicious as were our mains. Highly recommended 😊

Food was amazing and service was fantastic. Waiters were trained particularly well.

Loved it so much! We had an early dinner booked by the fireplace and we felt so relaxed. Such a gorgeous venue, and very generous portions. Appreciate the service and loved the food.

Such a lovely place to dine. The food was amazing and the ambiance was welcoming.

Had a great evening, food was amazing, we received a few unexpected extras.
Wait staff were experienced and knowledgeable.
I would highly recommend.

Excellent service, and absolutely delicious food! Much more than just a 3 course meal…the cultured rose butter and sourdough was to die for, not to mention the appetisers and palette cleanser before dessert. Would absolutely eat at Circa 1876 again 😊

Absolutely amazing staff, food was amazing the bread and butter were the best we’ve ever had anywhere

Food was great, so was service.
Wish there were more options on the menu though.

The food, ambience and service was amazing!!! So glad we chose to have dinner here!

Great food, lovely staff and service. Great place to enjoy a meal

Great food , with a lovely selection of wines in a unique and relaxing atmosphere. I will recommend it to my friends.

Fantastic restaurant. Will come again next time I’m in the Hunter Valley.

Third visit to Circa 1876 and the experience gets better every time. Last night we stayed at The Convent and that made the dining experience more enjoyable as we could all share the wine together..Many thanks to all the Staff :)

Food is below average , staff are friendly.

Exceptional food and service. So very impressed

Absolutely outstanding. If i had to pick one fault; the duck skin was not rendered out sufficiently and was meat was slightly under.

I don't want to complain though because the staff and service were exceptional.

It all made the day very special. The bonus "tasting" dishes are a very nice touch.