Esca Bimbadgen Restaurant
+61 2 4998 4666+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Wed
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sat
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
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Details
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PRICE RANGE
$75.00 – $150.00
CUISINES
Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Details
About
Esca Bimbadgen showcases Bimbadgen wines by matching them with simple, elegant food in a jaw-dropping setting. A pioneer of fine dining in the Hunter Valley, Esca Bimbadgen exemplifies the unique nature of a winery restaurant. The spectacular entrance suspended above the winery is second only to the view from your table. Mark Marshall, Esca Bimbadgen Executive Chef and his team have created our new menu showcasing our passion for the Hunter Valley and the abundance of local produce at our doorstep. Taste it today!
PRICE RANGE
$75.00 – $150.00
CUISINES
Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available
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4.0
728 reviews
Excellent
383
Very good
188
Average
79
Poor
43
Terrible
35
Robert K
Blacksmiths229 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
This review is for Esca restaurant. The service staff were excellent, the restaurant is very impressive, beautifully appointed. However, the food has much to be desired. I had Kingfish Crudo, which was absolutely delicious. My wife had King prawns, the menu did not mention they were still in the shell, they were terribly overcooked and dry, the char on them left a very bitter after-taste. Our mains were, Duck breast which was supposed to be crispy skin and I specifically asked for it to be more rare than medium, it was very tough (wrong knives as well, almost butter knife to cut meat?), and overcooked. The pork belly was crisp and VERY dry and overcooked. A very disappointing night out. However, the desserts were excellent, chocolate Cremieux and a Panna Cotta. The dessert wines were also excellent.
Written 13 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin D
Belmont98 contributions
Aug 2023 • friends
If you want a massive plate of pub style food this is not for you. Plate serves are small, however, if you want perfectly prepared food from a carefully prepared menu that tastes divine, then book a table at Esca.
Great atmosphere, great staff, great views, great food and wine.
Three of us agreed that this is a perfect restaurant and also good value for wonderful food perfectly presented.
I would definitely recommend dining here, you will not be disappointed.
Written 5 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AussieDoc4217
Main Beach282 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
My wife and I had lunch at Esca restaurant at Bimbadgen Estate. The name apparently means “place with a good view”. Being on top of a hill, it has a great view of the surrounding area out to the mountain ranges in the west. We have been to many local wineries, but Bimbadgen has the best view.
The restaurant is set within the main winery building, with its tall bell tower… a bit reminiscent of a monastery. As you pass the beautiful hedges and fountain and enter the winery, you are greeted by the collection of massive stainless steel wine vats and a wonderful view to the west through the far windows. The restaurant is off to one side and has a terrace, where we sat to enjoy the views. The maître d’hôtel was very pleasant and shows us to our table and explained the menu (see picture below). The cost is dependent on whether you have 3, 4 or 5 courses. All of the items on the menu are the same price (including desserts) so there is no limit to the combinations you can have…. You could have 4 of the same thing, 3 mains, 4 desserts etc.
A waiter brought us house-made bread with lemon myrtle butter and Shiraz infused salt. It was scrumptious.
Between us we had a spring salad (so delicious), barramundi (Thai style), duck, spanner crab meat with toasted croutons (yum) and spring lamb. Photos of each course appear below. We paired these dishes with Bimbadgen wines, which were wonderful.
Overall, a wonderful dining experience. Not to be missed when your in the Hunter Valley.
Written 27 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mykonos75
Gippsland26 contributions
June 2024 • couples
We dined at esca on Thursday night 20th June for my partner's birthday.
Upon arrival, we were greeted and shown to our table. Before we even sat down and tried to remove our jackets, the young lady asked if we wanted sparkling or still water. I asked her can we at least take our jackets off and have a seat.
The food was very nice and presentable. The duck breast could have been rendered a lot more as the skin was chewy. The dining area is lovely and modern.
The service was less desirable. We had to ask the staff to top up our wine. We wanted another bottle of your beautiful McDonald chardonnay, but none of the 3-floor staff did not ask if we would like another bottle. It saved us $$ as we went back to our room and had a bottle, but esca lost $$ due to staff not being attentive.
The whole vibe was not there.
Sorry for the negative but hopefully constructive feedback.
Written 27 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What We Found Travelling
Sydney7337 contributions
May 2024 • family
Our family came here to celebrate Mother’s Day. Our waiter Marcel was fantastic & very attentive.
We tried a vast selection of the entire menu & the star dish was the Strawberry Panna Cotta. Without a doubt the best Panna Cotta dish any of us have ever tasted. The rest of the dishes were well presented, but not exceptional in taste. They were also on the smaller serving side which was slightly disappointing.
Wine, cocktails, spirits & coffee complimented all our dishes nicely, Pricing was on the dearer side.
Overall a great dining experience in a lovely relaxing venue.
Written 22 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cquinn1981
San Jose83 contributions
Apr 2022 • family
We turned up without a reservation and we’re given the option of eating outside under the heat lamps, we had the entire patio to ourselves whilst everybody else was in the main restaurant. The pizza place below had live music and there were kangaroos grazing in the field opposite.
The service was excellent as was the food. The concept was clever, choose whichever courses you want from the menu, they all cost the same. You could have 3 mains for the same price as three deserts.
I particularly enjoyed the gnocchi and the sous vide steak, my wife enjoyed the octopus and the shrimp. You couldn’t go wrong with the deserts either
Written 5 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Newcastlediner
Newcastle193 contributions
May 2021 • none
We loved the concept of Esc ... Fixed prices for 3,4 (or more) courses, and you can choose any courses from any part of the menu, in any order. I was tempted to start with dessert, but I wanted to save the best until last!
All of the courses are a generous 'entrée' size, and we both found that three courses were very satisfying. All of our dishes were amazing- beautiful flavour-combinations, and all presented well, overlooking the vineyards. If the weather is warm, opt for an outside table on the balcony.
Staff were friendly and efficient. However, our server did not have a full grasp of what was the new 'winter' menu. She was not even able to tell us what cheeses would be served with the cheese platter. Given the prices charged and the 'fine dining' tone of the restaurant, this did not meet expectations.
Still, a delightful meal in wonderful surroundings.
Written 6 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce S
Sydney13 contributions
Sept 2020 • family
We had a very disappointing experience with our dinner at Esca. The first challenge was that there were no lights on the road entrance as well as the drive leading up to the winery making it difficult to get there on a dark night. It was even difficult finding the restaurant when we actually arrived because of inadequate signage.
In the restaurant, the loud conversations from the couple of other tables made it very difficult to hear each other and was unpleasant the entire time we were there.
The food was generally unexceptional. I had the sashimi with green paw paw and mango which was overpowered by the herbs in the paw paw and mango salad. I found I needed to pull out all of the herbs to make the salad palatable. My partner had the poached seafood which had one muscle, one half of a bug tail and a small piece of fish and a minimal amount of bouillabaise sauce which tasted average.
The sous vide sirloin was the good part of the meal which we both had, but when we had dessert (a cheese plate and roasted pineapple) the portions were very small. Overall we felt that the value for money was poor - the serves were small and not particularly flavourful.
The service was average as well. And the dining environment was particularly unpleasant with the loud tables and sound reverberation from a warehouse-like setup.
We had been looking forward to a fine dining experience as is mentioned on their website, but the entire evening was mostly unpleasant. We unfortunately were more looking forward to leaving. We wished it had been a better experience and on par with the other dining experiences we’ve had in the Hunter Valley.
Written 19 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul M
Newcastle4 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
Visiting for lunch last week was very disappointing considering the prices you are paying. The outlook is spectacular but that's where the wow factor ends. After ordering we were presented with cold sourdough bread and whipped butter (warmed would have been nicer). On the table the hostess placed 2 small 'finger pinch bowls' one containing shiraz salt and the other orange pepper. The salt bowl had what appeared to be a finger indent in the salt mound. We left it alone. We ordered entrees and admired the views. My partner ordered the Ricotta gnochi with roasted pumpkin, pine nuts and sage which she enjoyed. I ordered the Steak tartare with quail egg and matching wine. The steak tartare arrived but no sign of the wine. I was half way through the tartare before we managed to get the attention of the hostess, as I had ordered dishes with paired wines. She said they had not told her our food was ready and went and got the matching wine - so no communication between kitchen staff and front of house. The quail egg was already cut in half when it arrived so no oozy yolk here. The tartare was average. For our second dish we both selected the Poached seafood with Bouillabaise Sauce and I again had selected the paired wine. This dish was delicious and the best of what we had ordered though the hostess was unable to tell us what fish was in the dish. This time she was there with the wine and I was gobsmacked that she poured it into the same glass I had been drinking the wine from the first course. For a restaurant in the beautiful Hunter Valley espousing food and wine pairings this was a cardinal sin and destroyed the experience. I should not have to ask for a clean glass. However, the biggest disappointment of all was the dessert and I chose the Dark Chocolate and Cherry Lamington with coconut and white chocolate ganache. The lamington was stale and there was also a lemon curd on the plate and the flavours did not go together. This was a very disappointing experience. We have dined at Esca before and it has been 5/5 this time pretty average and at the price it will be a long time before we venture back.
Written 27 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
4alexnyc
New York City1871 contributions
July 2024 • couples
We ate lunch at Esca. The restaurant has nice views of the vineyard and further down, the golf course. We skipped the tasting menu in lieu of picking 4 dishes.
The best dishes were from the seafood collection. The whiting was lite and flaky while the king prawns were perfectly broiled with some nice spices mixed in.
The roast beet roots were also good and exactly what you'd expect - warm with some goat cheese mixed in.
The pearl barley with crispy enoki was also surprisingly good. It's on the tasting menu for a reason. The enoki is cooked in a tempura batter and pairs perfectly with the barley.
The duck and pork belly dishes were just ok. Not bad but nothing to make them stand out.
Overall a good meal and make sure to pair with their signature wines.
Written 4 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margarita
Wellington13 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
Good service, great views, promising menu, but the inconsistency of dishes made the experience disappointing.
The negatives:
- Sad beetroots
- chewy rubbery overcooked duck
- Brussels sprouts (very few) swimming in a dark mix of chorizo and sultanas
- the ‘special’ fries where motorway edition fries
The positives:
The fish dishes (the crudo, the market fish), and also the pork belly.
Written 3 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maree L
Annandale35 contributions
Jan 2021 • couples
Exceed my expectations. By chance I came across Esca, it was one of the best food experiences I have had anywhere in the world. The produce was of an outstanding quality and the service was delightful. Just enough touch and sincerity not to invade the diner but exceed all requirements. The waitress Abbie-Grace was attentive and committed to ensuring the evening was the best experience it could be. This is a must - the space, view and the attention to families by separating them from other diners was a winner for me. Spending a load of money on dinner is sometimes racked with buyers remorse when there are screaming smallChildren and little people running around. These guys had this under control so all visitors needs were considered. Pop it on your list to visit you will not be disappointed.
Written 23 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Saggytraveller
Greater Newcastle19 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
Almost all the food was over-salted, poorly cooked, and the pork belly was so dry it was inedible. The barramundi had a dry, gritty texture like it had been frozen, and definitely overcooked. The asparagus course was ordinary in flavour and some of the asparagus was stringy. We didn’t realise we had to have a minimum of 3 courses ($80). This would have been fine if it was good quality food. A two-star place now at best, with 5 star prices.
We will not be back.
Written 21 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HValley_Girl89
22 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
I have been to Bimbadgen many times and enjoy the wine, the view, the service and the whole atmosphere but I feel as though lately that the food needs some improvement.
Each to their own of course but now I’m going to share my own personal review. I’d love to try the focaccia without rosemary and the red wine salt. Some bread with a balsamic, dukkah or local olive oil would be delicious. As for the entree the potato latkes were cooked in too much butter and oil and this made them difficult to enjoy. If there was some tomato chutney or sauce with them I think it could have been more enjoyable. The main I had was the pork loin which just melted in my mouth and was cooked perfectly. The rest of the dish was a bit bitter from rapini then very spicy from the chilli jam which I didn’t realise would be that spicy. This for me made it hard to enjoy. My father had the same feedback for the entree and his main was lacking the minted sour cream but he thoroughly enjoyed the lamb backstrap and his dessert. My dessert was delicious but the figs weren’t as sweet (I have a tree at home, maybe my comparison is just different), the coconut sorbet was the winner of the dish it was absolutely perfect, I wasn’t eating chunks of coconut, it was just amazing.
So overall there is a bit of room for improvement but I will still dine here and continue to bring my family.
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brooke J
Port Macquarie58 contributions
July 2020 • couples
We chose to dine at Esca for dinner as a second choice as our top choice was booked out and boy are we glad they were. The dinner (5 course tasting menu) was divine. I was able to have wine matches while the rest of my table (3 others) were able to choose their own beverages. All courses of food were beautifully presented and delicious to eat. I think everyone’s favourite was the pecorino custard third course and the chocolate ganache for dessert. It was a great way to end a day of wine tasting and at an extremely reasonable price for the amount of food served. I asked to swap out my wine for my steak course as I am not a fan of Shiraz and often have reactions to it and they happily changed it out for something that I could drink.
Absolutely 10/10 for food and 10/10 for service. Beautiful atmosphere.
Thank you
Written 26 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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