“The Botanic Gardens of South Australia are the primary source of inspiration for our menu, but we don’t create more work for the horticulture staff by asking them to grow anything directly for the restaurant. They plant what they need for their collection, and we take from that. When we have a glut, we pickle, ferment, and candy fruit, ready for any seasonal shortfalls.”

Tommy Ruff escabeche with Kinkawooka mussel remoulade, mussel custard, and squid crisps; Gazander oysters with charred cucumber, bonito, and succulents; and pork head persillade with satsuma plums, cured egg yolk, and lovage.

While other chefs forage far and wide, Paul Baker’s menu features up to sixty vegetables and herbs harvested daily from his backyard – his backyard being, of course, the 130-acre Botanic Gardens of South Australia, which inspire everything from a satsuma plum garnish to house-made vermouth with thirteen different botanicals.

The gardens also provide an idyllic setting, with the conservatory-style restaurant housed in century-old tearooms that overlook a large pond, home to ducks and other waterbirds.

The menu showcases small producers such as Nomad Farms pasture-raised poultry, Fleurieu Milk Company, Coorong Wild Seafood, and Olsson’s sea salt, and the wine list showcases seventy-five South Australian wine-makers. Backyard magic.

“Chef Paul Baker interprets the surrounding landscape with intelligence, harvesting daily to produce an exciting menu completely in tune with the seasons.”

–David Sly, Gourmet Traveller