Seven places to dine out in the Hills

1. The Lane Vineyard near Hahndorf has a beautiful tasting pavilion overlooking the vineyard, where chef James Brinklow captures regional freshness with a spark of ingenuity. His Chef’s Table presents a degustation matched to reserve wines and back vintages.

2. Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard has a handsome tasting and dining room with several decks overlooking its steep rows of vines. The seasonal menu is elegant and sophisticated, as are the estate’s high-altitude wines.

3. The Uraidla Hotel leads a new era of sophisticated pub dining in the Hills, with a smart regional menu. The original dining room has been extended, and the building next door now encompasses a cafe, bakery and brewery all under the Uraidla Hotel's banner. 

4. The Summertown Aristologist is a relaxed cafe/bistro/bar propelled by a compact menu that changes rapidly with seasonal availability. The cellar has about 1000 low-sulphur wines from Adelaide Hills and abroad.

5. Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant is the grand showpiece of the restored Mount Lofty House, offering carefully measured degustation meals with original touches from chef Jin Choi. The far-reaching wine list is a key attraction, and you'll receive astute recommendations from the team in tune with the menu.

6. Lost in a Forest is a charismatic wine lounge in the former St Stephens Anglican Church in Uraidla, where a giant domed oven commands the space where the altar once stood. A small but frequently shifting array of intriguing organic pizzas are complemented by a bar stocked with wines from Basket Range, with a few fresh, sulphur-free wines syphoned straight from winery barrels.

7. Bird in Hand  is a grand Tuscan-style venue crowned by a gallery and dining space next to its cellar door tasting room. Chef Ben Fenwick has designed tasting menus to complement Bird in Hand wines.