First look and taste of the new Shaw Estate restaurant

Posted on 26 March, 2025

HerCanberra loves a long lunch.

Moreso when it involves a destination location (the iconic wine-growing district of Murrumbateman), a winery (tick), and a luxe new restaurant serving Mediterranean food with aplomb (our favourite flavours).

So we jump in the car with our designated driver (Emma, as she doesn’t drink wine, but more about that later) and set out en route to the newly refurbished and hugely anticipated Shaw Estate, a 25-minute drive away.

The estate is hardly recognisable and has been elevated into a luxe restaurant, cellar door and wedding venue, having been bought by a consortium led by DOMA Group. While it is not all yet complete, the restaurant opened last week and must be seen to be believed.

Designed by DOMA, diners and oenophiles enjoy a modernist concrete pavilion overlooking the vineyards; while behind it, a new wedding and functions space is fast taking shape and already taking bookings for future events.

Plans also include small accommodation pods to make the estate a tourism and hospitality drawcard for the region.

But, right now, we are hungry and rush through the enormous front doors to survey a scene of rich textures and statement lighting all in a calming neutral palette which feels, well, Mediterranean, and a long, long way from Canberra.

Already we are slowing down.

We settle at a table under a bank of hand-made terracotta lights and close to a fireplace, noting the expansive views of vines and large water feature through the sheer curtains and below the long deck.

It’s truly a beautiful space. But what is more beautiful is the golden crust of the salt-flaked focaccia, which is fresh out of the oven and laid in front of us without further ado. Swirls of a smoky broad bean dip compete for popularity with a ricotta and lemon mix and chilled glasses of Shaw Sparkling Cuvée are poured to pair perfectly with the salty white anchovy fillets on crostoli which follow.

Key staff who have helped deliver Med, DOMA’s Barton restaurant, are in charge, while head chef Adam Hazleton (ex-Aubergine and Miss Van’s) runs an enormous kitchen behind an even more enormous marble bar.

Tomas unobtrusively pours wines to elevate each dish and makes our non-drinker Emma indescribably happy when he brings out a selection of imported Italian non-alcoholic spritzes including an Aperol-style aperitivo by Crodino that instantly becomes her favourite cocktail.

Soon enough, it’s time for the pasta. And it is memorable pasta at that. We enjoy a Tagliatelli of marinara with prawns, squid and mussels and a Mafaldine of lamb ragu with citrus and parsley, both al dente and moreish.

The thing about long lunches is they need to be slow. We explore the wine list and catch up on all the news we forgot to tell each other during the week and despite eating all the pasta we somehow find ourselves keen to explore more of the menu.

Out comes a hero dish fresh from the Mibrasa wood and charcoal grill and oven – an 800g Bistecca Fiorentina wagyu T-Bone, paired with a cabbage, celery, walnut and date salad and a classic Caprese salad. For the non-meat eaters there is a grilled cauliflower steak with gremolata and capers.

By this stage no one wants to leave. We explore the large space and marvel at how huge the kitchen is and how long the marble bar is. If you take food and wine-tasting seriously, this is where you should position yourself where you can chat to the staff (many locals from Murrumbateman who have grown up understanding this particular parcel of wine-growing land) and take in the culinary dance playing out before you.

And of course the award-winning Shaw wine collection is well worth exploring, but there are also national and international varietals available to try.

If it is a beautiful day, opt for a table on the long deck to take in the water, the rows of vines and the tree-lined drive. Or if you really want to make the experience special, ask to book the hidden cellar downstairs for private functions…

After many hours of enjoyment and absolutely no thoughts of emails or anything taking place in the nation’s capital for that matter, we make room on the table for dessert which arrives in the form of cannoli, tiramisu and a beautiful vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb. We try a bit of everything and come dangerously close to having to unbutton our jeans.

For a newly-opened restaurant, the food is already excellent and the staff are experienced and attentive. The space transports us far away from our bustling life and we vow to come back for more of this special spot.

Photography: Pew Pew Studio.