EAT > Tedesca Osteria, Red Hill Victoria

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The moment you park your car and wander down into the white buildings of Tedesca Osteria and Graceburn House you realise you are visiting something special. The front door is an enormous piece of wood with remarkable carved handle. The room opens into a space immediately comfortable, stylish and fresh. You can see the vegetables growing in the garden and views across the valley to Red Hill and beyond, it is really lovely.

But none of that is a surprise for those who were regulars at Gertrude Street Enoteca in Fitzroy which is where chef Brigitte Hafner and her business partner James Broadway fed and watered locals with fine food and fine wine for seventeen years. A place that was something of an insiders venue, if you knew about it then it was probably your go to for a wine with friends and for many it was their replacement living room.

Tedesca opened in 2020 just before COVID hit, chef Brigitte Hafner says she dreamed about it for a decade. A beautiful place to eat and drink. A place about. art, wine, music, nature, architecture, stories, theatre and life. A place of joy.

image credit | Crispy ALMANAK Magazine

That ethos follows through the menu which is a fixed dining experience with many of the ingredients from their own biodynamic farm produce and the kitchen built around a wood fired oven and grill. Typical courses might consist of antipasto, a hand made pasta, a seafood course, meat course and desert. But it changes regularly with the seasons and availability of ingredients.

We sit and start with a Tedesca spritz a delicious combination made with rhubarb from the garden, its a warm day and this was perfectly refreshing. Settling us in our waiter asked us if we had any time constraints, because Tedesca Osteria is a long lunch experience, the expectation is you come around noon, settle and enjoy a meal til around 4.30. If you need a mini break, take your glass and wander the garden before continuing the meal. It is so comfortable and convivial that you feel more like you are at a friends home than a restaurant with month long waiting lists.

On the day we visited the menu was a delicious selection of starters; firstly Pate Negra Jamon with red peach (wow – perfect combination and red peach – yum), Blue fin tuna crudo with shiso dressing (lovely), Buffalo Mozzarella and tomato and spiced lamb brik cigars with tahini and yoghurt.

Pasta was Tortelloni filled with wild fennel and herbs, served with a walnut sauce and brown butter (yum, yum, yum).

The fish course was rock flathead (so sweet) roasted in a wood oven and with a Sri Lankan black curry butter and carrot sambol.

Meat was O’Connor Rib Eye on the wood grill served with béarnaise and duck fat potatoes (of course), it came with a green salad. The meat was melt in the mouth, the potatoes were addictive, especially with that béarnaise.

Desert was passionfruit ice cream with shiso syrup and brown rice vinegar caramel. (very good).

image credit | Crispy ALMANAK Magazine

WINE >

The wine list at Tedesca is a careful selection that is both broad and deep without being extensive. Over just two pages there are a couple of hundred wines many of which are very rare bottles some of the rare ones are even offered by the glass (such as the Sami Odi Ebenezer Walla Walla Shiraz – amazing).

Given the location many people do need to drive to get to Tedesca so it is excellent that there are 26 wines available by the glass and a few half bottle options – all excellent choices that are likely make you spend time in consideration about the best selection. Not to worry the sommelier is business partner James Broadway and he has the depth of wine knowledge to make sure you are going to find something delicious and the perfect match for your meal.

The fixed price is $195 per head. Some minor variation to the menu is possible as long as the kitchen is notified during booking but they do not cater to vegans, do not offer a reduced children’s menu and my favourite “if you do not eat seafood, we also suggest you reflect upon your reservation”.

An afternoon at Tedesca Osteria is a special experience that you are going to love, just make sure you are wearing comfortable clothing, the serves are generous and you will not want to let anything go to waste!