WINE > Corofin, Pinot Noir, Marlborough (17/20)

Marlborough is a region much better known for Sauvignon Blanc than for Pinot Noir but Corofin make a wine in Marlborough that surprises as it rises above the quaffable and into the respected tiers of premium wines; competing with wines with great accolades from Central Otago in New Zealand's South Island. APPEARANCE > Corofin’s 2023…

ByCrispy1 day ago

EAT > Stallion, Mansfield Victoria (16/20)

Since the closing of Bounty in Bonnie Doon and BOS Taurus in Mansfield, the fine dining offerings in this alpine region have been very limited. Not to say you can’t get a good steak and there are gourmet pizza’s and Thai but nothing you would really say this is definitely worth visiting. But…

ByCrispy1 day ago

EAT > ITALY EAT > ORTIGIA EAT > SICILY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Chiodo con Cucina, Ortiga Syracusa Italy (15/20)

In the middle of Summer, Sicily can get pretty hot. There is a point in the day when the charm and fascination of wandering the pretty streets of Ortigia are rapidly replaced with the need for hydration, nourishment and a cool spot out of the sun. It was exactly on one…

ByCrispy2 days ago

EAT > ITALY EAT > ORTIGIA EAT > SICILY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Ristorante Regina Lucia, Ortigia, Syracusa Italy (18/20)

Nestled in the heart of Ortigia’s iconic Piazza Duomo, Regina Lucia delivers refined Sicilian cuisine with contemporary flair in a historic baroque palace setting. This MICHELIN Guide-recommended spot earns consistent praise for its inventive dishes and polished service.Summary Intro goes here. As you wander the Piazza Duomo with its buskers, tourists and the occasional wedding…

ByCrispy2 days ago

EAT > ITALY EAT > ORTIGIA EAT > SICILY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Cortile Spirito Santo, Siracusa, Ortigia Italy (18/20)

Nestled in the historic heart of Ortigia, Syracuse's enchanting island, Cortile Spirito Santo delivers Michelin-starred Sicilian refinement in a 17th-century palazzo. This gem, part of Palazzo Salomone Luxury Suites, blends Baroque elegance with contemporary flair, earning its star in 2023 for chef Giuseppe Torrisi's masterful dishes. AMBIENCE > Elegant and serene, the restaurant unfolds in…

ByCrispy2 days ago

STAY > ITALY STAY > Sicily WHERE TO STAY >

STAY > Grand Hotel Des Ètranges, Siracusa (17/20)

Grand Hotel Des Étrangers in Ortigia is Syracuse at its most cinematic: a freshly restored, 5‑star grande dame with Ionian light pouring in through neoclassical balconies and just enough contemporary polish to feel quietly current rather than stuffy. AMBIENCE > The hotel’s neoclassical façade dominates the Ortigia waterfront, looking straight over the Levant Sea with…

ByCrispyMarch 3, 2026

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Elanto Pinot Noir, Balnaring (18/20)

Mornington Peninsula is home to many fine Pinot Noir wines but it has been quite a few years since the industry got quite so excited about a new vineyard. Elanto has only released two vintages of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to date and they are already receiving outstanding reviews from the biggest names in wine. …

ByCrispyMarch 2, 2026

EAT > AUSTRALIA EAT > MORNINGTON PENINSULA EAT > VICTORIA WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Cape, Cape Schank (17/20)

Cape Restaurant at RACV Cape Schanck remains one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most compelling reasons to drive that extra stretch of highway after dark: dinner here still feels like an occasion, but an unusually relaxed and generous one. AMBIENCE > Cape’s room is still that familiar dusk-toned amphitheatre of glass, timber and bottle-light, only now…

ByCrispyMarch 1, 2026

EAT > AUSTRALIA EAT > MORNINGTON PENINSULA EAT > VICTORIA WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Ten Minutes by Tractor, Main Ridge (19/20)

Ten Minutes by Tractor has always felt like the Mornington Peninsula restaurant that most confidently blurs the line between winery dining room and serious destination restaurant; under new head chef Craig Lunn and an evolved wine program led by head sommelier Noah Rozenfeld, it now reads as a sharper, more self-assured version of itself. AMBIENCE…

ByCrispyMarch 1, 2026

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Clarence House Estate Pinot Noir, 2024 (17/20)

Clarence House Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2024 is a poised, cool-climate Tasmanian Pinot that trades in perfume, fine-boned structure and quiet confidence rather than sheer volume, rewarding both contemplation now and patient cellaring later. APPEARANCE > Pale to medium garnet in the glass, with a translucent core that hints at delicacy rather than density. A…

ByCrispyFebruary 22, 2026

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