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 >

The dining room at Ten Minutes by Tractor still opens up to those cinematic rows of vines that first seduced Melbourne weekender crowds a decade ago, but the mood has shifted from “pretty winery lunch” to something a little more composed and quietly confident. There is warmth in the timber and soft upholstery, but also a sense of precision – tables generously spaced, light calibrated to catch stemware and plates rather than views alone, service led by Kobi Watson gliding in that easy regional cadence that hides meticulous choreography.

If the earlier ALMANAK visits found the room at its best on a bright, breezy afternoon, the current iteration works just as well after dark; what was once “perfect for a sunny afternoon” has become a space that contracts comfortably into an intimate, almost urban-feeling dining room once the sun slides behind the ridge. The soundtrack is discreet, the chatter low, and the combination of fine linen in leather loops, heavy glassware and a brigade that remembers your preferences, underscores that this is now firmly in fine-dining territory, albeit with a relaxed peninsula accent.

EAT >

The old ALMANAK review documented a playful, occasionally baroque progression – beetroot gardens, Manjimup marron with claws akimbo, Vegemite consommé – that spoke to a kitchen flexing its technique and relishing surprise. Under Craig Lunn, whose CV runs through a brace of serious European dining rooms – from formative years at The Bath Priory under Michael Caines and Sam Moody, to Idam by Alain Ducasse at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, then on to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, a stint in Copenhagen at Kong Hans Kælder and, most recently, heading the kitchen at Lunar at the World of Wedgwood in Staffordshire – the menu has tightened into three clearly defined experiences that feel less like a greatest hits compilation and more like chapters in a single, coherent story.

Essence is the gateway: a compact sequence that reads like a précis of the Peninsula – high-impact snacks, tight seafood work, a clear line from 10X Farm to plate. You might start with something deceptively simple that announces Lunn’s intent: a bite built on estate-grown vegetables and herbs, textures stacked rather than scattered, acidity dialled so that the first sip of chardonnay snaps everything into focus. Substance stretches the arc: more courses, deeper sauces, a little more fat and smoke, perhaps a precise piece of Flinders Island meat or O’Connor beef that nods to the supplier list without turning the plate into a roll call.

Signature is where Lunn’s Michelin background really comes through. Sauces are lucid and glossy without feeling heavy, proteins cooked to the millimetre, and there is a clarity to flavour that contrasts with the more maximalist approach of the previous era. Expect dishes that lean into the Peninsula’s coastal–agricultural tension – mussels from Flinders with a saline, foamy broth against something earthy from the 10X Farm garden; perhaps a finely layered treatment of Main Ridge Dairy goat’s cheese where structure and temperature are as considered as the flavour combinations. There’s still room for whimsy, but it is now in service of progression and drinkability rather than shock value.

Importantly, the kitchen has doubled down on its relationship with producers: 10X Farm next door, biodynamic fruit from Mock Orchards, mushrooms from Mushroom Forestry and dairy from Main Ridge all appear as recurring characters rather than cameos. The overall impression is of a restaurant that has moved from “occasionally dazzling regional winery” to “destination fine dining with a strong sense of place”, and one where the food finally feels fully in dialogue with a cellar that has long outpaced its peers.

DRINK >

If there was one quibble in the original ALMANAK review, it was value perception on the wine list: a thrilling, globe-trotting tome where by-the-glass pricing sometimes felt a notch too ambitious. The philosophy of abundance remains – Ten Minutes by Tractor still runs one of the most decorated lists in the country, with awards ranging from Australia’s Wine List of the Year to global Star Wine List recognition – but under head sommelier Noah Rozenfeld the offer has been subtly but meaningfully rebalanced.

The spine is still chardonnay and pinot noir – both estate and carefully chosen benchmarks from Victoria, the rest of Australia and classic European regions – yet the framing has shifted. Tastings are now clearly structured around the three menu paths, with pairing flights that move from estate staples to more exploratory glasses, including cool-climate curios and occasional back-vintage pours from the rebuilt cellar. The by-the-glass section, which once read like an impressive but pricey à la carte adventure, now feels more layered: there are still icon pours for those who want them, but also a broader band of accessibly priced options that let you drink well.

Beyond the estate’s own bottlings – including newer projects such as Tasmanian pinot and high-density Spedding vineyard expressions – the list continues to celebrate producers who share the house’s cool-climate, terroir-first mindset. Vermouths, fortifieds and an amply stocked spirits section keep the pre- and post-prandial bookends interesting, and the service style has softened from didactic to gently guiding; there is clear enthusiasm and deep knowledge here, but the tone is conversational rather than reverential.

SMALL NEGATIVES >

It all comes down to a few moments in the evening that stole the point from perfect to slightly less. The time waiting from arrival to first drink or food was quite long, slightly our fault for arriving a few minutes early but it took quite a while (bordering on awkward) for the Somm to finish with other diners, to take and provide our first glass of Chablis (delicious).

A couple of times the server poured flat water in glasses of sparkling water, a small thing but not the kind of mistake you would usually expect at a restaurant at this level.

The final small negative was price of a last glass of wine. After really enjoying the first glass of Chablis and an excellent bottle of Premier Cru Burgundy we were looking for a final glass of wine to enjoy with the wagyu. The wine an excellent Barolo was very good, the price however was a significant surprise when we paid the bill – something that could have been better navigated if the price mentioned (over $100 per glass) before it was poured.

This was very nearly a perfect review 20/20 but at that level everything has to be perfectly aligned and there were a few minor imperfections that left room for improvement.

CONCLUSION >

Ten Minutes by Tractor was already one of the Mornington Peninsula’s anchor dining rooms; the current incarnation tightens the focus, clarifies the cooking and updates the wine offer without losing the easy charm that drew diners up the hill in the first place. It is still a place for long, languid lunches that stretch into the afternoon, but equally now a restaurant you could pit against serious city peers and not feel short-changed, provided you lean into the idea that you are paying not just for what is in the glass and on the plate, but for a carefully honed conversation between vineyard, kitchen and cellar that has been decades in the making.

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Image Credit | ALMANAK

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