Hickinbotham of Dromana is a winery, brewery, cellar door and restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula. Hickinbotham is a very famous name in Australian winemaking and Andrew Hickinbotham is now the third generation winemaker from the family.
The cosy, rustic restaurant is famous for its 100 year old handmade brick floor and they even warn ladies from wearing high heels when walking on it! On a winters day there is an open fire but for kids the best fun is outside.
The menu is pretty run-of-the-mill and quite dated – cajun chicken wrap and pesto pasta (both $27.50) get a mention. I thought the menu prices were high for what you get, so the main attraction is that it is a great place for kids when the weather’s fine.
We ordered a Winemakers Tasting Platter which was large enough to share between two adults as a main meal ($41.50). It was a pretty standard plate of terrine, antipasto, dips, cheese, cold meats and fruit and the highlight was the warm loaf of just-baked Pinot bread.
The kids enjoyed their fish and chips ($13) but I didn’t particularly like the quality of the food. The fish was covered in a thick, oily batter and the fries were obviously of the precut and frozen variety.
The children had fun clambering all over the cubby house made from an old wine barrel and the vintage cart and farm machinery. They were certainly more interested in their surroundings than the food.
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We all enjoyed the setting at Hickinbotham of Dromana and the free entertainment makes it a relaxing place to take kids. However, based on what we ate I didn’t feel the food was deserving of the high prices and there are a lot of good wineries and restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend instead.
Hickinbotham of Dromana is part of Wine Food Farmgate, a collection and trail of the best of Mornington Peninsula’s wineries, eateries and farmgate providores. For other child-friendly places on the Wine Food Farmgate trail try Flinders Hotel and Green Olive at Red Hill .
Features:
- pram access;
- high chairs;
- children’s menu;
- standard menu suitable for children;
- outdoor play area.
Hickinbotham of Dromana, 194 Nepean Hwy, Dromana, Mornington Peninsula 03 5981 0355
Open daily from 11am
Cellar door – 11am – 5pm
