Zaih's - LOVEDALE

Called last minute on Mother's Day for lunch and we were pleased to hear that they had a spare table.Absolutely wonderful staff who were really friendly and accommodating.It became chillier and stormed as we rolled into the afternoon and they came out with blankets to keep us warm as there wasn't enough room to move us inside.Better yet, the food was lavish! Wonderful array of menu items and all were exquisite.Location is a cute cottage style restaurant with a quaint garden yard to look over.One to tick off if you're in the Pokolbin area or are a local!

We made a reservation for a small birthday dinner and were thoroughly impressed. The chicken liver parfait was exceptional, and the venison tartare was not far behind. The lamb (referred to as a mutton tomohawk on the menu) was delicious from the first bite. All of the dishes were unique and delicious, made with local ingredients and paired perfectly with local wines. It was a pleasant surprise of a meal that we did not expect. After learning more about the chef, it all made sense. We have been dining in the Hunter Valley for 12 years, but have never had a meal quite like this. Let's keep this place our little secret.

I highly recommend this restaurant, but make sure you have some time to spare. The food is excellent, but the amazing quality takes time to prepare, especially with only one chef in the kitchen and one server. However, food this good is worth the wait and shouldn't be rushed.

We knew the food would be good here, due to the experience of the team and previous restaurant background, but were so impressed and cant wait to return. For entrees we had the salmon pastrami which was setved with an incredible cucumber granita and cubes of crisp rye, and a second entree of waygu tartare presented with shaving of fresh mushroom.Mains were the gazpacho (the best I have had!) and the potato risotto which was full of flavour and simply delicious. We also ordered sides of radish in miso butter which was ridiculously gorgeous (would love to the recipe for this dish) and a salad.We shared a dessert of a kaffir lime panna cotta which was superb.The wine list has a reasonable choice of local Hunter Valley wines, with a number by the glass.We look forward to returning to try the new seasonal menu shortly. The breakfast menu also looks really appealing and will be checking that out soon. They also offer a let the chef decide menu, which an adjacent table to us had, with a generous number of courses provided.The restaurant itself is pleasingly minimalist, with a nice outlook over beautifully maintained grounds. Expect to be greated by a mob of kangaroos grazing on the lush lawns (good for international visitors)

Such a nice place to be and the food is fantastic. So fresh and looks so good and tastes just as good.