Star of Greece

Star of Greece is an Adelaide institution, combining great food with stunning views out over Port Willunga. Definitely worth booking ahead to get s seat in the restaurant (although getting take away chips on the beach is an excellent second choice!). We had lunch here just after Christmas, and watched a pod of dolphins fishing across the bay while we ate the delicious fresh local food.

Heard great things about Star Of Greece but found our dining experience middle of the road. Portions were quite small and the scallop entrée was disappointing (4 small scallops). Mains were okay but not what I’d expect for this quality restaurant, have had better steaks at pubs recently. Would not return.

A long-​term favourite right above the stunning Pt Willunga beach, we revisited the Star of Greece for Xmas lunch (booking essential). The staff are friendly and attentive, the menu is quality SA foodie modern Australian (beer battered King George Whiting with salad and hand cut chips!) and the dessert menu looks tempting (but not tempting enough on this occasion as we were going for a swim straight after…).
There were dolphins in the water, visible from our table!

Fantastic place staff were brilliant food views the same if you have desert and you should the honeycomb and ice cream yummy yummy

The white building on the top of the cliff, known to us all as the Star of Greece.
The Star of Greece is famed for its’ view of the ocean, being perched right on the cliffs above Port Willunga Beach. It is also famous for its’ seafood, and seasonal, local produce driven food and wine menu.
Recently, the Star had a makeover which has resulted in even better views of the ocean from every table, and a contemporary, bright feel. Local art adds colour.
Before perusing the Autumn menu, we opt for a glass of bubbles out on the deck, which you can also book to dine upon.
Service is friendly, chatty but not obtrusive.
We are kept informed and engaged in chat when there was a bit of a delay for our mains to come out, which was good customer service.
Tables are set classically with white cloths, and a little bit of nature in the form of a potted succulent. Nice glassware for sparkling, whites and reds is offered.
Chef sends with his compliments an amuse bouche of tiny smoked potato cubes, smoked mascarpone, and a lightly spiced potato crisp. A little mouthful of heaven smoky, crunchy, potato still al dente with bite, and not over seasoned with salt.
Crumbed croquettes of ‘brandade’ or salt cod are served with fresh crab meat, potato mousse, smoked roe and sprinkled with spiced powders ($ 18). My MIL loved it!
Mr Wino’s special of the day ($ 16) was white anchovies presented in their own tin, with a garlic mayo and toasts. Gone in mere seconds!
Pumpkin tofu ($ 16) is not a ‘true’ tofu as there is no soy in it.
In fact, this is far better! You can taste the pure flavour of every ingredient.
The tofu is silken and wobbling and rich with pure, savoury pumpkin flavour. Seed crisp is crunchy and studded with roasted pepitas. Savoury Japanese pumpkin is also served roasted over coals, with just a hint of sweetness.
MIL opts for the Star of Greece classic, Kangaroo Island battered whiting, chunky hand cut chips, watermelon salad and sauce gribiche ($ 33).
Pretty in pink, my house made fettuccine is stained with an earthy but not overly flavoursome pink beetroot sauce, sprinkled with toasted walnuts and adorned with a slice of heirloom yellow beetroot ($ 29).
As pretty as it was, it was a little cold, and while I polished off the lot it wasn’t as flavoursome as my pumpkin starter.
Glorious greens. For an extra vitamin boost we also have a serving of the seasonal veggies, with truffle oil and roasted walnuts ($ 10), which is perfectly cooked, glossy and fragrant from the truffle oil. We were all happy to eat our greens!
Afterwards or before, the beach beckons.
A stroll along the orange cliffs with sand beneath your toes is very good for the soul, and for digestion!

We stopped in for lunch as a part of a wine tasting tour. While it doesn’t look like much from the outside it is very welcoming once you walk through the front door. While it is pretty casual inside the food is much more than you might expect from what looks like a shack on the beach. We enjoyed the fish of the day, grilled served with a few chips and salad. We also shared a tomato salad entrée and some bread. Food was fresh, high quality and perfectly prepared.
Portions were very reasonable — this is not a place where you need to order an appetizer instead of a main course to avoid over eating.
Service was very warm and welcoming and you just can’t beat the view. If you want to eat inside away from the heat, advance reservations are essential.
Recommended.

I know everyone raves about this place, and we actually got a recommendation from a friend who had sampled the wines. There is a beautiful view from the restaurant and the wines are excellent. I found however the service to be quite poor and with lots of attitude. When your charging 5 star prices you expect 5 star service. When we first arrived we expressed our desire for a quick lunch so we could get to the beach. The staff were slow and we found ourselves waiting long periods for just the mains. We hadn’t ordered starters. The whole meal was two hours. For two mains cheese and four glasses of wine. We had to repeatedly ask for things they had forgotten and even as I’m writing this the woman still hasn’t gotten the card machine even after asking twice nicely. Either they need to get more staff or lower prices due to service being so awful. I love dishing out for beautiful meals but it means the service has to be as good as the food. Not impressed.

We arrived slightly boozy after a barrel tasting got the better of us. The staff were incredible (I’m sure they see this all the time) and with authority told us we needed an order of bread and the calamari, stat!
The restorative powers of carbs and fat while looking out over the sea was a winner. Within 20 minutes we felt right as rain and ready to dive in to the menu proper — and what a beautiful menu it is.
If we had the time and stomach space we would have ordered the degustation, but kept it simple on our first visit by ordering the special of roasted pork loin and duck cooked two ways. Accompanied by a big bowl of fresh vegetables, we were more than satisfied.
While I imagine the summer months get quite busy here, I liked the moodiness of the sea during our Autumn visit. Inside it is warm, and protected from the elements it was spectacular to look out over Port Willunga beach and the ocean while we dined. This would be a beautiful destination for a celebration dinner.

Don’t worry, the chicken is local and his name was Alfredo.
With an autumn menu including Hindmarsh Valley ashed chèvre with house made black rice crackers, KI S&P squid and Southern Ocean Kingfish sashimi it was far too hard to make even a decision of which entrée we should start with on an early Saturday afternoon. So we went with the easy option and selected the Autumn Tasting Menu.
And so proceeded a perfectly balanced and well-​timed selection of dishes that appeared in front of us. I tried to elegantly savour every mouthful and the artistic composition of each entrée, main and dessert as it was brought out, but more often than not I would just get so excited by the food that within a couple of mouthfuls each dish was gone.
It’d be hard to badly pair wine with your meal here as there is a great selection of local and international bevs on the menu. I enjoyed generous glasses Rockford Black Sparkling Shiraz.
Highlights included the chevré, kingfish sashimi, scallops and a palette cleanser of plum and vodka sorbet that I could eat by the litre. Everything was cooked to perfection and dishes were kept simple and letting only 3 – 4 ingredients do the talking without smothering things in sauce or salt.
Our waitress was super awesome and not pretentious, despite this being quite a fancy restaurant to dine in. She was great at recommending dishes, wines and making a few fun jokes in between.
You really must book in advance.
You really must book a window seat if you want one (or even sit outside as it’s heated).
You really must just go dine at the Star of Greece.

Visited for a work related dinner on Saturday night. Unfortunately due to the fact it was autumn and a later seating we missed out on one of the best views from a restaurant — anywhere! This was the only negative to the evening, thanks to the friendly staff the night began warmly with pre dinner drinks promptly served. Entrees were shared and absolutely delicious showing the depth and quality of local seafood.
Mains came out in perfect timing, not to quick and not so long that you consider gnawing the chair leg next to you. Due to the amount of red wine we had to taste, most opted for the beef fillet which was considered by locals and some international guests as one of the best steaks they had consumed. Cheese platters to finish completed the night and rounded it off nicely.
Highly recommend, if possible time your arrival for sunset as the view is absolutely magic!

Best view of Port Willunga! Romantic spot for a sunset dinner too.

This place used to be owned by a guy with a fake Oxford accent and an endless supply of hair gel and chinos. During that time, it was filled with ship wreck/​beach memorabilia and to get a table on a Saturday night, you’d be calling at least 6 weeks in advance.
These days, you will find a stripped back, comfortable restaurant perched on the cliff top of Port Willunga beach. The food is now the star of the show and the wait time to get a table is much more palatable.
That’s not to say it’s still not one of the best restaurants in Adelaide!
We had an 8:30pm seating which have us enough time for a beach walk and a drink at the Victory Hotel. As always, I’m the painful customer who changes menu items to accommodate my veganism. Painful you say? Not here!
From the get go, the waitress had her team and the chefs informed and when our starters arrived (hit nuts, olives and house made bread) I was told the bread had a milk wash but everything else was fine.
Following that, my entrée arrived with several additions of animal product free substitutes, as did my main. My dessert was a delicious selection of vegan treats, made especially for me.
Although the two bottles of wine the other guests ordered were out of stock, we were recommended a delicious and local bottle to substitute them. It’s this kind of honest, borderline «country» style of service you simply don’t find when you venture closer to the city.
Our entire experience was not only faultless but well above my expectation. I’ve never been to a more «vegan friendly» non-​vegan restaurant.

I’m in love.
Location= Amazing
Service= Brilliant
Food= To die for
I am definitely coming back.

The Star of Greece is gorgeous. My review could end there, but then you’d feel ripped off for clicking on it, wouldn’t you?
I’ve been to the Star of Greece restaurant twice, both times for a special meal with my partner. It is the perfect location for romance: teetering high on the cliffs above Portt Willunga beach, it overlooks the Star of Greece shipwreck and the old pier remains. A perfect sunset is nearly guaranteed.
Luckily, the restaurant doesn’t depend on the beauty of its location to carry it. The food is as fantastic as the view, and the menu items change seasonally to reflect available produce and changing tastes. I particularly appreciate that there is always at least one vegetarian choice in each category (starter, entrée, main).
Portions here are relatively small, so feel free to try a variety of dishes and sides– you really can taste it all without walking away feeling bloated and sick. Just beware– the last time my partner and I went, we shared a bottle of wine, two starters, two entrees, two mains, a side, two desserts, a coffee and a dessert wine… this all came to $ 280 (!). Translation? If you’re watching your budget, watch your ordering and you’ll be just fine.