Maxwell is honestly my favourite restaurant to visit in Adelaide! I’ve dined here twice with different seasonal menus and both were outstanding. The interior ambience is phenomenal and views of the vineyard is gorgeous. It definitely puts you in a good mood! The food is delicious and the plating is also so pretty. I always recommend my friends and family to visit if they do travel to Adelaide. I will definitely come back again soon!

Visited Maxwells with 3 friends for a Birthday celebration. An exceptional meal of breathtaking technical skill. Every plate a masterpiece with flawless execution, and stunning presentation. Pure culinary art in a vineyard setting. Thanks to Bruno for looking after us so well and the rest of the team. Fabian and his team never fail to execute perfection. Unforgettable experience and definitely rates 10/10.

What a sensational culinary experience to say the very least!
Maxwell hosted my birthday lunch for a small group of girls and we were delighted by absolutely everything! From the stunning setting and views, fantastic wines, lovley attentive staff- all the way through to every bite that was exquisitely created on the menu by the chefs. We did the 10 courses and each course took our palettes on a journey - not to mention the presentation was beautiful, so creative! Could not fault it, we loved every moment. We definitely left with full hearts and full bellies!

Thank you so much to Maxwell and the team for making it such a memorable experience. 🙏

Fantastic customer service My group of friends went to Maxwell recently on a girls weekend in McLaren Vale. We were served by Heidi, whose customer service was easily a 10/10. She was super knowledgeable, accommodated our request to change the tasting slightly, and made us feel right at home. The wines were great and the food was honestly amazing. Thank you so much for such a positive experience, we will definitely be back!

This place is an absolute must if you love your food and wine. The menu is planned to perfection with great thought put into the wines that are paired with the food. We were lucky enough to have the spring menu on its first release date. The edible oyster is unreal and the 4 years the chef spent working on it very much worth it. Incredible.

It was also really comforting service by Bruno and Lily. The small little details meant a lot to us. For example they had a special menu card to congratulate us as we were on our honeymoon. They spent the time to explain each meal and were very attentive to our needs. The service at this place is what takes it to another level.

It was a mixed feelings experience. The food is well crafted and fancy but we found that 5 out of ten dishes were way too salty, which is not acceptable for a fine dining place. It was quite pricey for not being excellent. The wines are amazing, the staff and service very nice and friendly, the facilities and view are superb but the food (the main reason we went there) was not up to expectations. I’m sad to leave this review but I have to be honest. The food looks amazing and is well crafted (look at the pictures) it’s just so salty it was a let down.

An absolutely superb experience with Bruno, Millie and Lily and the whole kitchen and back of house team. Unbelievable, surprising and sublime, a whole day to remember and savour the memories. .. food was beyond clever, it was art, and yet not pretentious - an extremely difficult combination to pull off. Service impeccable, company brilliant and transport with @amqtours meant no worrying about the superbly matched wines. Hope to do this again one day !

After a busy morning around the Vale we decided on Maxwell Wines cellar door for a bite to eat and what a delight. The wine was sensational, well priced and tasty but the real stand out were the snacks. You'd be hard pushed to find anything better than this in a capital city fine dining restaurant. We went with the 'matching snack plate' for $20 a head and truly a gourmet wonder. The Chicken tart was out of this world and I would go back specifically for this alone. Heidi was informative and the whole atmosphere embraced. If only I had a special occasion coming up I would hire the cave and eat and drink and eat and drink 😁

Incredible experience from start to finish, our family celebration of combined birthdays were the perfect catalyst and our decision to dine at Maxwell meant it was not just a good time but exemplary.

We thoroughly enjoyed every delicious moment and can't speak highly enough of the experience.

Our heartfelt thanks to the entire team with special mention to Milli, Lily and Bruno - thank you for the love and care shown to us.

To the kitchen brigade - honestly just WOW what a gastronomic adventure you took us on!

So talented and so delicious 😋 - thank you for all your hard work creating such spectacular dishes.

Snacks at wine tasting are exceptional Maxwells wine tasting and snacks 26/9/25

We’d booked a wine tasting for Daz with a ‘non tasting’ seat (love that the website has this set up) plus snacks for 2.

On arrival, greeted by a friend, David formerly of shingleback wines. Good to see a very friendly face and catchup.

Daz had the Premium wine tasting and enjoyed the variations. We also had the pleasure of being assisted by Mark who tempted Tess into some mead tasting and also a really amazing Port (yes the really old port that is like syrup and so smooth to taste.

The snacks, David convinced us to add an extra to our 3 snacks that were pre-purchased.

We started with-
Croustade, kingfish, sesame, radish, apple
Very fresh and light. Not at all fishy and the fish was cut into lovely size pieces, very clean flavours. The Croustade was very crisp and not at all oily. The filling was moist and had a good texture. Lovely to eat.

Duck, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic
It tasted like the Jerusalem artichoke was in the base tart shell, duck liver parfait, great flavour. Again the base wasn’t oily at all and very thin and crispy but not fragile which was lovely. We think the rounds on the top were Jerusalem artichoke as well, really lovely bite.

Crispy chicken skin tart, smoked chicken, crispy leek
This was the star of the show, an amazing crispy, salty tart shell of chicken skin, crispy and delicate but not fragile. The chicken smoking was minimal so didn’t take over the flavours of the skin and leek added a mild crunch. Stunning

Our extra
Fried potato terrine, spring onion, garlic and we added the wagyu tartare
Layers of potato, slightly crispy on the outside, lovely and soft through the middle. The balance of seasoning through the dish was great, the tartare very moist and well-seasoned but not fatty. The fried leek on top added a lovely crispy element and we enjoyed the green puree, good texture as it was nice and thick and easy to dunk into.

We were very very happy with the snacks, overall service and quality of the wines and produce.
Maybe it’s time to return to Maxell’s for a lunch in the new year based on these. Highly recommend.

The service at this restaurant is amongst the best ever experienced. The staff are fun, attentive and know their craft.

We choose the long menu option which was perfect for a cold wet afternoon sharing with good friends. The sommelier helped us choose a perfect wine which matched most dishes. Every dish was an experience to remember. While reasonably expensive, the experience is worth it for a special Occassion.

We left here happy and satisfied. Well done Maxwell Restaurant.

We were chatting to the friendly staff at Charles Melton Winery (in Barossa) about our future plans to travel to McLaren Vale. They suggested Maxwell Restaurant, I immediately looked it up and saw it was a special occasion style restaurant but thought we would enjoy the shorter (cheaper) menu. Once we were seated, and saw what was included on the full menu, we unanimously decided to choose this and the matching wines.
We were so wowed with the food (some of it was very Heston Blumenthal-esque). the love and flavours from all the courses was mind-blowing. Enjoyed every morsel, and they even bundled some of our leftover bread so we could enjoy it for breakfast. 5 star service, a very special experience.

We recently dined at Maxwell’s in McLaren Vale to celebrate my birthday. We opted for the long tasting menu, which had about 13 different dishes. The flavors were incredible. But the highlight for this incurable sweet tooth? The menu featured not one, but three very unusual desserts—each with complex flavors I had never experienced before. The presentation was visually stunning, especially the Davidson’s plum, rhubarb, and hay dessert. The delicately crafted maple leaves looked so real, it was almost hard to believe they didn't come off a maple tree.

Service was impeccable as well: In the restaurant, Bruno and Lily were both extremely attentive, and Bruno kept us laughing throughout the afternoon. Beyond that, the entire staff truly made the place come alive. It was immediately noticeable—everyone was cheerful, attentive, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their work. There is a real difference between simply doing a job and taking joy in it, and that rare energy made the experience all the more memorable.

Overall, Maxwell’s delivered an extraordinary culinary journey, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

We celebrated a birthday with dinner and the experience was fantastic.

The dining room felt modern and relaxed, open but intimate.

We did the long tasting menu and the food was absolutely brilliant. Each course was perfectly balanced, a cacophony of flavours working in sync.

The drinks pairing was incredible value and we were well-hydrated throughout.

The staff, particularly Bruno, were attentive, helpful, and made the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable.

The perfect spot for a special occasion.

This was truly one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The food was incredible - I had high hopes but I was completely blown away by what the chefs had created. It was not just exceptional food, it was art. The staff were incredibly attentive, and no detail was missed by them - they even realised I was left handed after the first course and adjusted the cutlery for subsequent dishes! It is of course not your cheapest long lunch but I would save my money and go back again without a second thought - well worth it in every way! Thanks so much Bruno and the rest of the team - we absolutely loved it and will be back again!

Lovely place to spend a Sunday afternoon with beautiful food and wine. We were celebrating our Uncles Geoff's 94th birthday and the staff were very attentive during our stay. The only thing I can say that would improve the experience is to decrease the time as it got a bit tiring after four hours. Maybe 3hrs would be better!

What a stunning place. We came specially for the food but what made the place for the people. The service, the knowledge of the Incredibles skill and craftsmanship that went into every dish and every glass. Thank you for making my birthday so memorable

We had Sunday lunch at Maxwell’s to celebrate a birthday. Arriving twenty minutes early, we were warmly welcomed in the tasting room by two lovely staff who poured us bubbly, added it to our bill, and said someone from the restaurant would collect us shortly, so far, a seamless and promising start.

Ten minutes past our scheduled sitting, we ventured inside ourselves. We were greeted by a rude man who immediately ushered us back out of the restaurant so he could “go and check” our booking, seemingly unaware we’d been waiting for him. When we showed surprise at his tone and sudden eviction, he snapped, “Relax, I need to check.” The room was almost empty, so the theatrics felt unnecessary and unwelcoming. Throughout the meal he remained knowledgeable, but we didn’t enjoy his ‘humour’.

Once seated, we spotted a custom-printed “Happy Birthday” menu was a lovely touch. We chose the longer degustation and added the optional marron course at $38 per person. Drink-wise we started with refreshing gin cocktails, followed by a bottle of sparkling that arrived disappointingly flat and served in ordinary wine glasses rather than flutes.

There was pleasing theatre in the food: liquid-nitrogen mist under the oyster opener and a fog-filled cloche for the marron. Individual courses were small, but the sheer number meant we left comfortably full, helped by a generous hunk of sourdough served with the wagyu.

When ingredient sources were mentioned there were a few from Western Australia. While we appreciate Australian produce, dining in McLaren Vale we expected more South Australian provenance; one server couldn’t confirm where the wagyu came from (only that it wasn’t Mayura Station).

The cooking itself was strong: several dishes deserved a 10/10, while our least favourites, the mussel and spaetzle courses landed closer to 7/10. A few listed ingredients never really surfaced in flavour, and the umami punch felt heavy, almost MSG-like, leaving us both very thirsty and with mild headaches by the end. A surprise citrus-cream “taco” dessert ended things on a bright note.

Pacing was sluggish, and slow to start. Lunch stretched to four hours yet could easily have wrapped in two-and-a-half or less with tighter service. When we finally asked for the bill, it failed to arrive after fifteen minutes, so we returned to the tasting room to pay, only to be charged for the wrong table, leaving us $700 out of pocket until the refund cleared two days later.

Overall, the food and a few thoughtful touches partly redeemed the experience, but the rude initial reception, slow pacing, and billing mishap were hard to ignore, especially at this price point. We’re glad we tried Maxwell’s, yet for the next special occasion we’ll look elsewhere.

Fantastic Day We visited Maxwell Wines on a wintery Friday in late July to celebrate a milestone birthday for my sister and brother-in-law with the Winery Heritage Tour, Tasting, and Fine Dining Lunch. What a fantastic day! The setting was breathtaking, and the tour—especially the visit to the 'cave' and tasting straight from the barrel—set the tone for an unforgettable afternoon.
Every course at lunch was exceptional, perfectly paired with beautiful wines, and the service couldn’t have been better—warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more memorable experience, and the same sentiment was echoed by all four of us. Just be sure to allow plenty of time—this is not something you’ll want to rush!

When there is so much hype about a restaurant, there is always that worry it may not measure up BUT wine tasting and lunch at Maxwell Wines was an amazing experience ❤️

Great food, great wine, great service, catering seamlessly for dietary requirements and requests. We wined, dined, chatted and laughed over a 4 hour period and enjoyed every moment of it.

Definitely worth a visit and tasting It’s always good to come out of that comfort zone and try the untried . Maxwell Wines surely delivered on why you should . Thank you Milly for sharing your knowledge on the past and present of Maxwell Wines and congratulations Maxwell Wines and what you are producing.

Four of us have eaten in many restaurants around the world, several of which are Michelin starred. We were all in agreement that our long lunch was equal to if not better than anything we have experienced. The attention to detail and inspired thoughtfulness that went into the creations was quite incredible. The service was also outstanding.

All Quality Friendly warm and engaging staff. A well paced meal with touches of brilliance and creativity. The wine pairing had very generous servings. The opening oyster was a memorable piece of art. A great way to spend a long wintry lunch. Bravo Maxwell’s

Everything was high quality This was our first time visiting Maxwell Wines. We really enjoyed the experience - from pre-lunch wine tasting to the range of really interesting and delicious works of art that we ate accompanied by delicious wine. The views were expansive, the service helpful and pleasant. Can't fault a thing. We left feeling very satisfied and will definitely return.

I had a fantastic 6 hours! I had an amazing 6 hours with a winery tour to hear the history of the business. I then thoroughly enjoyed the fine dining experience with matching wines. I 100% will return upon my next visit from WA

The most amazing long lunch (11 + courses) that we have experienced! Staff were so fab, catered for dietary (pregnancy), great vibes, well priced and delicious wines, and unpretentious. Loved, loved, loved!

My daughter took me as a Mother’s Day/birthday present. We did the long course which was an incredible 14/15 superb dishes. Cannot fault anything at all. The food, the service, the atmosphere in the most beautiful southern wines district of SA. Thank you Maxwells Winery 😘

Awesome. Don't think book a table. Thank you team inside and out of kitchen for making this a great lunch.
Regarding the food OMG! The first four of the samll menu was my favorite's! But every course was spectacular. Will be back!

An amazing lunch in a beautiful setting. My partner and I dined and enjoyed the long lunch menu.
Everything was exceptional. We thoroughly enjoyed the flavours, experience and creativity showcased by the magical kitchen staff.

We were lucky to get the chance to have lunch at Maxwell's with the family and went for the 10 course menu (+ supplement course). Arriving here with high expectations due to the rewards that the restaurant won and some friend's recommendation, it was certainly not the easiest position the team of the restaurant was in.
From the booking until the last petits fours, the experience was good.
We first booked for 2 pax, then extended to 6 pax, and needed to change to 5 pax one day in advance due to some illness. Despite the late notice and frequent changes, it was not a problem at all, which I really appreciate. Thanks again for your understanding!
The lunch itself is in a slow pace, which is stated on the website. However, it was almost 5h that it took for the menu, not 3-4 h, so at some point it became a bit tiring. This slow pace affected the service (we were seated not earlier than 10 min after arrival) and the food itself. Especially the first few bites could come out of the kitchen a little bit faster – if someone is taking 11 courses, you could assume they are looking forward to the food. :)
The menu itself is very innovative, well prepared and beautifully plated. The team uses state-of-the-art techniques to create a menu with many surprises, both visually and regarding the taste. The ingredients are of a high quality and one can tell, they love their espuma and caviar. Talking about espuma, there was unfortunately one dish (a mud crab with a melon foam) where the consistency of the foam was not really pleasant. Instead of supporting the taste of the high quality ingreadients, as the lovely and delicious crab, the unpleasant foam was too overwhelming, which was quite a shame. Despite this little flaw, the other dishes were great. Certainly, not everyone liked every dish, but that was more to the individual taste and not the fault of the restaurant.
Coming back to the front-of-house team, we experienced an attentive, smooth service. They were not necessarily talkative or interacting, but behaved professional. However, I was a bit confused that at some point, when I went to the bathroom, my glass was taken away, with a little bit of my drink left, and no one ever offered me any further drink. Since I am currently not drinking heaps of alcohol, I started with a non-alc drink, but neither I was offered to participate in the shared bottle of wine, nor I was asked if I wanted anything else. That was a bit confusing, and I was asking myself whether a winery does not necessarily want to sell their wines or other drinks during a meal? Especially compared to other restaurants in this segment, that is not what I am used to.
All in all, it was a descent experience, certainly with some positive surprises, but with room for improvement for a fully satisfying customer experience.

Amazing Experience - Winery Heritage Tour A wonderful experience from start to finish! A sparkling mead on arrival before we headed on our tour which included the story of Maxwell Wines, a behind the scenes tour of the winemaking process, a visit to the historic lime cave and a walk through the vines followed by a wine tasting including tasting straight from the barrel.
Then on the long lunch where every delicious course was paired with the perfect wine or mead served by friendly and welcoming staff in a gorgeous setting.
Would recommend this experience to anyone looking to treat themselves in McLaren Vale.

Exceptional food and service We were fortunate to do the tour and lunch experience at Maxwell Wines for our anniversary. We were truly blown away by the lunch experience, and the tour was such a lovely way to learn about an exceptional winery (thank you, Mark!). We now are part of the club - and are lifelong fans. We cannot recommend Maxwell Wines enough.

One of the best. A great experience, excellent wines matched with amazing food, and very friendly service. Cant wait to go back.

Absolutely fantastic!
Came here for lunch, had the degustation with tasting plus the marron (highly recommended - my favourite dish).
Top shelf venue, service, food and experience. Was sorry when it was over (3-hours later lol).
If you are in the area and looking for something very special, grab an uber or DD and put Maxwell on top of your priority list.

Fun and interesting wine stop We had a spectacular picnic by the maze for our wine club. The food was beautifully laid out, with lots of variety to choose from. The setting was perfect, with comfortable cushions and lawn games. Belinda did an excellent job introducing the wines, and it was really special to see the old cellar.

Summer lunch at Maxwell’s restaurant, McLaren vale. Beautiful ambience, impeccable service. 10 courses with wine pairing if you chose. From scallop - to - beef- to white chocolate, broth - to salmon - to lemon sorbet (not in this order) Yum and spread out over 4 hours. Just the way to spend a nice occasion, 18th birthday with the family. Memorable.

Special Place Delightful spot with exceptional food and terrific friendly service. The craft of the food was apparent in every dish. A great place for a special occasion. Easy to see why it has won so many awards.

Exceptional experience. No words can describe the journey that chef takes you on with 10 course dinner impeccably paired with gorgeous Maxwells wines . We’ve had a joined birthday celebration with our friends ( one of which is the chef that owned 2 restaurants and been here before ) , so pressure was on for both himself , as bringing us here and the restaurant itself to provide great experience for returning customer , which they absolutely nailed.
Food , wine , presentation , service everything was just perfect. My taste buds were dancing all night capturing the essence of culinary perfection . We were first to come and last to leave and Imogen made sure we are well looked after since our first step in to our last step out . I wish all the very best success to Maxwells and the team and we will definitely be back .

You must try it to know how good it is! You must try it to know how good it is! Lunch was absolutely amazing, wonderful food, fantastic service and perfectly matched wines

Lovely lunch for anniversary and birthdays Beautiful and delicious food as usual. Gorgeous views and the staff are amazing and very welcoming. One of my favorite places to dine.

Maxwell Wines dinner We did the 7 course tasting menu. Everything combined from the food, the view and the excellent service made this a memorable experience!

A Gastronomical Feast This is hands down my favorite restaurant! Every dish is a masterpiece—each bite is a blend of incredible flavours and combinations. Pure perfection. The ambiance is equally stunning, set against beautiful surroundings that make the experience truly special. The staff are warm, attentive, and go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. Dining at Maxwell Restaurant is more than just a meal; it's an unforgettable experience that I can't recommend highly enough.

PB - Amazing What an amazing experience we all had had Maxwell Wine, starting from the wonderful staff with our wine tasting then followed by our waiter Bruno and assistance in serving the most amazing food accompanied with Wine Pairing. BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHEF’S.

Anniversary Lunch My wife and I attended for our anniversary and had an absolutely amazing time. All the staff were so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The views and ambience are incredible from both the cellar door and restaurant. We had the full flight with not a single dish missing the mark. All dishes were to the highest standard and you can see why they won the gourmet traveler award. They catered to our food allergy amazingly and we are so grateful, certainly didn't feel like we missed out due to an allergy like you sometimes can. Overall 5 stars and 100% will be back and recommend.

Weekend getaway Absolutely fabulous! Food - exceptional, creative, delicious. Service - friendly, informative, very high quality.

Wonderful food & wine & the personal interaction with staff topped off a outstanding afternoon. If you love food that goes beyond the cliche of a great restaurant then this is the place for you. Be prepared for your taste buds to be tantalised by food that is both exciting & surprising. My compliments to the chef & his staff. The staff were very friendly, engaging in conversation & making you feel very welcome through their interest in your stories. Well done!

Degustation wine meal tour. The food was exceptional and the chef should be extremely proud of his product. The wine pairing was awesome and the staff were very attentive and their information and explanations were amazing.

Memories Imogen,we had the best time.Thank you.The food was delicious the service as friendly and happy as it gets.Well done. I’m saving for next time!

Wine tasting Came here for a wine tasting and was amazed by how beautiful the place was. Didn’t expect anything crazy from what was to be a 45 minute tasting, but the service was excellent and the wine was some of the best I’ve had (though I’m by no means a connoisseur). Bought a bottle for later but would love to go back again and try their food too, perhaps even their paired tasting.

Fine dining experience What a stunning place to dine! Our favourite eating experience, coupled with beautiful wines. Very lucky to have this incredible winery as an edition to the McLaren Vale region.

We visited here for my 65th birthday ... it was an experience we wont easily forget. My partner cant eat shellfish or meat, so, with advance notice, the chefs were able to adjust the 10 course degustation accordingly. And my partner commented that unlike on other occasions where she's asked for her needs to be catered for, where as a result she felt her meal was like an afterthought, she felt her meal was just as good as was mine.
I had the "standard" degustation which was fabulous & you can see in one of the images they substituted trout (I think) with beetroot ... and it did look just as good if not better & it was delicious according to her.
And the service was impeccable ... and I will note that we were very impressed that the servers were able to describe not only my dish but also the alternate dish in enormous detail ... well done people!

Decadent and welcoming My first time at Maxwells and it won’t be my last! The tasteful room designs with elegant furnishing, views to the working zones of the winery and sweeping Maclaren Vale views made the visit extremely welcoming. Staff were warm, informative, attentive and engaging. And finally the food was a food bloggers delight.. stunningly presented inventions with rich textures and tastes. My only wish was for some light fresh dishes in between the creamy pastry concoctions.

Outstanding Exceptional cuisine, service and wines, a must to explore! Can't wait to try the cave dining experience, will be doing in the near future.

Not only was the food very good , the staff were truly exemplary !!! Good showcase of the various cooking skills.
Diners have free access to the Maze & there sure 2 destination Tesla charger for diners as well

I was here for a lunch course about 5 -7 years ago. They renovated since and great atmosphere.
10corse with wine pairings took nearly 4 hours but didn’t feel like that long and we enjoyed friendly professional service as well.

Meal uses many Japanese things like dashi, yuzu, sudachi, kabayaki sauce. To enjoy dashi flavour some of the dishes were too salty but mainly very nice and I chose dairy-free and all very tasty.

Had an absolutely gorgeous time here. Stunning and scenic, lovely fire place and view. The matching canapés with wine is a MUST! Fabulous service from staff + phenomenal world class wines. A delight, 10/10 recommend.

This was our first stop on our wine tasting tour, and it turned out to be a wise decision. It was our first time trying mead wines, and we were instantly impressed.

The place was cozy, the staffs were really nice- knowledgeable of what they’re doing and the venue offered a beautiful view of the vineyard.

Absolutely one of the best lunches I've had. We went for the 10 course degustation. Beautifully presented and the flavour matched the presentation. Magnificent wines. My Son had the wine pairing and thoroughly enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, he was a very happy chappy all the way back home. The service and the waiters were very professional in their delivery and explanation of every dish. Highly recommend.

We came to this winery late in the afternoon, the staff were welcoming and quickly found us a table to sit at for our tasting. There are a variety of options you can choose between for tasting, even a mead tasting! You can also pair your tastings with delicious canapés, which we did.

Excellent Place with lush green environment. Place is so clean and beautiful. Wine prices are decent[$25 to $70]. Friendly Staff. There'a maze near by made of fencing trees. Please try, kids will love it. There's a Tesla Type 2 Charger available for free[2 Ports available]