Marnong Estate | Bankvale Run Restaurant
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Marnong Estate is a new four-star resort that is still undergoing continuous improvements in Melbourne’s Northern region, just outside of Mickleham. The historic homestead boasts event spaces, restaurant, a vineyard, and an operational farm producing first-class Angus Cattle. Located on 1,100 acres and only 15 minutes from Tullamarine Airport, Marnong Estate has grand visions of becoming a one-stop resort destination for local, interstate and international visitors. The resort sits high on the hills with expansive views overlooking the valley between Deep Creek through to Emu Creek and the surrounding Macedon ranges. The future sees an expanded luxury accomodation offering, a micro-brewery, farmer’s market, coffee roasting house, a spa health and wellness centre, complete with a children’s playground and petting zoo.
Bankvale Run
Bankvale Run offers a stylish contemporary setting with expansive views of the property and surrounding Macedon Ranges. It is designed to seat 250 guests and is the perfect place for families, corporates, visitors, friends and couples to celebrate and enjoy magnificent food and wine.
Rich in history, the restaurant was named after the original area that existed before the Marnong property in the 1840’s. Marnong Estate’s Bankvale Run restaurant has recently appointed new Head Chef Adam Upton-Browning who has just launched his new menu encompassing the ethos of Italian and Australian fusion. Hailing from England, Adam joins Bankvale Run after his most recent role as Head Chef at Second Home in Eltham, having previously worked with Hospitality One for 5 years as Head Chef at Leftbank and Executive Chef for Mrs Robinson and Henry and Fox before that. Adam began his career in England and then moved to Melbourne where his resume includes stints as Chef de partie under Scott Pickett at the hatted restaurant The Point in Albert Park, with Maurice Esposito as Head Chef at St Peter’s and Esposito at Toofey’s.
Since opening in June 2018, Bankvale Run has not only become a local gem in Mickleham but a must-visit destination in Victoria. Thousands of people have gathered to dine and experience the approachable menu and stunning restaurant interiors with vast views of Macedon Ranges.
We loved tasting our way through Adam’s new menu which celebrates the time-honoured Italian traditions of sharing, good times, and delectable cuisine incorporating the finest and freshest ingredients.
If you are looking for quality pizzas of the gourmet kind, Bankvale Run does not disappoint. The appeal of their pizzas lie in its beautiful crust and the use of quality produce. As tomato and cheese are staple ingredients in almost every pizza on the menu, it is crucial that they get it right. And fortunately, they do. We loved our margheritta pizza. There was a pleasant freshness underlying the tomato base and the fior di latte, a type of Mozzarella that is made from cow’s milk, was milky in flavour and pleasingly delicate in texture.
As expected of any good Italian inspired restaurant, Bankvale Run is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes. The potato gnocchi with peas, asparagus, green beans, zucchini, pesto, shaved pecorino and goats’ cheese that we had was no exception - boasting complex and rich flavours.
The dish of free range chicken was another highlight. Cooked to absolute perfection and served with spring stewed buttery borlotti beans, smoked almond and cherry tomato.
A visit to Bankvale Run would of course be incomplete without trying one of their signature steaks. We loved our pasture fed eye fillet 250gm MB2+.The delicious piece of perfectly cooked eye fillet was delicious. A light searing ensured that it was lined with a thin crisp layer packed with caramelised beef flavour. The meat was intense with characteristic beefy notes and a deep earthy richness. Texturally, the beef was sublime with a decadent melt in the mouth, almost buttery, consistency.
Dessert time continued to please with some decadent gelato and a beautifully made vegan lemon slice.
Also open for breakfast Saturday and Sunday from 8am – 11am diners can enjoy either a buffet or a la carte breakfast with favourites such as Butterscotch Apple Hotcakes, Eggs benedict, Smashed Avocado on multigrain toast, Marnong Breaky bowl, Toasted Granola, Crumpets with burnt orange cream, Farm house breakfast and Roasted Cured Atlantic salmon.
Cellar Door
If you love wine and locally made produce, a visit to Marnong Estate’s cellar door is a must. Guests have the opportunity to taste wine made from grapes grown in the Estate vineyard and the surrounding Sunbury and Pyrenees wine regions. We recommend indulging in a glass of wine from Marnong Estate’s extensive range produced from the surrounding 35-acre vineyard with a cheese platter in the courtyard while soaking in the views and basking in the warm sunlight. Varietals such as: Sangiovese, Vermentino and Montepulciano are just some to choose from.
Location: 2335 Mickleham Rd, Mickleham
Phone: (03) 9216 3010
