Nicol's Paddock is the family-estate specialising in sips and shared dining, situated on the edge of the suburbs.
Fast approaching their ten-year anniversary since opening their restaurant doors in March 2015, Jack Nicol and Katherine Anderson have built a home for high-quality hospitality and cosy dining on the ring-road border.
Past Deakin University and Waurn Ponds Homemaker Centre, beyond the Ring Road exit you will find Nicol’s Paddock tucked into the mound of Waurn Ponds Drive. It’s not your typical densely populated wine-country spot, but the lone-wolf winery is a site that produces quality vines.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
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The Nicol’s Paddock site predates their takeover, with Peter Nicol having planted the vineyard on-site in 1997, opening a cellar door in 2001. These rich limestone soil foundations are the perfect growing conditions for Nicol’s Paddock’s specialty blends of Shiraz and Rose from estate-grown fruit and small batches of Viognier and Pinot Noir crafted on-site. Spring offers the perfect temperate for the vineyard with the family-estate seeing early bud bursts from the vines as they glow a luscious green.
The stunning vineyard views double as a backdrop for functions, from small weddings to elopements, engagements and birthdays with the restaurant providing the ultimate intimate setting. Nicol’s Paddock have also refreshed their furniture for spring, with new timber dining tables complementing their interior settings and adding to the comfort of the space.
From elevated indoor dining to their cosy fire-side corner, or spilling out on the patio area to overlook the vineyard, Nicol’s Paddock has been designed to showcase the surrounds and cater to all dining arrangements. Whether you want to soak in the afternoon sun with friends, a Rose in hand and a cheese grazing platter or you’re cosying up for a special date night with multiple course of fine foods, Nicol’s Paddock is one of the regions most adaptable spots to enjoy company and great food and wine. The restaurant is open for lunch from Thursday to Sunday, with all day dining and dinner Fridays and Saturdays.
Across Spring, Nicol’s Paddock launched a new seasonal menu featuring local produce. Leaning into their Modern Australian shared style of dining, the menu boasts refreshing items including fast favourites for the foodies and the chefs, beautiful porchetta, grilled broccoli w/ chilli and prawns on an avocado mousse. Diners have the choice of building their own smorgasbord of share options or they can leave it to the expert hands of the chef with the Feast option. At $70 per person, the waiters bring out three waves of savoury options, targeted at tantalising the tastebuds.
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Adding to the winery dining experience is of course their vino offering. Naturally you have the Nicol’s Paddock signature bottles to choose from, Nicol’s Paddock also champion the best wines of the region. From Shadowfax to Bellbrae, Lethbridge, Bennetts and Scotchman’s, their drinks menu is four pages of perfect pairings. While the cellar door at Nicol’s Paddock is open by appointment for groups up to 12, tastings for 1-6 people are available in the restaurant space (if space permits) without an appointment.
Top it all off with their mouth-watering dessert menu which includes a hazelnut and chocolate cake, a lavender crème brulee, rhubarb with date ice cream and vanilla tuile, a homemade Kingston biscuit or the ultimate top hat to a delectable diner, an affogato.
As the weather continues to heat up, Nicol’s Paddock becomes a beautiful spot for outdoor enjoyment on their patio area and is also welcoming of children who can explore the corridors of vines. An added bonus to Nicol’s Paddock is their close proximity to the suburbs, making arranging taxi’s an Ubers an ease!
Make Nicol’s Paddock a must-try on your dining list.
Nicol’s Paddock is located at 35 Waurn Ponds Drive, Waurn Ponds, and is open Thursday: 11 am – 4 pm, Friday & Saturday: 11 am – 10 pm and Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm. Find out more here.
