Best Pub Restaurant List 2010: Settlers Tavern, Margaret River

You might not expect to get a freshly shucked, chilled plate of oysters in Margaret River in a venue packed with 800 people at 9.30pm on a Saturday night as the band moves through its set. However, the food at Settlers Tavern transcends expectations, as does its wine list: Australia’s Best Pub Restaurant List for the second year in a row. It holds the distinction with Hall of Famer, the Healesville Hotel, of being the only other pub in the country to boast three glasses.

The list is the love child of Karen Gough, who has worked with Old Bridge Cellars in San Francisco, and her husband, Rob, a former sommelier, accredited in his American homeland. Their enthusiasm, ability to network and attention to detail are behind this exemplary wine list. It has a strong selection of international favourites and a brilliant Margaret River collection.

While extensive, it’s not the size of Settlers’ list that’s important. It is a list of the minute. Current concerns are addressed by sections that offer lower-alcohol wines and natural wines. The fad for sauvignon blanc is tackled with offerings from Dog Point, Greywacke and Cherubino, plus some impressive whites from the Loire.

When it comes to cutting-edge producers, Settlers Tavern ranks alongside the best in the country. Witness the clutch of Under the Radar winemakers; the choice of European and American producers; and the by-the-glass list that shows a diverse selection that surprises, challenges and satisfies.

WORDS PETER FORRESTAL PHOTOGRAPHY SETTLERS TAVERN

Settlers Tavern, 114 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River, WA, (08) 9757 2398

This article is from the August/September 2010 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.