Villa Gusto

Ph: 5756 2000; 630 Buckland Valley Rd, Bright 3741 www.villagusto.com.au

Italian, $$$, * for Ambience
Open 7 days 7pm-late; Licensed; MC V EFT
Chef Neal Gregory (5-12-08) Owner Colin Mclaren (5-12-08)

Mietta's Review
Tuscany comes to the Buckland Valley courtesy of Villa Gusto's owner, Colin McLaren and chef, Douglas Elder. It's what the Italian's call fantasia. It's a charming, and luxurious, place to stay and to dine at. Log fires in the winter and mountain breezes in the summer. Italian inspired food that uses local ingredients where possible.

Other published opinions

Age Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 14/20 "Chickens forage contentedly at the bottom of the garden, not far from a bountiful home-style vegetable plot. It adds a touch of rusticity to what is otherwise an elegantly Italianate fauxTuscan villa"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 14.5/20 "For some, the Italianate splendour of Villa Gusto might be taking things a tinkling Tuscan fountain too far; for others, this eccentric little establishment in the lee of Mount Buffalo blends good food and heightened atmosphere in just the right way"

Herald Sun Eat, Bob Hart, 1-4-06 "Villa Gusto - an interpretation of a small, Tuscan villa, with tastes and tipples to match."

The Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 15/20, 1Hat "Dining at Villa Gusto is like spending an evening at a friend's fashionably rustic country home. You're welcomed into an intimate, Italianate setting, where a maximum of 20 guests sit at antique timber tables graced with freshly cut flowers. In cool weather, a double-sided fireplace keeps faces flushed; in warm, windows open to the neat garden and imposing views of Mount Buffalo."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 restaurant guide "It doesn't matter that Villa Gusto usually attracts couples keen for a quiet weekend surrounded by luxury comforts, including an intimate dining room filled with Italian works ofart. The most exciting drawcard is Douglas Elder's set menu - and you don't have to be a guest to dine here."

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 score 14/20 "VINES and olive groves guide the way to this exquisite Tuscan inspired villa, nestled in the cleavage of the Buckland Valley. Everything is elegantly Italianate, from the sumptuous 'Great Room' with its objets d'art and double-sided fireplace to chef Douglas Elder's osteria-style cuisine."

Gourmet Traveller 2005 Restaurant Guide "The valleys of north-eastern Victoria have strong Italian traditions. The region's newest luxury accommodation house, Villa Gusto, exploits this heritage with a focused, themed dining room, equipped with handsome timber furniture and mountain views."