While staying at the Hermitage Lodge we had the pleasure of dinning at Il Cacciatore Restaurant. We had a reservation for 7pm we did have to wait a few minutes to be seated as there was a que of people in front of us.

Once we were greeted we were shown to our seats, it was a beautiful night and we were seated on the deck over looking the vineyard. We were left with menus and to settle in while our waiter went to bring us our water. On their return our order was taken and it was a short wait between courses.

The food was amazing, we both chose to have the prawn and crab arachinin for entree for mains my husband chose the aged hunter beef fillet and I had the Crispy Skin Baramundi (the skin was actually crispy!!) for dessert my husband chose Chocolate and Hazelnut Crème Brulee and I had the Tiramisu.

We both found the servings to be of a good size while the prices are maybe a little high it is justified by the size of each course. My husband's main was slightly over cooked (he asked for med rare) but he was still very happy with the meal! I was thrilled as I'd had "crispy skin" trout as another restaurant sometime ago and the skin was NOT crispy but this was actually crispy and it was lovely!! The desserts were also a good size and divine it was by far the best Tiramisu I've had and my husbands brulee was also amazing not a fan of brulees generally but this was definitely something special.

The only thing I could really complain about would be.. there were some water marks on the cutlery and one of the glass seemed to have orange juice pulp stuck to the side just slight over sights on what was a great night out with great service and fantastic food!!

The restaurant was not full but it was still quiet busy though we were still served quickly.

Would definitely come back for dinner again!! It does get busy so it is best to plan ahead and make a reservation.

Approximate cost: $From $28

Wow! I can't believe there is not already a review here for
Hermitage Lodge, we booked in here after looking around for a place to stay overnight that was close to Hunter Valley Gardens. My husband and I had planed a romantic over night getaway and that is exactly what we got!

We decided to pay an extra $210 to get ourselves the romantic package which was fantastic. (this includes sparkling wine and chocolates on arrival, 3 course meal for 2 and cooked breakfast the following morning)

From the moment we arrived I was taken by the serenity and beauty of the setting, it was so peaceful. We booked in and were greeted by very friendly staff who took the trouble to explain the package and show us to our room.

The room was beautiful, clean and with a beautiful view over the vineyard.

We had dinner in the restaurant and the next morning breakfast on the deck. The service was fantastic, we booked our breakfast for 8.30am and exactly 8.30am there was a knock on the door with our breakfast!

There are many rooms and packages to chose from so there is really something to suit everyone and specially those looking for a romantic night or weekend away.

The lodge is equipped with a public lounge area and access to a washing machine. Our room included a TV and DVD player, spa, front and back private decks and a beautiful king sized bed. It was the perfect night away!

It is perfectly situated a cross the road from Hope Estate (perfect accommodation if your going to see a concert), it is also close to Hunter Valley Gardens (it's pretty much just around the corner) and of course the fully licensed Il Cacciatore restaurant!

I would definitely return!

Approximate cost: $From $160/Night

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about Hunter Valley Gardens... on our first trip we arrived planing to spend the day celebrating our first wedding anniversary but we ended up being drenched by rain and didn't get to see the gardens though we had a great time wondering around the shopping village and visiting the country cafe. Little did we know that there was a car park at the garden entrance so we'd walked all that way just to ask for directions to Harrigans... We had pre purchased our tickets online and didn't want to use them if we weren't going to see the gardens so we decided we would have lunch and see how the weather was coming along.. The ladies behind the desk did not greet us... I felt almost as though we had interrupted there "gossip time" when I asked for directions I was told "it's the next block"... Again we had not been here before and had no idea (the map is useless) so we walked out and head in the direction we were pointed... little to say we walked a long way to no where in the rain... what we were NOT told was you'll need to drive OUT and down the road... (I did ask and was told the same directions... a BIG help)

Skip ahead a couple of months and we finally made it to see the gardens... We've not seen rain in what feels like months yet it decided to sprinkle and spit yet again but we were determined to see the gardens. This time we were greeted by a lovely lady who sent us on our way through the gardens.

We had a lovely time wondering about, you really do want to set aside a good 3 hours if not 4 to take your time and see everything. I also recommend going in good weather!! While most of the flowers where coming to the end of their season there was still a lot of beautiful well kept gardens too see.

There was a couple of occasions when one of the gardeners pulled up his cart and trailer in the middle of the walk way blocking the path seemingly just to have a chat with some other gardeners... wasn't so impressed by that!! Since we had to squeeze past since the whole path was blocked off and he seemed to have no thought or care about it...

Though several other workers in the garden where very friendly and greeted us as we walked by.

It makes for a lovely day out (Check the weather first) and I would highly recommend checking out some of the shops in the village specially the chocolate shop and the waiters friend!

Approximate cost: $Adults - $26

My husband and I dined in at Harrigan's Irish pub for lunch, I think the first thing you notice about Harrigan's is the beautiful surroundings it's settled in a quiet area with lovely manicured gardens.

Second thing... well being first time guests we had NO idea where to go but we walked pasted a sign putting to the "bistro" and walked past several door before picking one at random finding our way in side.

Once inside we were greeted given menus, told to sit where ever we would like and order when ready. We already had a fair idea what we would like since we checked out the online menu.

I decided upon the FLAME GRILLED SPATCHCOCK and my husband the ULTIMATE THREE BEAST BURGER. With Chocolate Mousse desserts.

We ordered and we waited. I went to the bar to get drinks given that it wasn't overly busy it took a while to get service. We did also notice that it took a while for the meals to come to us. From where we were sitting we could see the kitchen and our meals sitting on the bench just begging to be brought over... again it wasn't overly busy so I am not sure what caused the delay!

My meal was divine and the only complaint I could have was there wasn't enough of the amazing sticky orange sauce!! My husband enjoyed his burger though found it to be a little dry and a little too large. The dessert looked amazing though I am not sure why everything is covered in berries.. I like berries but they don't go with everything...

All in all the staff are friendly, service could be a little quicker but the food while I think a little high end price wise is very very good!! Well worth a visit!

Approximate cost: $From $29

How frustrating when you forget something on your main shop... I did and while close to an IGA I walked past thinking I'll go to the local owned Independent food shop to pick up some apples... and some mangos and a couple bottles of water cause it was hot and you always need something else when your in there...

The produce is mostly good, appeared to be quiet fresh and the prices are fairly well on par with the supermarkets. The service was good but nothing impressive.

When I got home, I was putting my apples into the fruit bowl and was VERY unimpressed when 3 out of the 5 apples I bought had blemished COVERED UP by the stickers... I could have forgiven it happening once but 3 times out of just 5 apples... I felt somewhat cheated thinking I was buying nice blemish free fresh apples...

Next time I think I might just give it a miss... Maybe next time I'd chose IGA.

On a recent doctors visit I needed to have a B12 shot, my regular pharmacy is all the way back over in Belmont so I asked if there might be a pharmacy closer I might be able to visit to pick up my shot, I was directed to Merewether Pharmacy.

What a delight, we were greeted in a very friendly manner my scripts where taken and prepared very quickly. The lovely pharmacist took the time to explain everything to me as it was the first time, she asked if I had any questions and told her I could even call if there was anything I might like to ask later. I found that she informed me of everything even more than my doctor. She also printed out a bunch of information on my new medications.

I walked out and said to my husband, she was lovely and that was so helpful!

It's a small pharmacy without a lot of the bells and whistles you expect from a Bloom or Chemist Warehouse but its a place to visit for real customer service!

While not a local, I'd be sure to go back for anything I might be able to pick up after a doctors visit!

Highly Recommended!

I've been a member of Ancestry.com.au for several years, to begin with I have to admit I was a bit skeptical cause the information you gain is only as trustworthy as the information someone else as put in (Out side of the public records) but my mind was changed when I was contacted by a long lost cousin and put a lot of family mysteries to bed, unfortunately it also opened up a lot more questions.

I have since been in contact with other family members and even put my inlaws in contact with family seeking them... it is truly amazing just what you can find if you look in the right places. While it can be frustrating at times often you only get out as much as you put in but it is truly an asset to anyone searching for family or seeking for more information on your history.

It can be expensive to join, especially if you can only use the site a few times a month or something like that, but you can also take advantage of the free weekends which pop up from time to time which is a good way to see if Ancestry.com.au is for you! It can also be time consuming and you need a lot of patience but if you time it right you'll be pleased with your results.

We came to see the gardens but we ended up seeing the shops. The weather was rather unkind when we visited the Hunter Valley Gardens but it did allow us to stumble upon this little gem... The Waiter's Friend.

I love to cook and I love to spend time in my kitchen and I love a shop which as all kinds of bits and pieces. This is by far my favorite shop in the village.

Every corner as something to discover, I did how ever find the cost of some things to be a tad expensive it is also quiet easy to find a bargain. Either for your own kitchen or a gift for someone else!

It's really a must see for the cook or the chef!

Gems 4 U is a nice little shop tucked away in the Hunter Valley Gardens Village.

They had a nice selection of high quality gems, minerals and fossils for sale at mostly reasonable prices. They also have a nice selection of gift and home wares.

They also have a range of less impressive pieces more for the tourist eye than the collector.

The customer service is wonderful, the lady there took the trouble of telling us about the weather warning which was issues as we were on our way home.

It's well worth a look if you happen to be walking about the gardens.

We had the pleasure of eating our lunch here on the weekend. We had traveled down to see the gardens to celebrate our first wedding anniversary but as soon as we arrived and were about to set out it POURED down rain so we decided we would explore the Garden Village and find something to eat and hope the weather would be kind (it wasn't)

What we found was this rather quaint cafe. I am originally a country girl so I appreciated the decor and the staff uniforms. What I loved was the atmosphere was complimented by the home style and country friendliness.

The service was quick and friendly, the cafe was full to the brim yet we received very quick and friendly service.

My husband and I both had burgers. My husband chose the beef burger which he could not fault and enjoyed very much! I had the chicken burger which I was very happy with. I must admit I did have to eat it with my knife and folk as it was a little too big to eat the traditional way! I had an iced mocha and I do not like iced coffee but this was beautiful! I almost wanted to go back for another on the way home! My husband had a thick shake he said was fine but nothing much to rave about.

On the down side, because of the weather everyone was crammed into indoor setting which made it VERY hard to get in and out of.

I love the gift ware and nicks and nacks for sale around the shop it's a nice touch to the country theme.

Overall it was a very nice experience and I think we will definitely go back when the weather is better so we can use our garden tickets.

Charming experience, great food and service.

Approximate cost: $16 +