The Auswine Forum

I'll be visiting the Clare Valley in mid-July with friends, dropping into a few cellar doors and trying a restaurant or two. I would appreciate any suggestions from forumites for places to stay? Maybe upmarket B&B or good hotel/motel?

PeterS

Pete

We stayed with the boys at www dot thornpark dot com dot au and it was brilliant.

Unsurpased hospitality. Sadly they are selling up and moving on in the next 12 months.

Trev

In addition to Thorn Park, you could try the Clare Country Club, or there are a number of B&B's to be found through the Clare Valley Tourism website.

Martindale Hall http://www.martindalehall.com/ is on par with Thorn Park, and I have to admit that I prefer the decor and atmosphere at the former.
Regarding restaurants, you're a bit hard pushed in the Valley. The Sevenhill Hotel is generally the best all round place for an evening meal (staggering distance from Thorn Park, too), for breakfast Epic just set back from the main street near the pedestrian crossing is very good.

Salt and Vines restaurant is good, open Sunday nights too, just be careful about the cheese platter...

See here, down towards the bottom: http://www.torbwine.com/pf/SA2006C3.htm

Just spent the long weekend in Clare, stayed in a renovated church in Clare itself by the name of Roscrow:

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~roscrow/

Great accommodation, very central, helpful & friendly owner. It was spacious for two couples, three would be a stretch.

He also owns another B&B in Clare called Wishing Well:

http://www.firstpage.com.au/wishingwell/

We stayed there a few years back and it was slightly more spacious, definitely room for three couples.

We didn't eat out much over the weekend, just stayed in and cooked, so I can only recommend the butcher on the west side of the main street!

Have Fun,
Nick

Nick wrote:Just spent the long weekend in Clare, stayed in a renovated church in Clare itself by the name of Roscrow

Bugger! Had forgotten that you said that you'd be up! Was only really there Monday though, and in a really sorry state from Sunday night...

Just remembered Skillogalee have some nice places to stay.

http://www.skillogalee.com.au/Accommodation.htm

Haven't stayed there, but I've heard the Skillogalee house is beautiful.

Thanks for the reponses - I've followed up on a few and most are booked at this stage (14-16/7). I'll keep looking.

PeterS

Not really ***** upmarket, but smart, private and very good value if travelling with family/ friends. Get 2 cabins.

http://www.clarevalleycabins.com.au/

North East of Clare township at the top of the valley.

Hang on what am I saying! Change your plans and come to McLaren Vale!

The Clare Central Motel is reasonably cheap and clean.

http://www.goldenchain.com.au/motel/cla ... ral_motel/

It is walking distance from the centre of Clare.

The only real problem is that the best breakfast in the Valley is at the other end at "Tara's of Auburn". Great coffee and huge cooked brekka of bacon, eggs, sausage, tomato, toast and home made Cajun style baked beans.

Davo wrote:The only real problem is that the best breakfast in the Valley is at the other end at "Tara's of Auburn". Great coffee and huge cooked brekka of bacon, eggs, sausage, tomato, toast and home made Cajun style baked beans.

Runs a close second to Epic IMO, though those beans are good...

McLaren Vale Vine Doctor wrote:Hang on what am I saying! Change your plans and come to McLaren Vale!

McLaren Vale is the exxiest place to stay in S.A., especially the B&Bs

Davo wrote:

McLaren Vale Vine Doctor wrote:Hang on what am I saying! Change your plans and come to McLaren Vale!

McLaren Vale is the exxiest place to stay in S.A., especially the B&Bs

$130 for Hosted Acc?

$108 for Motel?

http://www.about-australia.com/travel-g ... aren-vale/

McLaren Vale Vine Doctor wrote:

Davo wrote:

McLaren Vale Vine Doctor wrote:Hang on what am I saying! Change your plans and come to McLaren Vale!

McLaren Vale is the exxiest place to stay in S.A., especially the B&Bs

$130 for Hosted Acc?

$108 for Motel?

http://www.about-australia.com/travel-g ... aren-vale/

My comments are made on the back of the experience of booking accomodation for 3 people ( 2 males and a single female) for a 5 day trip to the Barossa, Clare, and McLaren Vale in March this year. The cheapest we could find in McLaren Vale was the motel and as 2 rooms were required became a tad exxy compared to the B&B we stayed at in the Barossa for $100 a night for the 3 people and then in Hahndorf for $120.

Obviously it would be cheaper for 1 or 2 people sharing.

As far as places to eat I would thoroughly recommend the Sevenhill Hotel.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it is a great pub with absolutely top notch meals. The cellar is a little on the light side at the moment (I understand the place is up for sale). But they will do BYO at $10 corkage per bottle. The cellar is a sight to see... head down a ramp into a brilliant underground cellar where there are a couple of tables set up for special events.

The aged porterhouse I had was done perfectly, while my girlfriend's lamb shanks were also brilliant.

You might also run into a few winemakers & industry people as it seems to be a bit of the 'local' for them. I ran in to people from both Grosset and Pikes during our dinner there recently.

Danny wrote:I ran in to people from both Grosset and Pikes during our dinner there recently.

At a wild guess, I say that would be JT and Liz from Pikes, and Max from Grosset...