Dust off your sandals and bring your sundresses out of winter hibernation, spring is officially here, and with it comes the long-lunching season we’ve all been longing for (pun intended).

Last week, we had the pleasure of sitting down for the very best in new Hunter Valley dining at Lucia Roche Estate, a lively, upbeat Italian restaurant and bar that oozes all the raw, inner-city coolness of a jazz club, set right in the heart of the New South Wales regional landscape.

The Pokolbin restaurant, which officially opened its doors on September 17th, brings a seasonal mix of stone-fired pizzas, Italian-inspired share plates, estate wines and cocktails to its menu. Made to be shared and enjoyed among a group, it’s the ideal spot for hearty gatherings that are as good for the soul as they are for the belly. From an afternoon bite to an evening meal, its lunch, dinner and drinks menus mean you’re well looked after no matter what you’re stepping in for.

For lunch, we enjoyed a rich menu full of grounded, hearty dishes that were as stunning on camera as they were delicious to taste. To start, we were graced with creamy burrata and whipped ricotta, topped with freshly baked “pillow bread,” washed down with the signature “Sicilian Sunset” cocktail. Instantly, we knew we were in for a treat, where else in the Hunter do you find food and drinks this good?

That’s the beauty of dining somewhere made for sharing: you get variety without any of the guilt of giving up your own meal. For mains, we tucked into a mix of bold seasonal flavours, from prawn linguini and beef rigatoni to traditional Napoli-style pizzas, including Margherita and pepperoni. With so many dishes to work through, we really felt like we’d tasted everything Head Chef Jack Zideluns had to offer. With credentials like Merival, Society and London’s Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsey, it’s safe to say you’re in safe hands with Chef Zideluns.

And that’s where the personal food story comes in, and the part of the meal that felt most inspired. Chef Zideluns is drawing on more than technique here, but rather his own memory. Growing up with recipes and traditions passed down through his Italian family and Nonna, his approach is grounded in simple, generous food designed to land in the middle of the table and be passed around for all.

“Some of my best memories of food are sitting around a table with family, with plenty of dishes in the middle and everyone helping themselves,” says Chef Zideluns.

“That’s a big part of what I want Lucia to feel like. The food is considered, but it isn’t precious. We have access to great produce here in the Hunter, a stone-fired oven at the heart of the kitchen and some incredible wine on our doorstep, so there’s plenty to work with.”

Among the dishes putting Chef Zideluns philosophy into practice, our starters, burrata with romesco sauce and freshly baked pizza bread, and our mains, Prosciutto Rucola pizza with prosciutto, rocket, parmesan, fig and San Marzano tomato. On the drinks side, the list spans locally produced estate wines, the venue’s own Lucia Lager, and cocktails including the Amalfi Sour and our personal favourite, the Sicilian Sunset.

Dessert was a baked chocolate tart with fresh double cream, sea salt and olive oil, a delicious mix of sweet and salty, and a beautiful way to end a long lunch well spent. But what stayed with us most wasn’t just the food, but rather the ease of the afternoon itself. There’s something about a table full of shared plates that naturally pulls people in, from family to couples, old friends and new. That act of reaching across for the last slice of pizza bread, passing bowls back and forth, comparing notes on your favourite flavours, that’s the connection that good food has the power to create. Conversation moved as freely as our cocktails did, and that’s the kind of experience that has the power to stay with you long after you leave.

That’s really the strength of Lucia Roche Estate, it gives you a reason to linger and enjoy the quiet side of life out in the Hunter Valley. The space itself invites you in, it’s warm and effortlessly welcoming, with that easy energy that makes you want to settle in until well after the sun goes down. It’s the sort of venue where you arrive for lunch and somehow end up staying for the sunset (which hey, we’re not complaining).

We left full, happy, and several drinks deep after a day of good food, better conversation, and a whole lot of Hunter Valley charm. We’re already planning our next long-lunch.

Lucia Roche Estate is located at Pavilion E, Roche Estate, Broke Rd & McDonalds Rd Pokolbin NSW 2320.

Book your table here.

Opening hours are as below:
Wednesday-Thursday: 11:30am – 9:30pm
Friday-Saturday: 11:30am – Late
Sunday: 11:30am-Late
Monday-Tuesday: Closed