Unison Vineyard is a family estate in the Gimblett Gravels where cellar-door hospitality now meets the cooking of Tom Tom Tapas. The restaurant occupies a Mediterranean-style courtyard framed by vines and olive trees, with indoor and outdoor places to settle in for wine and food. Ian Thomas leads a menu shaped by Mediterranean flavours and produce from the surrounding region. The arrangement preserves the personal feel of a small winery while giving visitors a complete, bookable meal rather than only a tasting-room snack.
Pinchos encourage diners to begin with several compact, contrasting mouthfuls. Smoked sardines are matched with anchovy butter, prawns with saffron aioli, and chorizo with quark and pickled capsicum. Grilled halloumi and pickled artichoke offer a meat-free choice, while local cheese comes with tapenade and tomato. Babaganoush provides a vegan option. Because the selection is designed for mixing and sharing, a table can build a varied first course without committing everyone to the same flavours.
The tapas and main plates deepen that Mediterranean direction. Meatballs sit in a lightly spiced tomato sauce, chicken-liver pâté comes with pickles, nuts and olives, and whole garlic prawns are served in olive oil with fresh bread. More substantial choices include Moroccan-spiced lamb with saffron rice and pork belly with crackling, caponata and roast potatoes. Seafood paella is a Sunday feature, while a separate children's menu lets parents linger rather than treating the cellar door as an adults-only stop.
Wine remains the natural centre of the experience. Unison grows Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah on its Gimblett Gravels home block, and its red and rosé wines are grown, made and bottled at the estate. A cellar-door tasting can introduce those styles before lunch or help guide a bottle choice for the table. Local craft beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee keep non-wine drinkers included, but the most distinctive pairing is still Mediterranean food enjoyed alongside wine made among the surrounding vines.
Address: 2163 State Highway 50, RD 5, Hastings, Hawke's Bay 4175, New Zealand
Been to Unison Vineyard? Be one of the first to rate it.
+ Log your visit