With outposts in Brunswick, Crown, Essendon and Eastland, 400 Gradi is probably Melbourne's most prolific pizzeria. And now they've opened in the Yarra Valley, teaming up with one of the Yarra Valley's biggest wineries, Rochford Wines, for a permanent restaurant concept that combines traditional Italian cuisine and the cellar door experience.
400 Gradi Yarra Valley is located down the hill from Rochford Wines' main complex and was designed by Helmut Konescny, owner of Rochford. It features an open-planned eating space with big floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake. The aesthetic is industrial (most of the building has been made from converted shipping containers) and there's an impressive retractable roof which lightens things up on a cloudy day.
The menu is a showcase of 400 Gradi's long-serving favourites, including its award-winning Margherita verace pizza, antipasto, pasta and desserts. On the wine front, punters will be able to get amongst some of Rochford's best wines, including the 2017 single vineyard Isabella’s chardonnay and the increasingly popular 2018 estate rosé.
It's important to time your visit right, because 400 Gradi Yarra Valley is open Friday through Monday, so weekends are the time to pop by.
