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Overlooking the Red Hill vineyards and surrounded by one of Victoria’s most established kitchen gardens, The Piazza at Montalto has been a part of the Mornington Peninsula dining landscape for more than twenty years. What began as a relaxed offering beside the vines has grown into one of the region’s most recognisable spaces, known for wood fired pizzas, seasonal shared plates shaped by the estate gardens and an atmosphere that feels generous, grounded and deeply connected to this place.
What makes The Piazza so enduring is not just the food, or the setting, or even the views, but the way the space has evolved without ever losing its heart. Guests return year after year, generation after generation, drawn back by the easy rhythm of a long lunch in the sun, the warmth of casual afternoons on the lawns and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal overlooking the vines. Thousands of people visit each season, many travelling from interstate or overseas, seeking the familiar combination of relaxed dining, estate grown produce and the unmistakable spirit of Red Hill.
What follows is the story of how The Piazza became the defining casual dining experience of the Mornington Peninsula, and why it continues to hold such meaning, beauty and nostalgia two decades on.
Long before outdoor winery dining became a Peninsula staple, a small but steady stream of guests began gravitating to the open space between the vineyard and the gardens at Montalto. It wasn’t yet a formal dining venue. It didn’t have a name. It wasn’t designed as a concept. It was simply a place that felt right.
Guests would gather at long wooden tables set close to the garden beds, surrounded by leafy greens and heirloom vegetables only metres from where they were seated. Citrus trees in barrels were rolled into position each spring, their fruit perfuming the air when the weather warmed. The backdrop of vines, the whistle of the coastal breeze, and the gentle movement of chefs collecting herbs, flowers and leaves for the day’s menu created an experience that felt both humble and quietly extraordinary.
The early food philosophy that shaped the estate was influenced by celebrated chef Philippe Mouchel, whose reverence for honest produce, seasonality and simplicity helped lay the culinary foundations. Even then, the estate leaned towards an approach where ingredients led the way, long before “farm-to-table” entered the mainstream vocabulary.
There was no ceremony in those days. No defined service structure. Guests relaxed outdoors, soaked up the view and enjoyed food that was approachable but high quality, served in a space where the line between garden, vineyard and table felt beautifully blurred. The atmosphere was easy, unpretentious and deeply rooted in what was growing around it.
These early cues formed the quiet beginning of what would become The Piazza. What started informally and organically soon grew in popularity, shaped gently by guest enthusiasm and the rising interest in relaxed, outdoor dining on the Mornington Peninsula.
If one element defines The Piazza more than any other, it is the gardens.
Montalto’s kitchen gardens are among the oldest and most established in Victoria, stretching across three acres of the estate and reflecting more than twenty years of careful cultivation. The gardens evolved season by season, guided by techniques that echo both tradition and innovation: permaculture principles, organic pest management, companion planting, crop rotation and a commitment to diversity, resilience and flavour.
Landscape architect Andrew Laidlaw, renowned for his work at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, played a foundational role in shaping the early garden structure and the seamless integration of dining spaces with the natural landscape. His influence helped transform the area around The Piazza into a place where produce, people and environment are woven together with intention.
Under the stewardship of long-standing Produce Manager Julie Bennett, the gardens have grown into a living expression of the estate. Over the years, the beds expanded to include brassicas, tomatoes, citrus, stone fruit, herbs, leafy greens, edible flowers and heirloom vegetables that feed both The Piazza and The Restaurant.
Some of the garden features guests now recognise immediately once looked very different. The citrus grove, which today provides structure and shade in the lower Piazza, began its life in large barrels rolled into place for summer service. The beloved crab apple trees, now planted proudly in the earth, were once container-grown and seasonal. As the gardens matured, these elements were given permanent homes, deepening the sense that The Piazza is not a venue added to the estate, but a natural extension of it.
Dining among the garden beds remains one of the most memorable aspects of the experience. Guests sit close enough to watch chefs gather herbs and edible flowers, and it is common to see children tracing the leaves of plants they later find on their pizzas or shared plates. This ability to dine among growing produce, in real soil and real seasons, has set The Piazza apart from the beginning. It is immersive, sensory and honest, a reflection of a place where food and landscape have always been inseparable.
Wood fired pizza has become synonymous with The Piazza at Montalto. For more than twenty years it has been at the heart of the experience, shaped by an unwavering commitment to craft, consistency and flavour.
The dough is made using a long fermentation process that creates a feather-light, crisp base with depth and character. Toppings are chosen not for novelty but for integrity, seasonality and the way they complement the base. Traditional combinations sit alongside more modern expressions, each one thoughtfully balanced and rooted in the estate’s approach to quality.
In 2023, a significant leap forward came with the introduction of a Marana Forni oven, widely regarded as best in class. This new oven halved cooking times while enhancing consistency, ensuring pizzas emerged with beautifully blistered edges, even texture and an ideal balance of chew and crunch. For guests, the change was subtle but meaningful. Orders arrived more quickly, peak service flowed more smoothly and the integrity of the craft was elevated even further.
While pizza remains the cornerstone, The Piazza is not defined by it alone. Seasonal shared plates rotate through the year to reflect what is growing in the gardens: marinated olives, grilled squid, baked brie focaccia, estate greens, stonefruit salads and larger offerings such as braised lamb shoulder or market fish served with freshly harvested brassicas. The menu constantly evolves, always guided by the gardens and by the rhythms of the estate.
The Piazza today represents a casual expression of Montalto’s estate-to-plate ethos. It is relaxed, welcoming and deeply tied to place, delivering high quality food with ease and approachability.
The Piazza grew steadily in its first decade, but the most transformative moment arrived in 2015, when a major renovation reshaped the space into the version guests recognise today.
This development refined the layout, enhanced the kitchen’s capabilities and improved the flow of service. For the team, it became the moment The Piazza stepped confidently into its modern identity. The upgrade allowed the space to host more guests, deliver food more efficiently and respond to the rising demand from visitors seeking casual outdoor dining on the Peninsula.
Further refinements followed.
The introduction of the Lawn Bar was a turning point in its own right. What might have once been a simple wait became an enjoyable ritual as guests settled on blankets overlooking the vines and sculptures, shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed snacks while children played nearby. Whether visitors were waiting half an hour or more than an hour, the Lawn Bar transformed the experience into something leisurely, social and uniquely Montalto.
The Garden Room brought another layer of evolution. Enclosed yet airy, it provided flexibility for larger groups, extended the usability of the space through unpredictable weather and created an intimate setting that mirrored the original spirit of The Piazza while offering additional comfort. It also allowed the estate to welcome guests year round, regardless of the season’s temperament.
These developments, along with continuous improvements in menu development, process and hospitality, ensured that The Piazza kept pace with the expectations of thousands of visitors while preserving the qualities that made it special from the beginning.
Two decades on, The Piazza remains one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most loved and recognisable casual dining destinations. The reputation built slowly over many seasons has created a loyalty that is both rare and heartfelt.
On summer weekends, guests often arrive knowing that there may be a wait for a table. Yet the wait rarely deters them. Instead, it becomes part of the day. People relax with estate wine on the lawn, explore the Sculpture Trail, enjoy a pre-lunch spritz from the Lawn Bar or simply take in the view of Red Hill unfolding around them.
This loyalty is built on more than convenience or habit. Guests return because The Piazza offers a combination of elements that is increasingly rare: high quality food served with ease, an environment that is relaxed but still refined, and a connection to the land that feels genuine rather than manufactured. The gardens shape the menu. The setting shapes the mood. The vines shape the atmosphere. It is casual dining elevated by care, place and craft.
For many, visiting The Piazza has become a ritual. Annual summer gatherings. Birthdays. First warm days of the season. Lunches with visiting family. Afternoon pizzas beneath the trees. Years fold into years, and what began as a casual outdoor space has become part of the social fabric of Red Hill.
It is this familiarity, warmth and sense of belonging that define the experience as much as the food itself.
With its gardens expanding, its wood fired craft continually refined and its connection to the estate stronger than ever, The Piazza remains a cornerstone of Montalto’s identity. It reflects two decades of growth, evolution and quiet confidence, and stands as the original Piazza in Red Hill, shaping the way people experience casual outdoor dining on the Mornington Peninsula.
As new dining spaces appear across the region, The Piazza continues to hold its place through authenticity, provenance and a deep respect for its landscape. It is a place shaped by seasons, defined by craft and made meaningful by the people who return to it year after year.
A long lunch in the sun. The scent of herbs carried on the breeze. A garden that changes every week. A glass of wine overlooking the vines. A pizza emerging from the oven, crisp and blistered. Children exploring the garden beds with curiosity. Friends gathering on the lawns as the day stretches on.
This is The Piazza at Montalto. It always has been. And it continues to be one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most enduring and beloved places to eat, drink and connect.
