Swagman Country Dining @ Softfoot

Lovely staff ❤ We stayed in one of their accommodations and it was amazing and very relaxing!!! Have also done the Alpaca tours - saw kangaroos, koala, emu,very loud Fred the cockatoo, very chatty Chappy the corella, frogmouth owl and bettong. Allan our tour guide is very good! We haven’t tried the restaurant as they only do dinner Friday to Sunday but we bought their dinner basket which we cook the meat ourselves and it was frickin delicious 👌🏼

Had an awesome experience with my family and we’re looking forward to stay in your retreat again soon 😍

Very friendly service, with fine dining experience or even just a coffee and scone made with love. The views are beautiful, the animals have character and there is even accommodation available. A place most definitely worth visiting even with the kids!

Alex is very knowledgeable. We had a good time getting to know about the wildlife and the story of Gary and Sandy. The alpacas are so adorable and we would love to come back someday.

Fantastic weekend staying, dining and touring at swagman country dining and the softfoot retreats. Food was absolutely amazing [as shown by my half eaten dessert that i dug into before i could get a photo] and the service was fantastic. The nocturnal and alpaca tours were fantastic and our guide Alex was as knowledgeable as he was charming and made the experience all the more memorable.

Okay, people throw 5 star reviews like breadcrumbs BUT Swagman Country Dining deserve them hands down. We were greeted by wonderful staff, who showed us through to our table, pointing out the open kitchen with its chargrill, the merch store, onsite local herbal garden, the walking trail and the magnificent view. The decor is brilliantly thought out as chic modern wood and ironwork.

We had a shared platter (pictured) for two. The warm herb bread was perfection with the various locally sourced components complimenting it wonderfully. However, the wife found the pickled grapes challenging but I wolfed them down. And that's why we didn't get any pics of our main because we wolfed them down before we thought of taking pics.

I had the rib eye steak (400g) and my wife had the eye fillet (300g) which came with three mouthwatering sauces of local tastes and potatoes in a creamy herb sauce. To go with it, we ordered the pan fried mushrooms and garlic roasted greens. Plentiful and delicious (these are words you can use on all their dishes seemingly), we were offered the chance to take home our leftovers and there was no way we were going to decline.

My dessert was the creme brulee and Irish coffee (pictured) with my wife having a mug of flat white coffee. The brulee was flavoured with orange and lemon myrtle and I could eat that all day long.

Add a local beer and lemon, lime, bitters and the bill was south of $250. Full bellies of amazing food and great company and the price was more than reasonable.

The Softfoot Alpaca farm, which the restaurant is a part of, also has luxury cabin accommodation plus guided tours of the farm on a 6 seater ATV (though you don't need 6 people to go on a tour). Staying here puts you in spitting distance of Victor Harbour and Goolwa Ave all their attractions.

Now, the only problem I see is that this amazing (that word again!) is a real hidden gem. It's not on a main road, nestled in the back streets between Victor Harbour and Main South Roads, but it's not a rough drive either. It's an award winning restaurant and attraction but there is no large signs to point the way so word of mouth is essential and well deserved. This is so good that I'm going to pester South Aussie with Cossi just to give this wonderful gem the exposure it deserves.

Go. Eat. Enjoy. Stay. You will not be disappointed.

This is my second time here. Worth the visit each time whether it’s with friends, or family. The team is very accomodating and informative. Definitely would recommend at least once!

I had a wonderful experience at Softfoot Alpacas farm and retreat. The alpacas are beautiful, and you can also see different wildlife in the sanctuary. The owner and staffs are full of passion for wildlife and what they’ve done in the sanctuary is admirable. I stayed one night in the retreat, it is very clean and a great place to relax after a long day. I also recommend the Softfoot dining restaurant, lovely foods and excellent customer service. Prices are reasonable and they offer discount and tour packages. I will definitely go back again!

Went on a quiet day mid week. Only had the option of light lunch menu, which was still great. The walk around the nature trail was fantastic. Even though it's a work in progress the future looks great. Recommend taking the kids as you can feed the kangaroos when walking around.

Swagman Country Dining has received rave reviews highlighting its positive aspects. Customers were greeted by wonderful staff who provided a warm welcome and guided them through the open kitchen, merch store, herbal garden, walking trail, and magnificent view. The restaurant's chic modern wood and ironwork decor was highly praised.

The shared platter for two received accolades, with the warm herb bread being described as perfection and the locally sourced components complementing it wonderfully. The main dishes, such as the rib eye steak and eye fillet, were mouthwatering and served with delicious sauces and creamy herb sauce potatoes. Customers also enjoyed side dishes like pan-fried mushrooms and garlic-roasted greens.

Desserts, such as the creme brulee with orange and lemon myrtle flavoring, were highly satisfying. The prices at Swagman Country

Reviewers also mentioned the Softfoot Alpaca farm, which is a part of the restaurant, providing luxury cabin accommodation and guided tours. The alpaca safari experience was described as amazing, with opportunities to see reptiles, baby emus, bettongs, kangaroos, and of course, feed the lovely alpacas. The care and love put into the farm by the owners, Gary and Sandy, was highly appreciated.

The restaurant atmosphere was praised for its great ambiance and beautiful view. The food was consistently described as amazing, with perfectly cooked dishes and well-complemented ingredients. Customers were willing to make a 2-hour drive to experience the wonderful dining and look forward to visiting again.

Overall, the positive reviews highlight Swagman Country Dining as an excellent dining experience with attentive staff, delicious food, beautiful views, and a well-maintained alpaca farm.

Thank you Allen
For wonderful tour :)

Amazing experience with the alpaca safari we had. We took our 6 year old kids there and they loved the entire experience. Starting from the reptiles, seeing the baby emus, patting the bettongs, feeding the kangaroos, going through the swamps, hearing the love story between Gary and Sandy, and of course, feeding the lovely alpacas. I can really feel the love and care Gary and Sandy have put into this place. And thank you to Alex who was super knowledgeable in both the animals and the history of the place. An experience we weren’t forget.

My partner and I had THE BEST Alpaca buggy tour here with the lovely Allen and had the most amazing time. Allen was very easy to talk to and provided an in depth tour of all the beautiful animals at this conservation park. 10/10! I highly recommend this wonderful park if you love animals. Thank you so much for the wonderful day, Allen!

We went for the 90 minute Alpaca Farm Tour. Alex our tour guide was fantastic. He was friendly and super informative. The tour included a number of different Australian wildlife and feeding the Alpacas is certainly a highlight. Highly recommend!! Can't wait to come back 😊

Privately owned reserve and alpaca farm. Alen was our guide and he was a pleasure to be with. We saw hand reared Kangaroos and a Koala which was resued from a recent bush fire.

The Swagman country dining had some extraordinary food. A big high five to the chef

Absolutely amazing place, Great atmosphere in the restaurant and a beautiful view looking out. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything was cooked perfectly, and all the ingredients complimented each other well. It was worth the 2-hour drive from Gawler East to be there. We look forward to visiting the place again and trying other wonderful dishes.

Fabulous food location and experience. Bella Matilda the serving Robot was great fun to see. Thoroughly recommend.

We stayed at Softfoot for one night recently taking a package including a tour and lunch. What an amazing experience! The room was one of the best we've stayed in, secluded, outdoor bath, beautiful views and wildlife. We took a bottle of wine and a board game and escaped the world for a little while. Alex was very helpful, dropped off a self cook breakfast for us in the morning and took us for a tour of the property in an AGV (a must do). This is a self funded wildlife sanctuary and was a lot more then we expected. To top it off we had a beautiful lunch, menu does some very nice chargrill options, before going home. A very romantic getaway.

Beautiful day at the sanctuary! Amazing views and animals! So special! Our daughter was super excited to feed the kangaroos. They were something like a mini zoo. We didn't expect to see the reptiles and the birds. Just loved it. The cafe restaurant is also so beautiful. Service was great! Thanks

We visited Softfoot farm for the 90 minutes Alpaca tour. Our guide,
Alex was friendly and informative throughout the tour. We had a great time learning more about the sanctuary and local plants, with ample time to feed and pet the alpacas.
Highly recommend!

Quality chargrilled dining with the beef eye fillet a stand out. Friendly and accommodating staff. The venue's decor had nice details. Alpaca day tours can be separately booked although we didn't experience on this visit.

What a fabulous experience! Alex was very friendly and informative and he guided us on the Alpaca farm tour taking us all around the property and we finished with meeting and feeding the alpacas.