It’s a genuine honour to be included in the MICHELIN Guide.
What we do at The Salopian Inn is always linked to our connection to place; growing what we can in our Kitchen Garden, working closely with local producers, following the seasons and creating food that reflects the landscape around us. We are fortunate to have long lasting relationships with food producers, which assists us in ensuring that we have access to the highest quality of seasonal ingredients to create dishes for our guests.
This recognition belongs to our wonderful team at Salopian and to our food and beverage community, the growers, farmers, producers and suppliers, who all help make our restaurant what it is every day.
We’re grateful to the MICHELIN Guide for recognising our restaurant, our people, and our little corner of McLaren Vale. We look forward to this spotlight on our State lifting up all South Australian hospitality venues.
Dating to 1851, The Salopian Inn has long been a part of the region’s history. With a facade covered in ivy and a surrounding garden producing a bountiful harvest of herbs and vegetables, it’s the very definition of bucolic splendour. Chef Karena Armstrong cooks without borders, showing clear respect for the ingredients grown here and from area gardens. Whether it’s Australian or Asian-influenced, her recipes blend cooking methods to express the charm of the ingredients. From freshly picked coriander to homemade soy and roast chilli dressing, every detail is touched with the chef’s passion. Salopian dumplings with Spencer Gulf prawn and Coorong wild carp are inspired by Chinese cooking but taste of the terroir, while kangaroo meat marinated in 20 spices, then grilled, is proof that simple is often best. – Michelin Guide Website
The MICHELIN Guide’s Mindful Voices platform shares inspiring stories from people across the hospitality industry, whose innovative outlooks and forward-thinking practices are helping shape the future of their fields. Karena Armstrong was recognised as a Mindful Voices in the 2027 Michelin Guide.
Our menu is a direct dialogue between the organic bounty of our McLaren Vale kitchen garden and the global culinary techniques picked up on our travels. We use the open, relaxed atmosphere of our 1850s homestead to deliver a generous, zero-compromise celebration of what the Fleurieu Peninsula has to offer.
Karena Armstrong
Food Made Good
Food Made Good Standard is a global, holistic sustainability certification and assessment program created and managed by The Sustainable Restaurant Association (The SRA). It is designed specifically for the food service and hospitality industry—including restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars, caterers, and campus dining. The Salopian Inn achieved three stars in the 2026 Food Made Good Standard
“Achieving a three-star Food Made Good Standard is a fantastic result for The Salopian Inn and reflects the thought and care that sits at the foundation of the business. The Standard is a detailed and rigorous assessment, and Karena and her team approached it with a real willingness to examine their practices closely and identify where they can continue to evolve.
Guided by the principle of ‘minimal harm’, The Salopian Inn has built thoughtful habits into day-to-day operations. Around 60% of vegetables come from the on-site kitchen garden, with the remainder sourced from regenerative farms, while meat and seafood sourcing is centred on provenance and traceability, with strong supplier relationships. That same thinking extends across the wider operation, from refill and return packaging systems to tangible support for small businesses, with all small suppliers paid weekly and in full, named on menus and celebrated on the restaurant’s social media.
The Salopian Inn is a strong example of how sustainability can be embedded across every part of a hospitality business in a way that is considered and consistent. Well done to the entire team!”
Juliane Caillouette-Noble, CEO The Sustainable Restaurant Association
Australia’s Wine List of the Year
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards is an annual national program that recognises excellence in wine cellars, beverage lists, and the skill of sommeliers across restaurants, wine bars, pubs, clubs, and hotels. In 2026, The Salopian Inn maintained its three goblet rating.
“This McLaren Vale gastronomic institution has been delighting visitors and locals for yonks. And while the list is excellent, there’s a big change – transitioning in late ’26 to an all- Australian compilation strong on the region and South Australia. The decision to do this came after a tasting with lauded producer Stephen Pannell. The wines were “precise, expressive and unmistakably world class.” Kudos for the change. So, while a few outliers will feature, until sold, submerse yourself in the best of the Vale including S.C. Pannell sitting alongside an extensive local grenache selection and beyond. It’s far from parochial. It’s a thrilling list loaded with personality and joy with producer profiles or wines under headings to guide diners such as Velvety & Mellow Blends for reds or Light & Crisp for whites comprising picpoul, vermentino or aligoté.”
2026 review
Previous awards
Australia’s Best Listing of a Single Region’s Wines 2025
Best Wine List SA 2025
Australia’s Best Country / Regional Dining Wine List 2024
Australia’s Best Listing of a Single Region’s Wines 2024
Best Wine List SA 2024
Australia’s Best Listing of South Australian Wines 2022