Trust a McLaren Vale pub to do things a bit differently. If you’ve ever been in two minds that South Australia is God’s own country, plonk yourself down at a table at the Victory with a crisp white and a view stretching to the beaches of the South Coast.

You’ll be rubbing shoulders with winemakers and artisan food producers – perhaps Andy Clappis who makes the pita bread for the house dips starter – or the local footy team if you can’t get into the packed restaurant and have to eat in the front bar.

The menu is peppered with local references – Myponga Beach salt and pepper squid, Kangaroo Island king george whiting – and unashamedly  swings from twice cooked braised pork belly with gorgonzola polenta to a classic pub chicken schnitzel.

The Coffin Bay oysters with crispy pork are like Kilpatrick on steroids – a rich glossy reddish-brown sauce with chunks of pork which needs to be leavened with a cleansing ale or Wirra Wirra sauvignon blanc.

The pork belly comes with pickled mushrooms and a smooth, creamy polenta, plus plenty of greens for a bit of freshness.

Crisp five spice duck legs sit on a bed of springy yellow noodles amid a hearty broth. You won’t leave here hungry.

And for discerning parents it’s refreshing that the Victory also has a dedicated children’s menu which goes beyond the usual nuggets and chips, with green veggies and pesto pasta, a mini burger, and even a scotch fillet available for the little tackers.