When we last went to Sittella it was a very warm autumn day and we sat inside – this week we returned on a sunny spring day and took advantage of the wonderful weather and sat outside on the expansive veranda looking over the grounds of this quite picturesque spot – a gazebo at the edge of a small creek, across lawns, up through the vines.

We were welcomed at the door and escorted to our table with water and menus quickly delivered.

As before, we ordered from the mid-week special lunch menu – for $40 a head, a choice of four mains, two desserts, bread, a glass of wine and coffee, which on the previous occasion impressed us with both the quality of the food and the value.

All of the wines served are, reasonably enough, from Sittella, and while we looked over the food offerings we decided to order a bottle of the newly released rosé.

This is a wonderful expression of the style – very pale salmon hue, a nose with elements of cherries, roses and strawberries; the palate, delightfully crisp and dry, with hints of Turkish Delight, raspberries and with some savoury herbal mid palate tones. So much did we enjoy this that, after we finished our meal, we grabbed a carton to take home – if you like dry rosé, I suggest you do the same.

As to the food – on this occasion the special menu offered crispy skinned barramundi; shiraz braised beef cheeks; pan roasted chicken breast stuffed with ricotta and sundried tomato, or a Spanish style tortilla. The fish and the tortilla were our choices; there were two desserts, so we ordered one of each.

A basket of bread quickly came out – warm rolls with butter – to snack on while we waited for our meals.

The fish was succulent and flakingly tender, the skin nicely browned and crisp. It came on a bed of rice flavoured with lemon myrtle, a chutney of bush tomatoes and topped with zucchini strips. It was a generously sized, well presented dish with beautifully balanced texture and flavour.

The tortilla almost filled the plate – full of well cooked, tender potato, capsicum and mildly spiced. On top a sofrito of onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, tomato and red peppers added texture and flavour, and a fresh salad with nutty Manchego cheese strips additional sparks of taste and flair.

The flavour combination was excellent; the portion too much for me, but I did try hard.

The first of our desserts was one of Sitella’s signature dishes – a caramel basket filled with marinated strawberries, bursting with sweet, juiciness, accompanied by ice cream flavoured with Cointreau and drizzled with passionfruit. It was a lovely dish, full of fresh, vibrant flavour combinations and simply delectable.

The second dessert, crème brulee, was another well-presented sweet dish –delicate, creamy custard under a caramel skin, sprinkled with chopped pineapple, served with house made vanilla ice cream and a dollop of rich cream. Simply delicious.

Once again, we have come away extremely impressed with the quality of the food at Sittella. The value represented by the special menu is excellent. The rosé is outstanding; service was professional and friendly. The location and ambience is great. We definitely recommend this if you are planning on a Swan Valley visit.