Rühe Restaurant

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A bold new restaurant in Kyneton in the Macedon Ranges

Rühe is the work of Daniel Saligari – host, sommelier and driver of the cheese trolley – and chef Rob Kabboord, who counts Sydney fine diner Quay and much-loved Northcote landmark Merricote among his credits.

The menu is what Rob likes to call contemporary Victorian neo-bistro, driven by local produce and season, with influences from Rob’s Dutch heritage and his time working across some of Australia’s best kitchens. The menu is à la carte with three options in each bracket, and there’s the choice of a five-course Rühe menu.

Expect dishes such as a wintery carrot salad with creamy fetta, ice plant and smoky almonds. Boatrocker stout braised local pork, chutney and daikon; or a great piece of Australian Rankin cod with pearl barley, pickled celery and Portarlington mussels. Desserts might be the “Dutch Mess”, a trifle made from all the seasonal orange, or almond cake served with ricotta and lychee. There will be cheese – from here, near and far away – though whether the cheese trolley comes out of retirement from its Merricote days is still under discussion.

Anchored in Victoria with some European benchmarks. Around 80 bottles championing local wines and beers, alongside a sharp cocktail and beer list with drops for all.

Rühe is pronounced ROO-eh. It’s German for calm, peaceful or quiet. It is also a nod to Carlsruhe, the original sheep station in the region, named in the 1830s by Charles Ebden after the German city where he had studied. Carlsruhe grew into one of the larger towns in the area, ahead of Kyneton and Woodend, before floods and the arrival of the train line left it an almost forgotten village. The umlaut was added because it felt right.