Summer brings a different energy to Gigi’s — longer evenings, lighter plates, brighter flavours. Our menu follows the season closely, built around what’s ripening in the fields and orchards around Mudgee. Tomatoes arrive sun-warmed, figs sweeten on the tree, herbs grow wild and fragrant and zucchini, citrus and stone fruit find their way into nearly every corner of the kitchen.

We begin with simple pleasures that set the tone: warm rosemary focaccia, olives dressed with fennel and orange, burrata with rockmelon and mint. Small plates capture the spirit of the season — prawns with fresh dill, caramelised figs with prosciutto, and delicate zucchini flowers filled with crab.

Pasta feels softer and brighter in summer: saffron ricotta gnocchi with basil and confit tomatoes, cottage cheese pansoti with greens, a ragu bianco layered with herbs and smoky scamorza. Mains carry that same sense of ease — crisp pork belly with roasted peppers, grilled chicken with asparagus, vegetables charred, dressed and finished simply.

To end the evening, desserts lean cool and refreshing: mango ice with basil jelly, panna cotta with cherries, pistachio and plum.

A menu shaped by sunshine, made to be shared, and crafted for the slow, golden rhythm of summer nights in Mudgee.