By Leigh O’Connor.
Tucked away on South Australia’s wild Eyre Peninsula, just a short boat ride across the glimmering waters of Spencer Gulf, lies a place that feels almost mythical. Louth Island, rugged yet serene, has become home to one of the country’s most exciting regional dining destinations: Rumi on Louth.
The adventure begins before you even set foot on the island. Guests glide across the gulf on an amphibious vessel that roars like a speedboat and rolls onto the sand like a 4WD. As the boat edges onto soft pink-tinged dunes, there’s this sense of stepping into a secret world - untouched, raw and utterly captivating.
At the heart of the island experience is Samphire, Rumi’s fine-dining restaurant. It isn’t just about food - it’s about connection. From the very first mouthful, you know this is cooking that respects the land and sea.
Think buttery green lip abalone, smoky Wagyu tartare kissed with native herbs, pizzas blistered to perfection in the wood-fired oven and cocktails infused with rosemary and wild samphire plucked straight from the shoreline. Every plate is a celebration of place, as though the island itself has been woven into the menu.
What truly defines Rumi on Louth is the way dining is wrapped in atmosphere. The interiors hum with coastal warmth: terrazzo blushes of dusty pink, brass accents that catch the light and wicker textures that echo the breezy island lifestyle.
Sit in the wintergarden by the wood-fired oven and the space feels alive with comfort, or take your glass of wine out onto the deck where the ocean spreads endlessly before you, a natural amphitheatre for unforgettable meals.
There’s also something beautifully grounding about the island’s vision. Rumi is more than just a restaurant - it’s a luxury retreat powered entirely by solar, sustained by desalinated water and committed to giving back to the land. Every detail whispers sustainability without ever losing its indulgent edge. It’s guilt-free luxury and that makes each bite taste even better.
Dining at Rumi is never just about the food - it’s about the pause, the disconnection from the noise of the mainland, the way the salty breeze mingles with the aroma of truffle-drenched potatoes or wood-smoked seafood. It’s about leaning back in your chair, glass in hand, as the sun melts into the horizon and thinking, "this is what it feels like to be alive.”
Rumi on Louth isn’t simply a place to eat - it’s an encounter, a story you carry home long after the last course. Here, on this rugged little island, regional dining becomes something transcendent. It’s indulgence, wildness and soul, all served up on a plate.
