The Lake House, Daylesford, Victoria © Tourism Australia
6 regional restaurants worth travelling for
Follow the recommendations of Aussie food gurus to discover regional Australia's unmissable gourmet gems.
Nu Nu Restaurant
Nu Nu Restaurant
When it comes to top-tier dining near Cairns, Queensland Taste Editor for the Courier Mail, Anooska Tucker-Evans, says you can’t go past Nu Nu. Anooska says “whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, Nu Nu brings the magic”, and we couldn’t agree more. From spectacularly fresh seafood to locally sourced meats, the only thing that rivals Nu Nu’s menu is the waterfront setting beneath tropical palms.
Provenance
Provenance
According to Creative Director of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Pat Nourse, Provenance is “all about good ideas executed with great finesse – impossibly delicious from start to finish.” Tucked within a gold rush-era town in a grand, heritage building, this celebrated restaurant with adjoining accommodation is a destination in itself. A set menu of 18 dishes showcases quality, seasonal produce while blending flavours from Australian and Japanese cuisines.
Brae
Brae
Former Chief Restaurant Critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, Terry Durrack, knows dining at Brae is special. Through sustainable, regenerative farming, the restaurant takes visitors on a delicious journey through the unique flavours and environments of the Otways hinterland, an hour and a half from Melbourne. “[It] is much more than just a world-class meal. It’s the drive through the Victorian countryside, spotting rustic woolsheds; the walks through the restaurant’s productive gardens; or even a luxurious overnight stay overlooking the sheep in the lower paddock.”
Lake House Restaurant
Lake House Restaurant
“It's the passion, generosity and commitment to excellent local produce by Lake House’s culinary director Alla Wolf-Tasker that has put this award-winning restaurant on the map for over 35 years” says News Corp Australia’s Head of Food, Travel and Health, Kerri McCallum. With a seasonal menu influenced by the restaurant’s very own Dairy Flat Farm, and a truly divine wine list of local drops, this is the kind of place that will have you dreaming of a dish for years to come.
Pipit
Pipit
Ardyn Bernoth, former National Editor of Good Food Magazine, knows where to find the country’s best bites – and this unassuming coastal haunt around 30-minutes from Byron Bay is certainly a contender. “Always an inventive ode to the ever-changing bounty of the sea, Pipit’s an astonishing find in a sleepy seaside town.” Try the yellow tail kingfish tartare or the duck with native pepper and fennel seed salami and thank us later.
A La Grecque
A La Grecque
A jewel along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, family-owned A La Grecque has been serving up exceptional Greek dining for decades. A focus on high quality produce and minimal fuss is why food and restaurant critic Larissa Dubecki returns here again and again. “The food is simple and produce-driven; honest and delicious. They use a lot of seafood from the local area – their octopus is beautiful and their taramasalata is stunning – a levitating, creamy whipped beauty.”
