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Rainbows end here, thanks to a rich mix of eating and drinking across price points, proximity to the city and stunning natural beauty.
The first thing to know is that all roads – physical and metaphorical – lead to Winespeake Cellar and Deli. One of Victoria’s best-loved bottle shops, it’s stocked to the hilt with limited-edition local releases and worldly pleasures in equal measure. Fancy tinned fish and local cold cuts abound, too – some even make delicious appearances in their outstanding toasties.
Has anywhere looked as good in its fifth decade as Alla Wolf-Tasker’s mighty Lake House? It remains Australia’s premier country retreat for its 360-degree approach to all-out pampering, both at the restaurant and in its rooms.
Down the road, the restaurant’s Dairy Flat Farm is an agricultural universe unto its own. Book a bee-keeping class with Dan the Bee Man and consider the astonishing contribution the insects make to our environment. For more phenomenal fine dining, nab a table at beautifully restrained Kadota and revel in chef Aaron Schembri’s outstanding 10-course kaiseki menu.
You can’t go wrong at a Daylesford pub. If you’re after a pint, an honest feed and a good view of the big game, post up in the sports bar at The Royal Daylesford Hotel and order one of 10 different parmas. (The accommodation is surprisingly
good, too.)
If you prefer your counter meal with more panache, make for Daylesford Hotel. Chef Rob Kabboord’s menu of finessed pub fare also reveals his fondness for Dutch drinking food – don’t snooze on the rabbit bitterballen. Daylesford black belts mourning the closure of beloved Italian hangout Beppe will be heartened to find their pizza now on the menu here, too.
Bar Merenda became a destination in its own right when it debuted to unanimous acclaim in 2021. It’s just moved into two-storey digs, where the casual, blackboard-scrawled offering and thrilling wine list that won it its fanbase continues on the ground floor. Meanwhile, upstairs at Bistro Merenda, a four-course menu is powered by local growers and farmers, and bolstered by
an optional wine pairing.
You don’t need to go far to find good coffee and breakfast in Daylesford. But if you do fancy a stroll, Wombat Hill House Cafe eagerly awaits your custom at the peak of the majestic botanic gardens. Grab a brekkie pizza and cup of joe and
drink in the verdant surroundings. If you’re a two-coffee kind of operator, head back down the hill and over to Cliffy’s Emporium: an AM institution with an adorable edit of pantry fillers lining its walls.
If it’s Sunday, a visit to the bustling (and dog-friendly) Daylesford Sunday Market is a no-brainer. Located at the historic train station, there are up to 130 stalls to peruse each week selling everything from top-notch biltong to beef-tallow facial products. You can even ride the train! And if it’s not Sunday, The Amazing Mill Markets – the bazaar to end all bazaars – is open daily.
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