Best Restaurants in Regional Victoria Worth the Drive
Victoria's best bites don't need a boarding pass or a big budget, just a full tank and a craving for something special. Within two hours of Melbourne, you can swap city streets for vineyard views and long, lazy lunches. Imagine tucking into a feast at Doot Doot Doot on the Mornington Peninsula, nabbing a table at Laura in Merricks, or making the foodie pilgrimage to Lake House in Daylesford. No need to cross the country to eat like you have, just slip past the city limits and let your taste buds do the travelling.
This is regional Victoria’s superpower: turning a simple lunch into a full-blown occasion, and a Saturday night dinner into the kind of story you’ll be telling your mates for weeks. Think paddock-to-plate menus starring veggies that were still in the dirt this morning, wine lists packed with bottles from the vineyards you just cruised past, and grand old dining rooms so charming you’ll order another coffee just to soak it all in a little longer.
The only thing between you and your next favourite meal? Just getting there. Book a GoGet, and you’ve already nailed the first course; the rest is up to your appetite. The best country feasts always go to those who are hungry enough to chase them.
The Best Regional Restaurants in Victoria Near Melbourne
Brae, Birregurra
Lake House, Daylesford
Provenance, Beechworth
Doot Doot Doot, Mornington Peninsula
Wickens, at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld
Laura at Pt. Leo Estate, Merricks
Tedesca Osteria, Red Hill
Straight from the garden beds behind it. Lunch doesn't get more honest than this.
Brae, Birregurra
About 140 kilometres from Melbourne, the drive to Birregurra is a mini road trip through the Otways, with rolling countryside giving way to open paddocks as you get closer to the Great Ocean Road. Brae is the kind of place that’s reached near-myth status among food lovers. Set on a working farm, surrounded by veggie gardens and wide-open fields, it’s rustic, relaxed, and instantly makes you feel like you’ve landed somewhere special. Bonus: you can even stay the night in their boutique digs if you want to stretch out the experience.
The chef and team embrace a hyperlocal, regenerative approach, sourcing ingredients directly from the property and nearby producers. Seasonal produce drives the set menu, which may feature trout with fennel, inventive tartare, house-made pickle, or beautifully prepared meat. Every course showcases flavour and reflects the farm-to-table philosophy. Dinners are held on Thursday nights, and lunches run from Fridays to Sundays.
💡 Pro tip: Brae's dinner service only runs on Thursdays, with lunch Friday to Sunday, so lock in your GoGet before you sort the booking. New availability opens at 9am daily and goes fast.
Table for two, view for miles. Daylesford doesn't rush a good afternoon.
Lake House, Daylesford
Roughly 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne, Daylesford is an easy escape when city life starts feeling a bit hectic. The drive winds through rolling farmland and historic country towns before delivering you to the setting of Lake House. Sitting beside the water with elegant gardens surrounding the property, this fine diner combines luxury with a distinctly country feel. Many guests pair their dinner with on-site accommodation, transforming a meal into a full weekend escape from Melbourne.
Lake House has been a family affair since Alla and her late husband Allan Wolf-Tasker founded it in 1984. Alla still leads today, alongside daughter Larissa. The kitchen team works hand-in-hand with local growers, so the menu is always changing with the seasons. Expect show-stopping seafood, beautifully cooked meats, and desserts that put Aussie ingredients in the spotlight. The wine cellar is legendary, with a list that shines a light on the Yarra Valley and plenty of other local gems.
💡 Pro tip: If you can swing it, book a room at Lake House itself. Waking up beside the water beats the drive home after a big dinner.
Gold rush walls, present-day glass. History's still paying its way in Beechworth.
Provenance
Provenance is one of those places that’s quietly become a must-visit for food lovers. It’s tucked away about three hours northeast of Melbourne in the charming border town of Beechworth. The restaurant lives inside a grand old heritage building (once the Bank of Australasia) with soaring ceilings and arched windows that give it serious old-school glamour.
The kitchen here is all about seasonal produce and clever cooking, with the chef taking cues from his time in Japan. That means you might spot wild venison tataki or whipped mentaiko on the menu, all paired with a wine list that’s been carefully matched to every dish. Provenance is the kind of spot that flies under the radar but totally delivers if you’re after something a little different outside Melbourne.
💡 Pro tip: Provenance's wine cellar is tucked inside the restaurant's original 1856 bank vault, so ask your server for a peek if you get the chance.
One plate, one view, zero regrets. The vines are just a bonus.
Doot Doot Doot, Mornington Peninsula
With a name that's impossible to forget, Doot Doot Doot has become one of the Mornington Peninsula's most talked-about restaurants. Located at Jackalope, the restaurant overlooks a sprawling vineyard where rows of vines stretch across the landscape. The terrace provides stunning views and creates a relaxed holiday mood, especially on sunny afternoons.
Step inside and you’ll find sleek black interiors and a ceiling that’s basically art. The main event is a multi-course tasting menu that’s as much about curiosity as it is about eating; each dish arrives in its own time, so you can really savour the experience. Open seven days, with set menus around $150 a head, it’s a splurge that still feels within reach for one of the Peninsula’s most creative kitchens.
💡 Pro tip: Tasting menu pricing at Doot Doot Doot varies by season and package, so check current rates directly with Jackalope before you commit to the full experience.
No filter needed. The Grampians handle the mood lighting themselves.
Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel
Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel is widely regarded as one of the best regional restaurants in Victoria, thanks to its remarkable connection to the land, in Dunkeld. Three hours west of Melbourne, this destination eatery has a dining room with towering floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the Grampians. When you enter, the natural timber and polished sandstone elevate the space.
The restaurant sources much of its produce from an extraordinary on-site kitchen garden that provides vegetables, herbs, and fruit year-round. Seasonal produce drives the menu, allowing the chef to showcase ingredients at their peak. Combined with a stunning, 4,200-bottle wine list, Wickens remains a favourite among serious diners seeking good food and drink in regional Victoria.
Small plate, big tastes. This is what unhurried actually looks like.
Laura, Pt. Leo Estate, Merricks
Laura is Pt. Leo Estate's most refined dining room, set among the sculpture park and vineyards of Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes south-east of Melbourne. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the vines and Western Port Bay beyond, so the view does half the talking before the food even arrives.
The kitchen runs a considered tasting menu built around Peninsula produce, with dishes designed to be unhurried rather than rushed through. It's the kind of place you block out a whole afternoon for, not squeeze in between errands. Open for lunch Thursday to Sunday.
Thirty seats, one fire, and everybody is about to ruin their diet beautifully.
Tedesca Osteria, Red Hill
Tedesca Osteria in Red Hill opened in 2020 and wasted no time making its mark, earning the title of Australia's best restaurant in 2021. With just 30 seats, the experience is intentionally intimate, encouraging guests to settle into the rhythm of slow dining rather than rushing through a meal. Inside, dark wood tones, moody brick walls and soft lighting create a warm, inviting atmosphere, centred around a crackling wood-burning stove that becomes especially appealing during the cooler months.
More than just a restaurant, Tedesca has evolved into a farm retreat, with boutique accommodation scattered across the property and meals built around local and on-site produce. The result is a deeply connected dining experience that captures the character of the Mornington Peninsula while feeling wonderfully removed from everyday life.
💡 Pro tip: With only 30 seats, Tedesca books out fast, especially in the cooler months when that wood-fired stove is going. Get in early.
The Drive Is Half the Feast: Getting There with GoGet
Every regional Victorian restaurant brings its own flavour to the table. Brae is all about hyperlocal magic in Birregurra, Lake House nails that elegant country vibe in Daylesford, Provenance mixes history with modern flair, and Doot Doot Doot serves up creative eats in a seriously stylish setting.
There's always motivation to explore more of Victoria and book a weekend away from Melbourne. With GoGet, the ease of planning a getaway starts with a single click, ensuring you have no reservations about your reservations.
Your Table in Regional Victoria Is Waiting
From Birregurra's paddocks to the Grampians' foothills, regional Victoria's best tables are all within reach of a GoGet. Book a car or van by the hour or the day, with no fuel bill, insurance, and maintenance all sorted before you've even left the driveway. Less time worrying about the drive, more time deciding between the tasting menu and the à la carte.
