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13 of the best Mudgee restaurants to try now

Lara Picone Lara Picone
Mudgee over-delivers on everything from fine dining to sophisticated wine bars and cosy cellar doors.

With about 40 cellar doors, a distillery, breweries and countless restaurants and cafes, it’s little wonder that Mudgee has become a household name among Australian foodies. Most restaurants here would be perfectly at home in the fine-dining streets of Sydney or Melbourne, without any pretence. It might be down to a regional focus on local produce, or perhaps innovative chefs perfecting their flavours.

Explore the wining and dining scene with our pick of the best places to dine and wine when visiting Mudgee and its surrounds.

The shortlist

Best for large groups: Pipeclay Pumphouse
Best for Italian: Isabella’s Trattoria
Best casual eats: Mudgee Brewing Co.

Pipeclay Pumphouse

Pipeclay Pumphouse mudgee restaurants
The elegantly rustic restaurant boasts panoramic views. (Image: Destination NSW)

The rustic Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant at Robert Stein Vineyard takes its paddock-to-plate philosophy seriously. Most of the veggies and herbs are grown on site; the cattle, chicken and sheep are farmed here; and they make their own prosciutto and cured meats.

Main meals include the likes of Sweet potato with burrata, orzo, walnut and sage, and apple cider pork shoulder, rosemary. But it would be a mistake not to start with the Panko crumbed haloumi, dressed with honey, lime and pistachio.

While the restaurant is well known for its dinner sittings, you needn’t overlook its impressive six-course degustation long lunch offering. Add matching Robert Stein wines for a truly delicious experience.

Cuisine: Flavours of the Mediterranean and Middle East
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Friendly and elevated
Location: Pipeclay Lane, Budgee Budgee

Mudgee Brewing Co.

meals at mudgee brewing co in mudgee
Hop over to Mudgee Brewing Co.

Food at a brewery can go one of two ways: lacklustre pub grub or upscale regional fare. Thank goodness Mudgee Brewing Co. delivers the latter.

Gary Leonard left the coal mining industry to open Mudgee’s only microbrewery in 2007. The 100-year-old former wool store has served as one of the town’s favourite watering holes ever since, with eight taps pouring the latest onsite craft brews.

Find an extensive food menu featuring beer snacks, pizzas and a variety of mains; confit duck, prawn pasta and mussels will satiate sophisticated appetites, while the fish and chips, schnitzel burgers and wings are for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Live music adds to the ambience and, unlike most breweries, this one goes the extra mile with table service.

Cuisine: Pub grub
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: 4 Church Street, Mudgee

Roth’s Wine Bar

food at Roth’s Wine Bar mudgee
Wine might be the main feature, but Roth’s food isn’t far behind. (Image: Destination NSW)

The oldest wine bar in the country, Roth’s Wine Bar hits all the right notes for an incredible local wine menu, perfect bites to share and local stories full of flavour.

Robert Roth originally opened the space as a general store, serving a sneaky tipple to thirsty farmers on occasion before licensing the premises as a wine bar in 1923. Today, local characters keep their weekly bookings to drink, dine and dance (there is live music on Fridays).

There are now over 100 premium Roth wines on offer, along with an increasing number of local drops. Don’t be shy to order a cocktail or two, either – friendly bar staff will pour them with expertise and local liquor. Aside from wine, cocktails and craft beers, the bar serves a perfect selection of bites, like a wood-fired pizza menu and share plates like lemon pepper squid.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual for a night out
Location: 30 Market Street, Mudgee

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Jumbucks at the Woolpack Hotel

Not your stock-standard pub grub, the Woolpack Hotel sidesteps expectations with its casual Asian-fusion eatery, Jumbucks. You can get everything here from garlic prawns to san choy bow, gyoza and a range of stir-fries and omelettes. But this is still an Aussie country pub, so be comforted with an additional classics menu that doesn’t leave anyone out.

Cuisine: Chinese-fusion
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: 67 Market St, Mudgee

29 Nine 99

dining room 29 nine 99 yum cha and tea house
Enjoy incredibly tasty dumplings in eclectic surrounds. (Image: Kassia Byrnes)

Artist-turned-tea-house-owner, Na Lan, has been steaming handmade dumplings at 29 Nine 99 in a quaint sandstone building in Rylstone since 2008.

Find a spot amid the eclectic artworks and gifts, then settle in for rounds of tea and pillowy-soft dumplings. While Na Lan never trained as a chef, you’d never know it. She says she likes to “spoil her taste buds", which leads to deliciously crafted dim sum. This diminutive restaurant is hugely popular, so book ahead on weekends.

Cuisine: Yum cha
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Eclectic
Location: 28 Louee Street, Rylstone

Smokin Bro & Co

Smokin Bro & Co texan bbq
It’s all about hearty eats at Smokin Bro & Co.

What could go better with craft brews than Texan BBQ? Find Smokin Bro & Co inside Three Tails Brewery, offering slow-cooked BBQ, cooked with fire and smoke.

Tuck into everything from brisket burgers to a kransky taco and opt in for a stack of sides, such as cornbread, sweet potato casserole and bacon mac. The barbecue is stoked from Wednesday to Thursday nights and seasons the Mudgee air with curls of smoke over lunch on Friday and Saturday.

Cuisine: Texan BBQ
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: 13A Lewis Street, Mudgee

The Oriental Hotel

the oriental hotel, mudgee, outdoor dining
Enjoy al fresco dining at The Ori. (Image: Kassia Byrnes)

Known colloquially as ‘The Ori’, one of Mudgee’s classic pubs has enjoyed a glow in the last year or two to include various indoor and outdoor dining options. There’s something for everyone on the menu, from pizzas to Bangladeshi to a more elevated modern Australian section. As for drinks, find ice-cold brews on tap, as well as a dedicated gin bar for tasty cocktails.

Cuisine: Pub grub
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Warm & welcoming
Location: 6 Lewis St, Mudgee

The Barn at Blue Wren Farm

The Barn at Blue Wren Farm
Taste sustainable, elegant and delicious meals. (Image: Elise Hassey)

Taking simple, seasonal ingredients and finessing them to become the best versions of themselves, the fare at the Barn on the idyllic Blue Wren Farm is sustainable, elegant and wholly delicious. Take a seat outdoors and enjoy a procession of plates that pair well with the accompanying wine list.

From prosciutto with persimmon and pickled chilli to larger plates of chargrilled lamb backstrap skewers with lentils and yoghurt and a chicken cotaletta with fried capers, the Italian-leaning menu is long lunch perfection, but you can also dine in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday.

Groups of 10 or more will need to book in for a set menu experience, which is an entirely agreeable way to spend a few hours – just be sure to book a taxi back to your accommodation.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Relaxed
Location: 433 Ulan Road, Mudgee

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Elton’s Bar + Bites

Elton's Bar + Bites mudgee
Dine at Elton’s Bar + Bites from breakfast until dinner. (Image: Destination NSW)

Once the original 1896 Elton’s Pharmacy building, this now modern hangout with a menu that delivers on its namesake – expect to do lots of eating and drinking at Eltons. While the all-day menu features salads, schnitzels and burgers, it’s the breakfast offerings that really shine. Take a seat in the main bar, the open-air courtyard or on the sunny footpath out front.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: 81 Market Street, Mudgee

Isabella’s Trattoria

You’ll know you’ve arrived at Isabella’s Trattoria when you spot the sign that says you have found the “food you’ve been looking for". This place ups the ante when it comes to upscale Italian fare.

Maroon awnings feature a cursive decal out the front, transporting customers to an Italian side street from the get-go. An open-plan kitchen allows customers to see the masters at work, manoeuvring around the kitchen with beautiful European finesse. Match the risotto, garlic prawns and seafood pasta with a drop from the lengthy wine list. For dessert, the tiramisu is the sweet pick-me-up your evening needs.

Cuisine: Traditional Italian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Welcoming
Location: 52 Market St, Mudgee

Warakirri Dining Experience by Indigiearth

Warakirri Dining Experience by indigiearth in mudgee
Taste native bush tucker and botanicals across five courses.

Operated by Indigiearth founder Sharon Winsor, a Ngemba Weilwan woman from Western NSW, this intimate dining experience shared by only 30 guests per night unravels native bush tucker and botanicals across five courses.

A deep love and respect for Indigenous food, dovetailing with her culinary mastery, enables Sharon to take diners on an immersive gastronomic journey into ancient skills and flavours. Over four hours, share incredible dishes paired with beverages, while enjoying cultural entertainment such as music and storytelling.

2026 dates will be announced soon.

Cuisine: Australian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: Huntington Estate, 641 Ulan Road, Buckaroo

Paragon Hotel

This 1857 gold rush-era hotel has Aussie pub ambience down to a fine art. The pub’s Bushman eatery isn’t reinventing the wheel, and nor does it have to when classic grub comes this well-finished. Tuck into your usual suspects, should you feel like fish and chips, steak or a chicken schnitty, but there are also nouveau pub classics, such as a warm cauliflower salad, grilled fish tacos and pan-fried salmon. The wine list is curated with local-leaning, as expected.

Cuisine: Pub grub
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: 38 Perry Street, Mudgee

Between eats, follow our guide for the 21 of the very best things to do in Mudgee.

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Lara Picone
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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8 reasons Cronulla is the talk of the town right now

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
    Continue
    A national beach title, a new entertainment precinct and a run of headline restaurant openings have put this Sydney suburb on everyone’s radar. Here are eight of the best reasons to spend a long weekend in Cronulla.

    Cronulla has spent the past year becoming one of Australia’s most talked-about coastal destinations. Its beaches picked up the title of Australia’s Best Beach for 2026, the town centre is now the state’s first beachside Special Entertainment Precinct, and it’s still the only Sydney beach you can reach by train.

    Add a wave of excellent new bars and restaurants and two national parks on its doorstep, and it’s easy to understand why locals wax lyrical about the lifestyle.

    1. The new wining and dining scene

    table spread at isora cronulla
    Try Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours at Isora.

    Chef Nelly Robinson has set up NOA just metres from the sand, and it includes a formal room for long lunches, plus Little NOA, a low-key terrace doing burgers and cocktails. Down the strip, Retro fuses a Mexico City cantina with an unlikely sideline: pizzas on a 48-hour fermented dough, backed by the Shire’s most extensive tequila list. At Checho’s, cocktails arrive in ceramic handbags and the pops of pink neon match the mood. Isora is another newcomer and skewed towards Asia, with dishes that rely on Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours. While Bobbys is one of the best waterfront restaurants in Cronulla, its sister venue, Meadow, is the new music room we didn’t know we needed. It’s cool and sleek, kitted out with excellent audio equipment and a roster of DJs on the decks.

    2. Local favourites

    Homer Rogue Taverna cronulla
    Follow the locals to Homer Rogue Taverna. (Credit: Trent van der Jagt)

    Follow the locals home from the beach to Homer Rogue Taverna, where Harry and Mario Kapoulas draw from mum’s own recipe book – moussaka, charcoal chicken off the souvla. Duke’s Providore flips from butcher-counter deli by day to an intimate wine bar after dark, and Parc Pavilion’s new pub complex covers everything from a casual bistro to a proper sports bar under one roof. Benny’s looks over Gunnamatta Bay, where the signature barra arrives in a bag with clams and cherry tomatoes, while Alphabet St has long paired its signature Apple Martini with modern Asian share plates. At family-run Queen Margherita of Savoy, the vibes are always high and the Neapolitan-style pizza lives up to its reputation as the suburb’s best.

    There are also endless options for an introduction to Cronulla’s cafe culture. Start by ordering a brew at places like Grind Espresso, Next Door, Blackwood Pantry and The Press.

    3. Winning beaches

    Bate Bay in the Sutherland Shire was named Australia’s best beach for 2026. (Credit: Taylah Darnell)

    The best beach title didn’t come from nowhere. Cronulla’s beaches and ocean pools remain some of Sydney’s most photographed, pulling swimmers, surfers and photographers back year after year. The award covers several spots along Bate Bay, including four ocean pools and the Gunnamatta Bay Baths. Follow the Esplanade from Cronulla Beach, then on to Shelly Park, where an ocean pool sits beside a grassy park and fenced playground.

    4. A surf culture to match

    sufers in cronulla nsw
    Watch the local surfers, or join in.

    Life in Cronulla revolves around the ocean. Local surfers are in the water before work, wriggling into their wetsuits. Others are swimming around Shark Island or doing the downward dog at Sunrise Yoga. In the warmer months, many are putting a full stop on the day with a quick dip at dusk. Wander the Esplanade under a wide, blue sky, and you’ll understand why Cronulla deserves the its accolades. Groups like the Shark Island Psycho Swimmers (SIPS) swim all through winter, and the beachside cafes fill with these fit folk still dripping wet and salty from the surf.

    5. A ferry ride to Bundeena

    The Coast Track, Royal National Park
    Royal National Park is the world’s second-oldest national park. (Credit: J Spencer / DCCEEW)

    For a change of pace, base yourself in Cronulla and take the short ferry across to Bundeena. While it’s only a day trip from Cronulla, it feels like you’ve left Sydney behind entirely, without ever getting in a car.

    Time your visit to coincide with the monthly art trail. Or paddle into the calm water of Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. The boho suburb is the gateway to the walking tracks of the Royal National Park – the second oldest national park in the world and the oldest in Australia. It’s worth the jaunt along Jibbon Beach to see the Jibbon Head Aboriginal Engravings, an ancient Dharawal rock art site located on a sandstone platform near Bundeena in the Royal National Park.

    6. Explore Kamay Botany Bay National Park

    Sandstone cliff walls lining the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell
    Wander over impressive sandstone clifftops. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Prefer to stay on this side of the water? The Kurnell side of Kamay Botany Bay National Park sits just beyond Cronulla’s beaches – its coastal walking trails leading out to Cape Solander, where watching the waves crash against the soaring sandstone cliffs is as dramatic as seeing whales breaching during the annual migration season.

    There’s history here too, layered into the landscape. The Cape Baily walking track snakes along the clifftops to the 1950 lighthouse, passing through heathland that is brightened with pops of pretty wildflowers during spring. Set off early, in the cool light of dawn, to make the trek from Cape Solander to Cronulla along a well-used walking track.

    7. Stay the night (or several)

    Rydges Cronulla Beachside
    Peaple-watch from your balcony at Rydges Cronulla Beachside. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Accommodation in Cronulla ranges from cosy Airbnbs to full-service hotels. Rydges Cronulla Beachside has 84 rooms and suites, most with balconies over the beach or the Kingsway, plus a terrace bar, The Alley, right by the beach. And Quest Cronulla Beach has reopened after a full refurbishment with pet-friendly studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each with its own kitchen and laundry. Guests can also use the outdoor pool, gym, sauna and spa. Quest Woolooware Bay is just one suburb back from Cronulla and near the Woolooware Bay Shared Pathway, which leads across the Captain Cook Bridge to Dolls Point.

    8. A vibrant events calendar

    the music venue with a live band setup at Brass Monkey Cronulla
    Check out Brass Monkey’s gig guide.

    Music lovers flock to the Cronulla Jazz and Blues Festival, which happens every May. And there’s always something happening at the Brass Monkey, so be sure to check the gig guide for upcoming live acts.

    Lace up your runners and join in the Sutherland 2 Surf every July, or tackle the Shire Run Carnival every November.

    Pop into the Cronulla Christmas Market (in 2026, it’s on November 21-22) for over 200 stalls selling gift ideas for Christmas. Food lovers, meanwhile, can graze more than 30 international hot food stalls at Eat Drink Nights Cronulla.

    Bring the family along to two of the Shire’s favourite annual festivals. The Gymea Village Festival fills Gymea’s streets with rides, entertainment and market stalls every October, while the Jannali Moonrise Festival lights up November with live music, food and family-friendly fun.

    Yes, Cronulla officially has the best beach in Australia, a dining scene that holds its own against the city’s best and national parks on either side of it. But best of all, these attractions are all close enough together that you never have to choose between them.

    Start planning the ultimate Aussie getaway at visitsutherlandshire.com.au.