7 Griffith restaurants leading the way in farm-to-table dining

From paddock to plate, Griffith and the Riverina are at the forefront of the sustainable food movement.

Griffith restaurants have always been one of Australia’s most important food-producing areas. It creates more wine, citrus and poultry products than any other region in Australia, and its incredible agricultural output is only matched by the strong cultural and culinary legacies of its residents, with the highest proportion of Italian ancestry of any local government area in Australia.

Stop by Piccolo Family Farm to see local produce at its source. (Image: Visit Griffith)

With a bounty of quality produce available, as well as the culinary heritage to know how to use it, it’s no surprise that Griffith’s restaurants have championed the paddock-to-plate movement. Here, chefs are using the freshest sustainably produced, locally grown and sourced ingredients in their meals, products, wines and whiskies to create truly unforgettable dining experiences.

Here are seven of the best farm-to-table venues to visit in the western Riverina region.

1. Zecca Handmade Italian

Set in the iconic Rural Bank building in Griffith, Zecca Handmade Italian prepares fresh, seasonal Italian cuisine made with local ingredients.

The restaurant’s specialty is artisanal obscure pasta shapes and styles, handmade with durum wheat semolina grown and milled locally in the Riverina region. They also cure their own salami, preserve fruit and vegetables, and bottle their own passata from local tomatoes. The restaurant offers a daily changing menu, and packets of their handmade pasta are available in-store.

Zecca Italian, Griffith — Stop in for seasonal Italian cuisine made with local ingredients at Zecca Italian. (Image: DNSW)

2. Bull & Bell Steakhouse

With a menu limited to a 300-kilometre produce range, and a commitment to showcasing regional partners, Bull & Bell Steakhouse , part of the Gem Hotel , made a culinary splash when it was ranked one of the world’s 101 best steak restaurants .

The menu includes detailed information about the farms that supply their produce, the growing processes, and the beef programs used by the cattle farmers.

A highlight is the Stanbroke Signature Tasting Plate, which allows diners to try three types of beef (dry-aged, Angus and grass-fed). True to the area’s roots, guests can also enjoy an Italian-style bistecca alla fiorentina served sanguinoso (rare) with a dash of extra virgin olive oil, salt and rosemary.

Bull & Bell Steakhouse, Griffith restaurants — Treat yourself to one of the world’s best steak restaurants. (Image: Destination Riverina Murray)

3. Limone

Book a table at Limone for a true farm-to-table dining experience (and a few recipes influenced by Nonna). Chef Luke Piccolo serves meals made with produce gathered from his family’s property, Piccolo Family Farm , including house-made lamb sausages with caponata, zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, potato and herbs, and a margarita pizza served with 24-hour fermented dough, passata grown and made on the farm, fresh basil and traditional buffalo mozzarella.

The enthusiastic farming family have even planted a vineyard featuring Italian varietals to serve in the restaurant.

Limone has a strong no-waste ethos, which extends well beyond the menu; even the building was constructed with almost entirely recycled materials salvaged from around Griffith, right down to the charcoal grill made from reclaimed farm equipment.

Limone Dining, Griffith restaurants — Taste dishes made with fresh ingredients gathered from the chef’s family’s property. (Image: DNSW)

4. Yarran Wines

Hosting paired tastings with local produce, as well as special events celebrating regional producers, Yarran Wines has carved a niche as one of the best wine destinations in Griffith, earning accolades for its cellar door experience.

The family-owned vineyard, located in Yenda, offers organically certified, small-batch wines focusing on lesser-known varieties. The vineyard also regularly hosts Live in the Vines , featuring live music, picnic boxes with goods from local producers, pizza and bountiful cups of wine.

During A Taste of Italy Griffith festival , held every August, the vineyard hosts paired food and wine events, where they serve up olives grown, picked and cured in-house.

Stop into Yarran Wines for a paired tasting with local produce. (Image: Destination Riverina Murray)

5. Whitton Malt House

A short drive from Griffith, Whitton Malt House champions the farm-to-plate experience not just in their restaurant, but also in their on-farm malting facility.

The distillery produces small-batch, hand-crafted artisanal malts made from locally grown and regionally sourced Riverina grains, and guests can take part in daily whisky tastings. The restaurant serves locally sourced dishes including Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod croquette with smoked cod, jalapeno and bechamel sauce, and Grunt Pork Smokehouse pork belly with roasted cauliflower puree, jus and apple jam.

Whitton Malt House, Griffith — Stop into Whitton Malt House for food and drinks made with local ingredients. (Image: Visit Griffith)

6. Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod

Griffith isn’t just known for its farm-to-fork ethos, as it also offers a unique pond-to-plate experience. Despite being 550 kilometres inland, the Riverina is home to one of the country’s most successful aquaculture companies, Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod .

The sustainably farmed fish is exported internationally, featured on fine dining menus across the country, and is showcased on the menu in most of Griffith’s restaurants (including Whitton Malt House, Bull & Bell Steakhouse, Zecca Handmade Italian and Limone). In town, visitors can buy direct from the processing plant.

Aquan — Discover Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod in the dishes of several Riverina restaurants.

7. Naturally Dried Prunes

Forget the fork, forgo the plate: at Naturally Dried Prunes you can pick fruit straight from the trees on limited dates over the summer months.

This innovative family-friendly farm at Yenda boasts the first automated sustainable solar drying system in Australia; using new technology, the farm has reduced its carbon footprint by 95 per cent.

Each summer, the farm opens its gates to the public, inviting them onto the farm for tours of the orchard, demonstrations of the drying equipment and, most importantly, taste tests of their prepacked chocolate-covered prunes. In mid-summer, the orchard also opens for guests to pick their own sugar plums.

Pick fruit straight from the trees at Naturally Dried Prunes.

Whales breaching, fires crackling and slow-cooked feasts that make the cold so cosy, one might wish it lasted longer. Winter is no time to stay at home in NSW.

When the mercury drops, winter in NSW comes into its own. Beaches are quieter, the air is crisper and hearty food tastes even better when there’s ice on the windows.

Winter here isn’t for hiding away. It’s for long walks, deep baths, deeper reds and the kind of fireside lounging that feels simultaneously indulgent and entirely deserved after a day of exploring. From whale-watching up north to moodily lit bushwalks and pastry pilgrimages, we’ve mapped out your new favourite season.

a beach winter in nsw — From coastal walks to tasty delights, winter in NSW is a time to get out and about.

The Tweed

In winter, the NSW north coast has a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest migrations. From May to November, humpbacks cruise past the Tweed coast between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. Spot them from the Cabarita Beach headland or get up closer with a boat cruise.

Inland, find the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre , which is home to a rotating cast of big-name exhibitions (including Monet).

Later, grab a table at Bistro Livi , where the modern Spanish menu features whipped salt cod on toast and spanner crab with curry butter and spelt flatbread. Stick around to poke through the artist studios and indie boutiques of M|Arts Precinct .

visitors at Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre — Browse the art. (Image: Destination NSW)

The next day, jump aboard the Indigenous Lunch Cruise with Tweed Escapes. You’ll cruise upriver listening to yarns from local Indigenous guides, stop at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Museum and tuck into lemon myrtle-crusted snapper.

Next, drive out to Farm & Co to pull apart some juicy smoked lamb shoulder with green olive tapenade while gazing out over the macadamia fields and avocado groves of this working farm.

End the day at Mantra on Salt Beach where you’ll enjoy beach access, a heated rock spa and a lagoon pool.

dining room at Bistro Livi — Taste modern Spanish at Bistro Livi.

Blue Mountains

The cold season is hands down the best time to visit the Blue Mountains. Temperatures are perfect – sunny enough for hikes, and crisp enough at night for snuggling up.

For a trip that equally soothes and stirs, start with a meditative meander through the national park’s eucalypts and Australian wildflowers. Brave the steepest passenger railway in the world, Scenic Railway , then hop the Skyway aerial cable car for unrivalled Three Sisters views.

Thaw out at the Japanese Bath House in South Bowenfels. Soak in steamy outdoor onsens filled with natural mineral water and mountain views, wander the rose and zen gardens, or sip hot drinks in the tea house.

group leader at Blue Mountains Stargazing — Rug up for Blue Mountains Stargazing. (Image: Destination NSW)

Afterwards, head to Ates in Blackheath, where everything revolves around a 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven – like the wood-roasted duck with nectarines and Szechuan spice. Or visit Tempus Katoomba , which leans experimental and sustainable, serving up dishes like braised fennel with cumin, spiced yogurt and Aleppo pepper.

Rug up and head into the night with Blue Mountains Stargazing . Sessions are guided by astrophysicists, helping you understand what you’re looking at as you look into deep space.

Wrap it all up at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains – MGallery Collection . There’s a whiskey bar in the basement (and crackling fires that make a dram taste even better), indoor and outdoor pools and a day spa. Kids will love the mirror maze and ice rink, too.

dishes laid out on table at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains — End the day with delicious meals at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains. (Image: Destination NSW)

Southern Highlands

Good food and wine by the fire, experienced between sifting through second-hand treasures, is a winter vibe in Bowral.

Start with a lap around Dirty Janes , an antique and vintage market. Recover from your shopping frenzy at Bendooley Book Barn , where floor-to-ceiling shelves and a roaring fire set the tone for an afternoon of red wine or hot coffee.

When it’s time to eat, head to Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar , Peppers Craigieburn Bowral’s onsite restaurant. Try the crispy pork belly with Granny Smith crisps and apple gel, or ocean trout with wakame, lemon gel and pickled radish.

couple looking through Dirty Janes in bowral — Wander the antiques at Dirty Janes. (Image: Destination NSW)

Another option, Onesta Cucina , does Italian with flair. For something more casual (with cocktails), Flour Bar swings between brunch and dinner, with an onsite bakery, over 400 wines and a hidden deli in the old bank vault.

Later, clamber Mt Gibraltar , where trails wind through eucalypt forest to views over Bowral and Mittagong.

Stay at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral , a century-old estate with open fires, elegant lounges and a nine-hole golf course.

woman and her dog winter in nsw at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral — Stay cosy at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral.

Penrith

Shake off winter inertia with an adrenaline boost out in Penrith. Kick things off with a kayak paddle on the Nepean River with Horizon Line, or head to Cables Wake Park , where cold-weather wetsuits take the edge off a wipeout.

For something a bit more cruisy, opt for the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler for slow-floating views and a hot cuppa.

kayakers on the nepean river in penrith — Head out on the Nepean River. (Image: Destination NSW)

Refuel at Marcel Bar & Bistro , where reimagined European comfort food – like seafood risotto in bisque with little neck clams and Moreton Bay bugs – is king. Then check in at the Pullman Sydney Penrith , the area’s first international five-star hotel, to enjoy your well-earned rest.

Start planning your NSW winter getaway at all.com.