7 excellent Mount Gambier restaurants to try now

Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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From a scene-stealing country steakhouse to a fine dining eatery, these are the Mount Gambier restaurants worth visiting. 

Located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, this Limestone Coast city has plenty of awe-inspiring geological draws to its name, not to mention world-renowned wine regions right on its doorstep.

The coast’s once volcanic landscape is blessed with incredibly fertile soils, too, and as a result, it’s home to a bounty of fresh produce. Whether you’re in town for an extended sojourn or you’re just stopping by on a road trip, these are the best restaurants in Mount Gambier.

1. Elementary by Soul Co

The kitchen at Elementary Dining in Mount Gambier
The dark interiors of Elementary Dining set the mood. (Image: Alex Window)

Those looking for an elevated dining experience should head to Elementary by Soul Co . Helmed by chef Kirby Shearing, the modern Australian menu spans gnocchi with confit duck, mushrooms, and broth, baked egg tart with muntrie compote, burnt sugar and spiced brioche with vanilla parfait, chocolate cream, and hazelnuts. For the full experience, opt for the tasting menu, expertly paired with a range of wines or sakes. If you’re around on a Thursday or Friday, duck in for the express lunch where you’ll get an entree, main course and a side all for just $45.

The intimate space seats just 23 guests and is swathed in moody charcoal tones and dark timber furniture for a cosy dining experience.

Address: 12 Margaret St, Mount Gambier

2. The Barn Steakhouse

wine bottles on the shelf at The Barn Steakhouse
Take your pick from an array of wines at The Barn Steakhouse. (Image: The Barn/South Australian Tourism Commission)

This local heavyweight is the reigning champion when it comes to perfectly cooked steak. And its owners, the Cleves family, go one step further than most steakhouses, breeding their very own Hereford cattle on properties in the region, and ageing all the cuts in-house for a minimum of eight days too.

Beyond its steak credentials, The Barn also takes a holistic view of the veggies and herbs that accompany its dishes, which are house-grown, preservative- and pesticide-free in the rich volcanic soils that surround the restaurant, and plucked fresh daily.

Why not kick off the evening’s proceedings with a glass of something sparkling from The Barn’s award-winning 750-wine-label-strong cellar, with the vast majority of the restaurant’s drops sourced from the surrounding Limestone Coast wineries.

Then tuck into some house-made pâté, served with hot toast and quince glaze, and perhaps some seared scallops with prosciutto before moving onto the main event – a rump, porterhouse, or eye fillet, served alongside a continental salad and a sour cream and spring onion topped baked potato.

The Barn Steakhouse is located amid lush farmland, just a 10-minute drive south of the city.

Address: 747 Glenelg River Rd, Mount Gambier

3. Thyme at The Lakes

a close-up shot of a prawn dish at Thyme at the Lakes, Mount Gambier
Savour the flavourful meals at Thyme at the Lakes.

Perched right on top of the city, Thyme at The Lakes boasts an incredible view of Mount Gambier, with food presented as spectacularly as the city below you. With attentive service to top it all off, Thyme at The Lakes  showcases the best of local produce in an exciting and elegant dining experience, with the modern menu taking inspiration from both Australian and international cuisine.

From the mouth-watering Spanish-inspired grilled paella to the melt-in-your-mouth lamb rack, Thyme also boasts a vegetarian and vegan menu for those who aren’t meat lovers. Hot tip: Do not skip their dessert menu. The restaurant boasts MasterChef-worthy dishes like the Strawberry & White Chocolate Sphere, or the Hazelnut Affogato makes the perfect palate cleanser.

Address: 17 Lake Terrace W, Mount Gambier

4. Wild Ginger Thai

Authentic classic Pad Thai with shrimps. Thai shrimp satay with sweet chili sauce. Tom Yum soup with coconut milk (Tom Khaa). Spicy shrimp salad. Flat lay top-down composition on concrete background.
Wild Ginger Thai’s dishes pack a punch of flavour.

When Wild Ginger first opened its doors, it was the new kid on the block. Since then, head chef and owner Bee Ketphong and her team have established a reputation for fine Thai cuisine that has made Wild Ginger  one of Mount Gambier’s most popular eating destinations for both lunch and dinner.

From the flavour-packed fish cakes to the range of stir-fries, curries and noodle dishes infused with all those powerful Thai flavours of chilli, lemongrass, basil or satay, Wild Ginger is all about Thai cooking.

Bee is focused on using fresh, local produce to create fine Thai dishes, ranging from mild dishes to those that are packed with spicy flavours. And all of Wild Ginger’s menu items are available for takeaway as well.

Address: 17 Commercial St West, Mount Gambier

5. Natural Born Grillers

Close up image of a freshly flame grilled vegetarian halloumi cheeseburger on a wooden counter at an outdoor food market. This burger is loaded with a vegetarian burger meat substitute, fresh salad, melted halloumi cheese and spanish onion and tomato. The burger is sandwiched between glazed buns.
Natural Born Grillers has an entirely meat-free menu for the vegos and vegans among us.

When only a burger will do, make a beeline for Mount Gambier’s Natural Born Grillers. Whether you’re after fried chicken, pulled pork, beef patties, or even something veggie-friendly (there’s a dedicated meat-free menu), NBG delivers.

There’s a multitude of indulgent, deep-fried sides on offer too: potato gems, loaded fries, onion rings, popcorn chicken, and mozzarella sticks. While this burger joint has Mount Gambier’s fast-food market cornered, Natural Born Grillers’ rather spartan interior means it’s not exactly the place to go if you’re after an evening of ambience.

Address: Shop C, 3 Compton Street, Mount Gambier

6. Bahn Kubo

The decor at this pan-Asian eatery  is nothing to write home about (hello bright white lights, plastic-backed chairs, loud lime and orange colour scheme, and wipe-clean plastic tables). But thanks to its friendly and fast service, super reasonable prices and moreish dishes, Bahn Kubo does something of a roaring trade. The barbecue pork (char siu) and Thai roast duck receive rave reviews.

Address: 139 Commercial St W, Mount Gambier

7. Southern Thai Cafe

a dining table with a variety of dishes at Southern Thai Cafe, Mount Gambier
Dine on authentic Thai cuisine.

Adding to Mount Gambier’s amazing Thai offering, Southern Thai Cafe  brings a fresh look to the cuisine with a focus on the authentic tastes of Southern Thai food and an emphasis on value and service.

Southern Thai Cafe is the dream of Wilawan Churueangsuk (Jieb), who came to Mount Gambier from Southern Thailand 17 years ago. Now an Australian Citizen living here with her husband, David and their children, Jaime and Emily, Jieb’s Southern Thai Cafe is also about family.

Address: 53 Gray Street, Mount Gambier

Looking for breakfast? Start your day at the best Mount Gambier cafes.

Written by Chloe Cann with updates by Tahlia Pritchard and Rachael Thompson.

 

Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.