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Top Daylesford restaurants for every foodie’s bucket list

Credit: Visit Victoria

Pauline Morrissey Pauline Morrissey
From lavish lunches to a true farm-to-table experience, these top restaurants highlight Daylesford’s burgeoning dining scene. 

In Victoria’s stunning spa country, there are endless incredible things to do in Daylesford, including indulging in its renowned dining scene. With a focus on fresh, locally sourced produce, many restaurants boast their own kitchen gardens or partner with nearby farms to create seasonal line-ups bursting with flavour. 

Whether you’re seeking a lavish lunch with breathtaking vistas, a modern twist on pub classics, or an Asian-fusion degustation experience, Daylesford has firmly established itself as a haven for food lovers. Here’s a round-up of some of the best restaurants to explore during your visit. 

The shortlist

Fine Dining Gem: Lake House Restaurant
Best Date Spot: Sault Restaurant
Best Farm-to-Table: Du Fermier

Lake House Restaurant

Lake House Restaurant, Daylesford
Lake House Restaurant features elevated interiors. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Overlooking the tranquil waters of Lake Daylesford, Lake House Restaurant is the veritable star of destination dining in Victoria. Under the leadership of Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, the multi-course fare is crafted from the finest Australian ingredients, much of which comes directly from their nearby Dairy Flat Farm. Guests can opt for an additional farm tour to deepen their connection to their meal. 

For a complete escape, indulge in rejuvenating treatments at the onsite spa – one of Daylesford’s top things to do. Better yet, extend your visit by staying in the venue’s luxurious accommodation, surrounded by peaceful nature. 

Cuisine: Modern Australian 

Average price: $$$$$ 

Atmosphere: Refined 

Location: 2 Leggatt Street, Daylesford 

Kadota Restaurant

Japanese-inspired dining at Kadota Restaurant, Daylesford
Each meal is served in a traditional Kaiseki style. (Credit: Kadota Restaurant)

Blending Japanese precision with local flavours, Kadota Restaurant captures the spirit of omotenashi – the art of selfless hospitality. Helmed by Chef Aaron Schembri and Front of House Director Risa Kadota, Kadota beautifully reflects Aaron’s Daylesford roots and Risa’s Japanese heritage. The restaurant curates an intimate dining affair that combines the best of both worlds. 

Dining here takes the form of a kaiseki-style Japanese degustation, with set menus unfolding at an unhurried pace. Guests can choose between a seven-course ‘short’ menu or the more leisurely ten-course experience, each built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with the option to add a wagyu course for an extra moment of indulgence. 

Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine 

Average price: $$$ 

Atmosphere: Refined 

Location: 1 Camp Street, Daylesford 

Sault Restaurant

countryside dining at Sault, Daylesford
Indulge in a modern Australian menu in a country-style dining space. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Framed by gorgeous fields of flowers, Sault Restaurant delivers an exquisite culinary journey through its expansive bay windows, which offer sweeping views of the countryside. Its refined modern Australian menu evolves with each harvest, showcasing regional produce, much of which comes straight from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden – from sun-ripened vegetables and herbs to trout smoked on site, paired with a drinks list of regional wines and local gins.   

Guests can indulge in three to four courses, or opt for the impressive seven-course tasting, complete with wine pairings. Each beautifully plated dish is a feast for the eyes – less of an Instagram moment and more akin to being mesmerised by a Monet masterpiece. 

Cuisine: Modern Australian 

Average price: $$$$ 

Atmosphere: Refined 

Location: 2349 Ballan-Daylesford Road, Sailors Falls 

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Farmers Arms Hotel

Farmers Arms Hotel exterior view
Farmers Arms Hotel has retained its heritage charm. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Steeped in history and charm, the Farmers Arms Hotel is Daylesford’s oldest pub, serving locals and travellers alike since 1857. Whether you’re stopping by for a quick drink or settling in for a hearty meal, this revamped heritage-rich venue welcomes you in with vintage features and a warming fireplace – adding to the pub’s comfort and camaraderie. 

The seasonal menu offers a creative take on classic pub fare. Signature favourites include the duck sausage or a premium wagyu scotch fillet with garlic and thyme butter. Pair your meal with one of their curated local wines or craft beers. 

Cuisine: Classic Pub 

Average price: $$ 

Atmosphere: Casual 

Location: 1 East Street, Daylesford 

Boathouse Restaurant

a spread of dishes at Boathouse Restaurant
The menu showcases the kitchen’s seasonal approach. (Credit: Boathouse Restaurant)

Perched on the edge of Lake Daylesford, the Boathouse Restaurant offers relaxed lakeside dining with sweeping water views across much of the dining room. Warm and welcoming inside during the cooler months, the venue opens out to a sun-drenched deck in warmer weather, making it a favourite for long lunches and easygoing dinners by the water. 

The menu reflects owner and executive chef Nixson Thambithurai’s esteemed culinary background, with a focus on flavour-driven dishes made using local produce. For the full experience, head along on a Saturday evening when The Boathouse Experience is on offer – a seven-course tasting menu that showcases the kitchen’s seasonal approach, best enjoyed with a glass from the thoughtfully curated regional wine list. 

Cuisine: Modern Australian 

Average price: $$$ 

Atmosphere: Casual 

Location: 1 East Street, Daylesford, VIC, 3460 

Bistro Terroir

dining at Bistro Terroir
The raclette is a must-try.

Bringing a touch of French flair to Daylesford, Bistro Terroir is an intimate neighbourhood gem helmed by Michelin-trained Chef Matthew Carnell. With its moody interiors and a tucked-away courtyard, it offers an inviting space for a relaxed yet elegant dining experience. The menu highlights classic French dishes like escargot and steak frites, with a focus on in-season ingredients and rotating mains. 

To elevate your meal, pair it with a selection from their expertly curated wine list, featuring bottles from Victoria and France that perfectly complement the French-inspired cuisine. And the crème de la crème is finishing the evening with a satiating crème brulee.  

Cuisine: French Cuisine 

Average price: $$$ 

Atmosphere: Moody 

Location: 6/8 Howe Street, Daylesford 

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Jackie’s on Vincent

Far from your typical local Chinese restaurant, Jackie’s on Vincent brings a unique fusion of Asian and Western flavours, shaped by Chef Jackie’s Chinese heritage and Australian influences. The cosy, intimate setting, paired with dishes made using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, creates a warm, homely atmosphere that keeps diners coming back. Crowd favourites often include Szechuan pepper calamari and slow-cooked boneless goat curry. 

Situated along the southern stretch of Vincent Street – Daylesford’s steadily growing ‘eat street’ – this well-loved spot is ideal for a satisfying dinner followed by a relaxed stroll through the town centre.   

Cuisine: Asian Fusion 

Average price: $$ 

Atmosphere: Casual 

Location: 1/123 Vincent Street, Daylesford, VIC, 3460 

Du Fermier

dining at Du Fermier
Du Fermier serves meals that champion local produce.

Tucked away in Daylesford’s neighbouring town of Trentham, Du Fermier offers a flavourful exploration akin to dining in someone’s home. With its cosy, French farmhouse-style ambience, this beloved restaurant is helmed by Chef Annie Smithers, who crafts produce-driven dishes using ingredients harvested from her own garden. 

Without a fixed menu, diners are treated to a surprise multi-course meal, often featuring local meats, fresh vegetables, and classic French flavours. With only a few service days each week, it’s wise to book ahead to secure a spot. Opt for the matched wines for an extra indulgent touch, and be sure to visit during spring and summer, when the kitchen garden is in full bloom. 

Cuisine: French Cuisine 

Average price: $$$ 

Atmosphere: Rustic 

Location: 42 High Street, Trentham   

Bar Merenda

the dining space at Bar Merenda
Dine in an eclectic space. (Credit: Bridget Angee)

For several years, Bar Merenda has been a much-loved Daylesford wine bar, known for its curated list of local and European wines and quietly excellent food. As word spread and rave reviews followed, the team expanded upstairs, opening a bespoke 18-seat dining room that allows the kitchen to shine while the bar below continues to hum with its original energy. 

Now home to a sunflower-yellow dining room upstairs, Bistro Merenda offers an intimate, set-menu experience – whether it’s a pared-back two-course Monday evening menu or a four-course feast later in the week, a visit here feels like being welcomed into a dinner party crafted around the very best produce Daylesford and its surrounds have to offer. 

Cuisine: Classic Mediterranean 

Average price: $$$ 

Atmosphere: Relaxed and intimate 

Location: 117 Vincent Street, Daylesford

Pauline Morrissey

Pauline Morrissey

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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
    Continue
    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington, like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours. While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.