Best Port Fairy Restaurants To Visit On Your Next Trip

From a lively pizza joint with a big personality to a classic pub with a long and storied history, there are plenty of Port Fairy restaurants to choose from on your next trip along the Great Ocean Road.

Whether you’re after a seafood feast, hearty pub lunch or a fine dining experience with an elevated wine list, there are plenty of Port Fairy restaurants to choose from. Got your heart set on having dinner somewhere special? Be sure to follow the cardinal rule of visiting a coastal holiday hotspot and make a booking or you’ll risk missing out.

1. Merrijig Kitchen

The Merrijig Inn’s famous restaurant is much more than a place to eat, it’s a local institution. Chef Tanya Connellan has cooked professionally for more than 30 years, and it shows.

the exterior of Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy — Merrijig Kitchen is a local institution. (Image: Visit Victoria)

An ever-changing menu enables Tanya to showcase whatever is flourishing in her kitchen garden or local growers and producers bring to the table, whether that be organic asparagus grown nearby in Warrnambool or crayfish caught in the seas just off Port Fairy.

friends dining al fresco at Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy — Let the good times roll at Merrijig Kitchen. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Once you enter the cosy dining room you’ll be treated like an old friend. So kick back, relax, order a bottle of Victorian red and let the good times roll.

al fresco dining in a garden setting at Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy — Nab an outdoor table in the garden. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Quaint

Location 1 Campbell Street, Port Fairy

2. Sidro Bar & Restaurant

Found inside the Oak & Anchor Hotel, this bar and restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, making it a top spot for dinner and drinks, rain or shine. Choose something light like grilled halloumi and a grain salad or go all-in by sharing the slow-cooked lamb shoulder or beef brisket (both perfect for splitting between two diners). Can’t decide? Hand the reins to the chef by opting for the three-course feasting menu. Add a gin and tonic made with Gallivanter Gin from Western Victoria and you’ve got yourself a party.

a fine dining table setup at Sidro Bar & Restaurant, Port Fairy — Dine in style at Sidro Bar & Restaurant. (Image: Joanne O’Keefe @missfarmerjojo)

Cuisine: Classic pub-style cuisine with a modern twist

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Relaxed and inviting

Location: 9 Bank Street, Port Fairy

3. Blakes Restaurant

This much-loved eatery is well known for producing some of the best seafood dishes in the region. Open for lunch and dinner, make a booking well in advance to make sure you don’t miss out, especially if you’re visiting on the weekend or other busy periods. From Bass Strait scallops to yellowtail kingfish and Bellarine mussels, you’ll be treated to the greatest hits of the Australian seafood scene here. Not sure what to order? You can’t go wrong with the Seafood Chowder, a signature dish that consistently gets rave reviews.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Casual elegance

Location: 57 Bank St, Port Fairy

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4. Coffin Sally

A little corner of Port Fairy that was once home to a coffin maker and an undertaker is where you’ll find this aptly named cult pizza joint and bar. Its bluestone walls, old fireplace and shelves decorated with bleached animal bones signal this isn’t your average pizzeria.

the dining interior of Coffin Sally, Port Fairy — Slip into the rustic and classy setting at Coffin Sally.

Craving something salty? Order the ‘A Salted’ for a hit of Napoli with mozzarella, peppers, anchovies, olives, capers, parsley and chilli. Prefer something simpler? The Fior Di Sally’s simple flavour combo of fior di latte mozzarella, cherry tomato, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil will do the trick.

sprinkling spices over pizza at Coffin Sally — Coffin Sally isn’t your average pizzeria.

Cuisine: Italian

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Rustic and cosy

Location: 33 Sackville Street, Port Fairy

5. Bottega Toscana

The simple yet delicious flavours of Tuscany can be found on the Victorian coast thanks to this friendly, little trattoria on Bank Street. Start with some antipasti then move on to Tuscan culinary greats like Risotto dell’Orto (garden vegetable risotto) or Pollo Alla Pizzaiola (chicken thigh in Napoli sauce with mozzarella). All the usual Italian sweet suspects can be found on the dessert list (tiramisu, pannacotta, affogato) too. Bellissima!

the exterior of Bottega Toscana, Port Fairy — Dine on Tuscan flavours at Bottega Toscana.

Cuisine: Tuscan

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Rustic and cosy

Location: 26 Bank Street, Port Fairy

6. The Stump

Established way back in 1844, the Caledonian Inn is a Port Fairy landmark well worth visiting and the good news is that you don’t need to be staying at the inn to enjoy lunch or dinner at The Stump. Serving hearty pub fare like steak sandwiches, beef burgers and chicken schnitzels, the Stump excels at delivering all the country pub classics you’d expect from one of the state’s oldest pubs.

a meal at The Stump, Port Fairy — The Stump serves up hearty pub fare.

During summer, make the most of warmer weather by perching yourself at an outdoor table to enjoy some ales and a meal in the sunshine. In winter, head to the dining room to feast by the warmth of the rustic fireplace.

a bowl of food at The Stump, Port Fairy — Perch yourself at an outdoor table to enjoy a meal.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Charming

Location: 41 Bank Street, Port Fairy

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7. Conlan’s Wine Store

Food and wine lovers should not miss experiencing a meal at Conlan’s Wine Store. Make a lunch or dinner booking at this popular spot and you’ll be treated to carefully crafted dishes and an exceptional wine list worth paying a bit more for.

the dining interior of Conlan’s Wine Store, Port Fairy — Conlan’s Wine Store evokes a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere.

Housed in a heritage building full of character, this restaurant and retail store stocking wine and gourmet produce is a must-visit whether it’s for brunch, lunch, dinner or takeaway wines and treats.

holding drinks over a spread of food on the table at Conlan’s Wine Store, Port Fairy — Make a lunch or dinner booking at Conlan’s Wine Store.

Pro tip: leave room for dessert (the affogato made with Market Lane Coffee is top-notch).

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Sophisticated yet relaxed

Location: 34 Bank Street, Port Fairy

8. Lemongrass Thai

Bangkok may be more than 7000 kilometres away, but you can still get the flavours of Thailand at this friendly neighbourhood favourite. Treat your tastebuds to a spicy and sour seafood Tom Yum, coconutty jungle curry or light and fresh larb gai (chicken salad). Then cool down with some black sticky rice topped with Thai custard and coconut milk. Can’t be bothered leaving your accommodation? Order takeaway for delivery right to your doorstep.

Cuisine: Thai

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Casual

Location: 55 Bank Street, Port Fairy

Now read our 3-day driving itinerary for the Great Ocean Road.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat, now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate, whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor, who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will, who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods. “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield, embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House.

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument, which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds.

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens, hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

8 of the best Port Fairy restaurants to visit on your next trip

From a lively pizza joint with a big personality to a classic pub with a long and storied history, there are plenty of Port Fairy restaurants to choose from on your next trip along the Great Ocean Road.

1. Merrijig Kitchen

2. Sidro Bar & Restaurant

3. Blakes Restaurant

4. Coffin Sally

5. Bottega Toscana

6. The Stump

7. Conlan’s Wine Store

8. Lemongrass Thai

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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food