A hit list of 19 St Kilda restaurants to dine at now

St Kilda, Melbourne’s emblematic beachside suburb, has a fair share of the city’s best restaurants for all budgets and cuisines, offering a diverse dining scene well worth exploring.

Seaside dining just hits differently and you’ll quickly realise that when ducking in and out of all the St Kilda restaurants that locals and visitors alike never get enough of. From fine-dining stalwarts like Cafe Di Stasio to energetic late-night kitchens such as Las Tapas and Radio Mexico, St Kilda is like a microcosm of Melbourne’s famously rich culinary chops.

Clustered around St Kilda Beach, restaurants like Stokehouse and Donovan’s wave the flag high for one of Melbourne’s trendiest suburbs. But hearty casual dining on the backstreets and around the densely packed Acland Street Plaza is easily just as important to the breezy lifestyle that serves thousands each day.

Below you’ll find a hit list of our favourite restaurants in St Kilda so you can keep your finger on the pulse of this seaside community and its obsession with eating and drinking exceptionally well.

The Shortlist

Hottest new opening: Charlong
Great for special occasions: Donovans
Casual eats: Quan 88
Best date spot: Stokehouse
Best wine list: Cafe Di Stasio

1. Stokehouse

a seafood platter at Stokehouse, St Kilda restaurants — Australia’s finest seafood on offer at Stokehouse. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Gourmands across the nation were devastated when Stokehouse was destroyed by a fire in 2014. St Kilda’s most recognisable restaurant, which first opened in 1989, was given a new life two years later and immediately shot back to glory. Designer Pascale Gomes-McNabb has doubled down on those sparkling Port Phillip Bay views, complementing the visual impact of 2000 blush pink glass tubes dangling from the ceiling.

The oval bar is available for walk-ins, but for lunch, we suggest a reservation so you can sit as close to those dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows as possible. An extensive selection of Australia’s finest seafood like a roasted John Dory fillet with white almond gazpacho gives the kitchen a tight focus, lifted by sharp, attentive service and a whopping 650-bottle wine list hinged on tried-and-true classics – a nod to the type of crowd you’ll find here.

Downstairs, the more casual Stokehouse Pasta & Bar is equally viable, with a small format selection of the kitchen’s greatest hits.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Elegant and luxurious
Location: 30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda

2. Charlong

This clever and creative addition to St Kilda’s dining scene asks what a neighbourhood Thai diner looks like in the modern age, pitched as an evolution but still something so quintessentially Melbourne.

Charlong opened on Carlisle Street in 2024, resting heavily on co-owner Alex Kaew’s love of regional Thai cuisine. She particularly favours the highly underrated east coast of Thailand, given she’s from the flavourful town of Chanthaburi, a village that’s always been known for doing things a bit differently in Thailand (their signature dish: chicken massaman curry with durian).

And so you’ll always find us umming and ahhing over the ever-evolving menu, which always seems to have something new to explore, from the turmeric-cured eggplant green curry with pickled papaya, and then jaw-dropping 12-hour lamb shank massaman. Charlong is St Kilda’s best new restaurant without any doubt.

Cuisine: Thai
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Smokey and sociable
Location: 2/124 Carlisle St, St Kilda

3. Quan 88

Vietnamese dishes on offer at Quan 88, St Kilda restaurants — Eat your way through an extensive selection of fresh Vietnamese flavours. (Image: Quan 88)

Family-owned, friendly, completely committed to serving any and all dietary needs, and a stalwart that’s been open since 1987. Quan 88 doesn’t stand out for its quietly chaotic ambience, furiously fast service and extensive menu. It stands out because it really is some of the best Vietnamese food you can find anywhere outside of Box Hill.

The reasonable prices are why we often choose this over some of St Kilda’s many dining institutions, delivering the level of consistency and depth of flavour that’d typically be priced much higher in the CBD.

Consider it a hidden gem in that sense; locals would riot if this Acland Street Village favourite ever shut up shop, or took staples like the Saigon beef coconut curry, prawn-stuffed eggplant, or the crowd-pleasing Vietnamese spicy fried rice off the menu.

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Busy and charming
Location: 217 Barkly St, St Kilda

4. Cafe Di Stasio

a dimly lit dining interior at Cafe Di Stasio — The elegantly styled Cafe Di Stasio.

Classic fine Italian holds the reins at this St Kilda dining institution . Consistently referenced as one of Melbourne’s best restaurants, the Fitzroy Street staple first opened in 1988 under the guidance of owner Ronnie Di Stasio. And he’s kept a strong sense of identity since, despite the many changes in Melbourne’s dining landscape.

The theatrical frame of elaborate masks and pops of blue, discreet service, and popular seasonal set lunch menu keep Di Stasio’s regular clientele well satisfied. As such, a booking at any time of day can be hard to come across but it’s worth the effort for dishes like cotoletta alla bolognese and spaghettoni vongole veraci.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Classic and sociable
Location: 31 Fitzroy St, St Kilda

5. Donovans

the dining interior at Donovans restaurant, St Kilda — The beachfront restaurant Donovans offers Australian comfort food in a relaxed dining space.

Personable fine dining on the doorstep of St Kilda Beach. Donovans is another one of the suburb’s most endearing dining icons, centred on Australian comfort food and a breezy lifestyle to match the nearby sands.

Owners Kevin and Gail Donovan like to call the kitchen their little “house on the beach"; the homely atmosphere certainly echoes that idea. It feels like a bright, airy dinner party each evening, where family photos and kitschy, mismatched furniture frame epic feasts. The Donovans like changing “theme" every few months as well, keeping regulars on their toes with a sense of dynamism.

The top-notch cooking is similarly approachable and values simplicity. Australian and New Zealand produce dance across the wide-ranging menu with dishes like spanner crab ravioli and slow-cooked lamb shoulder, nicely matched with wines mostly championing both countries.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Intimate and personal
Location: 40 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda

6. Saint Hotel

the building exterior of Saint Hotel, St Kilda — The heritage hotel is a drinking mecca all year round. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)

Perfectly charred seafood and steaks are the domain of Saint Hotel’s downstairs kitchen , Saint Dining, while a separate gastropub keeps it casual with burgers and a hefty wine list. The popular pub, set in a heritage 1915 building on Fitzroy Street, has five distinct venues, including a vintage bar that feels like it comes straight from the set of Studio 54.

You’ll find plenty of energy across all spaces, but whenever we head along, it’s almost straight to Saint Dining with its hard-working Josper grill. The kitchen’s secret weapon touches almost everything on the menu, so expect bold flavours across the board

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Intimate and personal
Location: 54 Fitzroy St, St Kilda

7. Las Tapas

empty wine glasses on the table at Las Tapas, St Kilda — Sip on Spanish reds at Las Tapas.

With one of the best beaches in Melbourne a stone’s throw away, this tapas bar might conjure up the feeling of strolling through the backstreets of Barcelona. Spanish flavours are dialled in with top-shelf produce: an authentic experience steered confidently by owners Javier Pardo-Vinals and Linus Kovats.

Simple, fresh ingredients are honoured with restraint and a nice dose of olive oil, while bread is baked to a traditional Catalan recipe and a massive wine list ties it all together. Although most regulars go straight for the pitcher of sangria that sits on the bar each night. Dishes change daily, driven by produce and seasonality, ensuring flavours are consistently rich and expressive.

Cuisine: Spanish
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Vibrant and sociable
Location: 100 Chapel St, St Kilda

8. Southall

the dimly lit dining at Southall, St Kilda restaurants — The moody and intimate Southall.

Southall is a slick and sturdy BYO Indian restaurant helmed by Ravnish Gandhi, whose parents’ definitive Caufield South staple Bombay By Night is still one of Melbourne’s finest South Asian diners.

Gandhi has picked up plenty of panache from his days in the family kitchen, turning the West London-inspired Southall into a bustling traditional Indian restaurant worth travelling for.

Classics like saag paneer and signature chicken tikka marinated in hung yoghurt are prime orders, as are the seafood curries made with fresh Australian catches. Although we’d say no feast is complete without some of those perfectly marinated Gippsland lamb cutlets straight from the Tandoor.

Cuisine: Indian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Vibrant and sociable
Location: 2/120 – 124 Carlisle, St Kilda

9. Babu Ji

dining Indian dishes at Babu Ji, St Kilda — Indulge in flavourful Indian dishes at Babu Ji. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Jessi Singh’s growing empire of eccentric modern Indian restaurants includes this Grey Street favourite. Much like his other venues, Daughter In Law and Horn Please, Singh’s “un-traditional" approach has given the kitchen free rein to take bold twists to classic Indian food.

A self-service fridge stocked with over 40 beers from around the world helps anchor Babu Ji as a fun, arrestingly casual dining experience. Snappy, exceedingly polite staff march plates of Indian nachos and other eccentric Indian street food from the kitchen, but classics like butter chicken and palak paneer still reign supreme.

Cuisine: Indian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Vibrant and sociable
Location: 4/6 Grey St, St Kilda

10. The Espy Kitchen

the building exterior of Hotel Esplanade, Melbourne — The iconic white facade of The Espy. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Melbourne’s most multifaceted pub, The Espy , has 12 bars, three stages for live music, and two restaurants. Needless to say, it’s almost always heaving at this iconic venue and there’s never a shortage of things to do or people to meet.

But if you want dinner, you’re best off planting yourself in The Espy Kitchen. A bespoke barrel-ageing program means the cocktails here are consistently excellent, but there’s a strong list of Victorian brews as well. As for food, think elevated pub grub like whole rotisserie chicken and some of the best pizzas in St Kilda.

The amount of options you have at The Espy always feels like the wildest adventure, but whenever we go we like to keep it simple: a good meal, a live gig and dozens of new friends. Few things are as quintessential Melbourne as a night out in this mega-pub.

Cuisine: Pub food
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Energetic and sociable
Location: 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda

11. Mya Tiger

crispy pork at Mya Tiger, St Kilda — The menu at Mya Tiger features Cantonese staples such as crispy pork. (Image: The Espy)

Fast, fun and super reliable, Mya Tiger is The Espy’s resident Cantonese diner , taking after small Chinese cook-shops that once populated Melbourne’s outer suburbs.

You’ll find that most locals head here for the atmosphere first and food second, but that’s not to say there aren’t some stunners on the menu like, our favourite, the pan fried barramundi with green chilli, or the signature half roast duck served with all the requisite sides so you spend the night rolling up some pancakes.

The team have wisely curated the wine list to precisely match the flavours of Cantonese cooking, so expect those bigger, bolder whites and reds sourced from all over the world.

Cuisine: Cantonese
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Communal and buzzy
Location: 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda

12. Radio Mexico

the restaurant exterior of Radio Mexico, St Kilda restaurants — The hip taqueria on Carlisle Street. (Image: Radio Mexico)

Head into Acland Street Plaza and you’ll quickly spot Radio Mexico . It’s the shopping centre’s busiest spot for good reason, given it’s built up a national following since 2012 – back when Mexican restaurants were a rarity in Australia.

Owner Adele Arkell is exacting when it comes to ingredients, earning Radio Mexico’s place as one of the best Mexican restaurants in Melbourne. And that’s despite fierce competition from the likes of Mamasita in the CBD and Superchido in Seddon.

Everything from organic white-corn tortillas to good quality Tequila and mezcal gives the menu consistency, so order up anything and you’ll leave satisfied. Just don’t skip those BBQ pork belly and pineapple tacos.

Cuisine: Mexican
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Colourful and loud
Location: 11-13 Carlisle St, St Kilda

13. Cicciolina

a close-up shot of food on a plate at Cicciolina, St Kilda — Cicciolina is renowned for its artistic flair.

A long-established fixture of St Kilda’s dining scene, Cicciolina is pitched as a haven of authentic Italian cuisine; unfussed with being much more. Since 1993, this kitchen has been dishing excellent handmade pasta and delicious dolci, elevated by a huge wine list of around 250 local and international drops.

You’ll need a booking for lunch, but our usual spot is up in the walk-in-only back saloon. The full menu is still available here, and we daresay it’s much more vibey – a seamless extension of the dining room with a plethora of interesting art pieces.

The approachable atmosphere, similar to Donovan’s, feels like more of a dinner party where everyone is welcome, rather than a restaurant. Friendly service definitely helps maintain that image, which is likely why you’ll have to contend with a long list of regulars if you want to book ahead.

Cuisine: Italian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Welcoming and sociable
Location: 30 Acland St, St Kilda

14. Chinta Ria Soul

China Ria Soul is St Kilda’s signature Malaysian restaurant, best known for their fragrant nasi goreng and speedy service. And while it doesn’t take long between ordering and eating, everything is made fresh with quality ingredients and a great deal of restraint when it comes to sauces.

Cheap and cheerful is the vibe, but that just means you can order more servings of roti with curry and noodle dishes. While the value helps soften the cost of living blow, it’s the happy buzz that keeps regulars coming back, seamlessly fitting into St Kilda’s notably relaxed lifestyle.

Cuisine: Malaysian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Welcoming and sociable
Location: 94 Acland St, St Kilda

15. Machi

the dining interior of Machi, St Kilda — This classic fine diner serves up contemporary Japanese. (Image: Machi)

Although original chef Tatsuya Yamazaki has since left the kitchen, his legacy of preparing some of the best sashimi and sushi in Melbourne lives on.

Machi may be overshadowed by the expensive fine-dining Japanese giants of Melbourne CBD, but there’s no mistaking the quality and consistency on offer as Machi’s kitchen slices and dishes through lunch and dinner.

And while tradition has its place, there’s also a great deal of experimentation with top Victorian produce. Think wagyu steak topped with lush grilled foie gras, creamy uni risotto, and the fan-favourite oyster rice. All dished up in a calm space with soft lighting and gentle Douglas fir timber – a transporitve atmosphere that feels like it’s been imported straight from Ginza.

Cuisine: Japanese
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Welcoming and sociable
Location: 14 Inkerman St, St Kilda

16. Claypots Seafood Bar

While St Kilda has several great spots for seafood, Claypots (not to be confused with Claypots Barbarossa in the CBD), is still seen as the gold standard of simple, fresh catches, enjoyed outdoors and washed down with local beer.

Regular live music fills the interior with life, but the romantic outdoor courtyard is hard to pass up with its flickering candles and quietly luxurious feel. We’ll never stop snapping photos of those tiny boats hanging from tall trees, mirroring the sea as the kitchen cracks open mussels and oysters, slathers stingray with sambal, layers Spanish anchovies on toast, and grills local octopus.

Cuisine: Seafood
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Cosy and  romantic
Location: 213 Barkly St, St Kilda

17. i Carussi II

the dining interior of i Carussi II, St Kilda restaurants — Pop into this beachside diner for a slice of Neapolitan-style pizza. (Image: i Carussi II)

A sequel to the popular Brunswick East spot, i Carussi II takes a more sophisticated approach as it stretches its legs in Acland Street Village. Where the original skews industrial chic, this is beachside elegance at its finest, framing beautiful 12-inch pizzas that touch on all the classics and rest heavily on the notion that simple is almost always best.

The signature caprese with fior di latte and sopressa may just be one of the best pizzas in Melbourne. Dinner service is especially buzzing, as the upstairs bar gets plenty of traffic before groups of locals sit down to rip apart these glorious pies.

Cuisine: Pizza
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Busy and sociable
Location: 231 Barkly St, St Kilda

18. Rufio

a table-top view of food plates at Rufio, St Kilda restaurants — Tuck into a bottomless Latin lunch at Rufio. (Image: Michael Wood/ @instantcrushcreatives)

Opened in 2023, Rufio isn’t your archetypal gluten-free and vegan-friendly kitchen. There are plenty of those dotted around Melbourne now. But this St Kilda favourite takes a Latin American twist, filling the minimalist dining space with the wafting aroma of lobster tostadas, cheesy empanadas, and corn tamales.

With the kitchen’s grill doing all the hard work and flavours packed tightly, the drinks list skews fun with no less than six different margaritas that are constantly changing. The well-dressed restaurant may look classy and calm, but there’s a certain energy in the atmosphere that we could never get enough of.

Owned by the same team behind Elwood stalwart Repeat Offender, the Rufio feels like it’s carved out a new era of St Kilda dining.

Cuisine: Latin American
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Busy and sociable
Location: 188 Carlisle St, St Kilda

19. Post Office Club Hotel

the al fresco dining space at Post Office Club Hotel, St Kilda restaurants — Pull up a chair on the relaxed outdoor deck. (Image: Post Office Club Hotel)

The long-standing Post Office Club Hotel is always coursing with energy, but from Friday to Saturday afternoon, things really dial up a notch.

This is when you should be heading along to this popular Melbourne pub, where simple is best and the pub food takes a classier turn with the likes of steak frites, and prawn toast with smoked chilli aioli. Our top tip: head along on a Wednesday when the steak frites is $29.50 as opposed to $44

Cuisine: Pub food
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Energetic and loud
Location: 306 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda

Discover the best brunch spots in Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.