The best places to eat and drink on the Mornington Peninsula

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A magnet for gourmands and explorers alike, the best way to get to know the Mornington Peninsula is by eating your way through it.

Thanks to a rich history of local farming and fishing, the Mornington Peninsula boasts an abundance of sea and fresh produce. Whatever is in season often dictates the menus of surrounding establishments, which means you can taste the harvest cooked to perfection at esteemed eateries.

 

Take a backcountry drive along the peninsula and fill up on delights for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here are our picks.

Breakfast/brunch

Commonfolk

Tucked in the depths of Mornington’s industrial pocket, Commonfolk Coffee is the perfect alfresco hipster hangout. The warehouse-cum-café is kitted with fairy-lights, exposed beams and beautifully tattooed staff, ready and waiting to sling you their house-roasted blend. Twenty cents from every coffee helps set up sustainable farms in Uganda, adding a morale boost to your morning brew. Choose a meal from the contemporary menu to accompany it. Heroes include the banoffee-inspired smoothie, breakfast burrito and the customisable poke bowls – all starring produce from the onsite garden.

Commonfolk Coffee Mornington Peninsula
Commonfolk Coffee is the perfect alfresco hipster hangout

Merchant & Maker

McCrae favourite Merchant & Maker has been dubbed the best café on the Peninsula three years running. Thanks to an innovative menu and recent interior makeover, modern breakfast classics fly out the door daily. White chocolate and mascarpone mousse pancakes, chipotle braised beans with slow-roasted pork belly, zucchini and chickpea fritters matched with goat’s curd. Pair it with a coffee from sibling roasters Commonfolk and you’ll be ready for a day of beach-hopping.

Merchant and Maker McCrae
Merchant & Maker has been dubbed the best café on the Peninsula three years running

Captains of Rye

Opposite the beach on Rye’s Point Nepean Road, owner Rob Capa describes his café as “Brunswick, but 20 years ago." The graffiti-clad space has a real rustic charm, kitted out with mismatched furniture, pin-up girls plastered to the walls and a hearty menu. Eggs benny is the winner here, as well as their generous-sized house burgers.

Captains of Rye, Mornington Peninsula
Come for the vibes, stay for the rainbow pancakes

Nordie Café

Taste a bit of Scandinavia right in the heart of wine country. Find Nordie among the familiar strip of Red Hill shops with a dark façade and green benches. The menu contains all the classics, as well as some Scandi additions you mightn’t be familiar with, such as smørrebrød, an open rye sandwich, or the Copenhagen hotdog, a locally-made bratwurst with all the embellishments. An adjoining mini-mart stocks local produce and small goods, as well as a selection of HAY furniture.

Nordi Cafe Red Hill
A bit of Scandi style and culture on the Peninsula

Mr. Curtis

The best views in Mount Martha are just par for the course at Mr. Curtis . This tapas bar serves dishes inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, think falafel poached eggs, saganaki or a spiced chickpea salad. Grab a table on the wraparound deck and watch breakfast blur into lunch, and lunch into dinner. Local cakes and pastries are usual fare here, as well as favourites Commonfolk coffee and daily specials.

Mr Curtis Mt Martha
Inviting and warm vibes at Mr Curtis

Lunch

Rare Hare

If you’re planning a trip to the Mornington Peninsula, Jackalope  undeniably needs to be a part of your itinerary – if not to stay, then to eat and appreciate. The hotel’s more casual bistro, Rare Hare , offers a great place to sit and enjoy a long lunch. Enjoy duck leg, barramundi wings and wood roasted zucchini – or if you’ve overindulged at breakfast, this is the spot for a lighter offering such as a charcuterie plate and a glass of wine. Just beware, spaces fill quickly (even on weekdays) so book your table yesterday.

Rare Hare Jackalope
Rare Hare offers a great place to sit and enjoy a long lunch

Polperro

Polperro comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from an upscale Peninsula winery. Premium pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris are served by the glass and bottle, surrounded by a colourful kitchen garden and sundrenched deck. Enjoy a long lunch in summer with duck confit, arancini and stracciatella, then kick on with drinks and tunes into the early evening.

Polperro winery Mornington Peninsula
Polperro comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect

Paringa

Two hatted Paringa Estate is one of the most celebrated food and wine destinations in the Peninsula. A plush interior and slick Corbusian façade provide the perfect backdrop for a midday sojourn. Outside, the undulating vineyard slopes are only one-upped by the field of roaming Toulouse geese. The tasting menu rotates seasonally, utilising local produce every step of the way. Beef sourced from Gippsland, pork from the Western Plains of Victoria and seafood from the local coast. Wash it down with a glass of one of three series wines.

Paringa Estate Mornington Peninsula
Lunch at Paringa is a bucket-list experience

                                                          

The Epicurean

Housed in a former historic cool store and packing shed, Red Hill’s Epicurean is a restaurant and event haven in the hinterland. The Shed is the onsite restaurant, serving wood-fired pizzas to the masses alongside plant-based mains, salads, cheese boards and classic sides. As well as food, the venue also has space for a bar and a selection of local wines for mini-tasting sessions.

Red Hill Epicurean
Red Hill’s Epicurean is a restaurant and event haven in the hinterland

Ten Minutes By Tractor

Stop for a no-brainer lunch at the breezy two-hatted Ten Minutes By Tractor. The eponymous restaurant with almost-too-beautiful-to-eat dishes overlooks the vines, where you can chat with winemakers who are changing up their practices and moving towards full organic cultivation. A new cellar door recently opened if you want to sample a few but haven’t got time for a meal ­– the winery was impacted by fire a while back and the reinvigorated cellar door experience is impressive. The name, by the way, refers to their vineyards, which are all just 10 minutes from each other by tractor. Clever, hey!

Ten Minutes By Tractor
The name refers to their vineyards, which are all just 10 minutes by tractor

Dinner

Doot Doot Doot

We weren’t kidding – Jackalope is a must when you come to the Peninsula. Neighbouring the aforementioned Rare Hare, Doot Doot Doot is executive chef Guy Stanaway’s one-hatted fine-dining restaurant. On offer is a five-course tasting menu that makes the most of the plentiful produce from local providores on the peninsula. The space is aesthetic and warm, mostly thanks to Jan Flook’s ceiling light installation of 10,000 amber globes that dim and brighten with a shimmering effect.

Doot Doot Doot Jackalope
We weren’t kidding, Jackalope is a must

Fish Fetish

As the day reaches its pointy end, head straight for Fish Fetish on Sorrento’s main Ocean Beach Road. This humble joint has been around forever which explains the lines that form out the door on most given afternoons. Pick your poison off the blackboard menu hung above the hard-working staff. Non-soggy chips, a decent bit of fish, maybe a dim sim or calamari to mix it up, a wedge of lemon, some salt, brown or white vinegar, some tomato sauce and that’s it. Head straight to any stretch of Peninsula sand and enjoy. PS: don’t feed the seagulls.

The Portsea Pub

Heralded as the wealthiest postcode in Australia, Portsea is the last town on the Mornington Peninsula. The luxurious little village is a sanctuary by the sea, and its pub is the heart and soul of the region. A recent upgrade to the venue and adjoining hotel was more than a lick of paint, adding a rotating art gallery, panoramic beer garden on the water’s edge and a few bars. Cliff’s Bar is a California-inspired burger bar with all the trimmings. Neighbouring RIP Bar will serve whisky to lure guests in the cooler months, and the second-floor Bertram Bar has panoramic ocean views.

Portsea Pub
The Portsea pub is is a sanctuary by the sea

DOC Mornington

Come for the top-notch pizza, stay for the charming service. DOC Mornington serves as the sister outfit to Carlton’s celebrated venture, featuring an adjoining Italian supermarket. You’ll find mozzarella and salumi of honourable provenance plus a great Italian-leaning wine list to back it all up. Simplicity and tradition are key here, so don’t expect complicated toppings. The San Daniele with DOP buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto is a signature, while the Pizza ai Porcini with wild mushrooms, mozzarella, pecorino and truffle oil is more than seductive.

DOC pizza Mornington
Your Peninsula plans should definitely involve pizza
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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

    Angela SaurineBy Angela Saurine
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    From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

    Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

    Budj Bim cultural landscape  

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

    eel tank
    The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

    Dumawul walkingtour
    Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

    Kooyoora walking tour
    Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Kingfisher Cruises  

    Kingfisher Cruises
    Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

    wawa biik 

    Taungurung leaders
    Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

    Bataluk Cultural Trail  

    Bataluk Trail
    Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

    Healesville Sanctuary  

    echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
    Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

    The Grampians 

    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.