15 Best Restaurants In The Dandenong Ranges (2024)

Come for the greenery, stay for the food, here’s how to plot a culinary itinerary around the Dandenong Ranges.

The Dandenong Ranges is well-known as a playground for outdoors enthusiasts, a hop, skip and a jump away from the Yarra Valley.

But the region is home to plenty more than just a swathe of enchanting greenery.

In between the scenic lookouts, fern-draped trails and winding, tree-lined roads, you’ll find teahouses with ornamental gardens, cosy pubs with plenty of character, smart-casual Modern Australian restaurants and schmick cafes dishing up inventive fare.

Read on to uncover the best restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges.

The shortlist

Best Value: Ms Banh Mi

Best drinks list: Killik Handcrafted Rum

Best for dinner: The Independent

Best for casual eats: White Thai Ginger

1. Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen

Best for: South Indian food, interiors

This vivaciously decorated restaurant (both inside and out) is a bright beacon of hope for those who crave authentic South Indian food. Specialising in Keralan cuisine, Babaji’s is perhaps best known for its sadya: a meal composed of many small dishes, served together on a banana leaf. Typically, it’s vegetarian and reserved for special occasions.

Here, the sadya includes 12 different morsels, which vary depending on the season, but might include papadam, sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew), rasam (a tomato and tamarind broth), or payasam (a ‘rice pudding’ made with vermicelli, sago, cashews and raisins).

Babajis Kerala serves homely Indian food.

Beyond Babaji’s banana leaf feast, you’ll find standalone dosas, curries, and deep-fried street food snacks on offer too.

Address: 1/1644 Burwood Hwy Belgrave

2. Chae

Best for: Exclusivity, Korean food

Don’t even think about rocking up to this Cockatoo restaurant without a reservation. A hallowed Melbourne institution, formerly located in Brunswick, Chae operates a lottery system that can entail a months-long slog to get in. Accommodating just six diners per sitting, this intimate Korean restaurant is actually situated within chef Jung Eun Chae’s house.

It’s worth the wait, however. Showcasing foods that require time- and labour-intensive practices, which few other more commercial kitchens could justify, lucky lottery winners might sample gam-sikcho (a Korean persimmon vinegar that can take over a year to ferment and age adequately), homemade kimchi and gochujang, and a selection of house-brewed drinks, such as barley tea and makgeolli (a sparkling rice wine liquor).

Address: 33 Mountain Rd, Cockatoo

3. Paradise Valley Hotel

Best for: Relaxed meals, views

If it’s good pub grub and schmick surrounds you’re after, Paradise Valley Hotel could be the venue for you. While a pub has occupied this spot since 1882, ‘The Clemo’ (found in the small township of Clematis) is anything but old-timey inside. It reopened in late 2019 under the careful guidance of some of Melbourne’s hospo heavyweights, and has emerged into an airy, bright, modern, quasi-minimalist bar and bistro, with a leafy beer garden that offers front seat views of local icon Puffing Billy.

Since its reboot, one dish in particular has become a signature: the duck and mushroom pithivier, served with mashed potato, spinach and lentils, and composed, almost entirely, of Victorian-sourced ingredients.

Address: 249 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Clematis

4. Bam Bam Italian

Best for: Parents, Italian food

Parents, rejoice! This neighbourhood Italian joint not only serves an enticing array of pizza and pasta, it also boasts a gorgeous fully fenced playground and turfed play area, which is fully visible from the restaurant’s own family dining room. There’s a kid’s menu and baby change facilities to boot. And did we mention that this Avonsleigh venue is also entirely wheelchair-accessible?

Dog owners aren’t left in the dark either. Bam Bam Italian’s front outdoor dining area is available to fur babies and their humans, with dog water bowls and a nature strip in easy reach.

the dining of Bam Bam Italian — Bam Bam Italian also caters to humans with furry friends in the outdoor dining area.

Address: 445 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Avonsleigh

5. White Ginger Thai Restaurant

Best for: Thai food, a casual dinner

Something of a local institution, White Ginger Thai Restaurant is not short of local ambassadors; they wax lyrical about the authentic flavours as much as they do the warm, attentive service.

This isn’t the spot for groundbreaking fusion food. Instead, you’ll find a comforting roll call of Thailand’s greatest hits, from green curry to tom yum soup, spring rolls, pad Thai and neua nam tok (Thai beef salad).

Address: Unit 4/1526-1528 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

6. Killik Handcrafted Rum

Best for: Cocktails, a fun night out with friends

Don’t let the name of this Belgrave establishment fool you; there’s much more to Killik than rum. Part distillery door, part smart casual eatery, cosy Killik offers a little something for any occasion.

Killik restaurant — Killik offers a little something for any occasion.

A lazy Sunday arvo for two, accompanied by a share board (cheese, cured meats and house-fermented pickles) and a gin tasting paddle* perhaps? A hot buttered rum for one next to the fireplace on a quiet winter’s eve? Or a full-on ‘feed me’ feast with friends, devouring dishes such as cauliflower and truffled pecorino beignets, cured scallop carpaccio, and housemade linguine served with pesto Trapanese? Take your pick at Killik.

*Killik is also home to gin distillery GinFinity .

Address: 64 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave

7. Lorna Cafe, Ferntree Gully

Best for: Coffee, breakfast, cake

At the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, this whitewashed minimalist cafe has a breakfast menu that strikes the perfect balance between salubrious and indulgent.

Keep hunger at bay all morning with a plate of southern fried chicken that sits atop a cheesy waffle bed, drizzled with jalapeno maple sauce and speckled with gremolata. Or fuel up with a nourishing bowl of cinnamon myrtle porridge sprinkled with spiced walnut crumb and festooned with poached pear pearls.

Lorna serves up an enticing array of towering cakes to boot, should you feel like stopping by for a tea and a slice.

Address: 1053 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully

brunch meals at Lorna Cafe — Lorna Cafe’s breakfast menu is a trendsetter in the Dandenong Ranges. (Image: Lorna Cafe)

8. Maria Cafe, Upwey

Best for: Vegan, Mexican

Sister venue to Lorna Cafe, we couldn’t not give this Upwey venue a shout-out. Though the fitout and design here bears a fair resemblance to its Ferntree Gully sibling, the menus are surprisingly distinct, with Maria featuring a decidedly Mexican lean .

Beyond the standard eggs Benny and smashed avo you’ll find beef birria tacos, baked eggs with frijoles (refried beans) and chilaquiles (fried tortilla chips simmered in a brothy sauce). There’s also a solid selection of vegan items for those so inclined, such as tofu scramble and jackfruit birria tacos.

Address: 56-58 Main St, Upwey

meal at Maria Cafe — Maria Cafe is all glammed up, from chic interiors to aesthetically pleasing plates. (Image: Maria Cafe)

9. The General Food Store, Emerald

Best for: Lunch

Small in size but big on accolades, husband-and-wife team Paul and Belinda Douglas – a chef and a graphic designer, respectively – craft The General Food Store ’s monthly menu based on what’s in season.

With quirky pardon-the-pun dish names like Flame and Fortune (chilli scrambled eggs with housemade sambal), and The Juan That I Want (smashed avo with pico de gallo and a poached egg), the menu is as creative as the food.

The cafe caters for food intolerances and offers a sizable kid’s menu to boot, plus owners Paul and Belinda are committed to supporting local producers, local artists (whose work is exhibited in the cafe) and stepping lightly on the earth – check out the worm farm in the courtyard.

Belgian waffles at The General Food Store, Dandenong Ranges restaurants — Their Belgian waffles have macerated strawberries and toasted pistachios on the side. (Image: Sam Stuart)

Address: 377 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Emerald

10. Olinda Tea House and Restaurant

Best for: High tea, setting

While this Olinda venue is open for both lunch and dinner six days a week, it’s the Asian fusion restaurant’s high tea that has become something of a signature.

Featuring savoury and sweet morsels (think macarons, profiteroles, croquettes and pork buns) alongside a selection of internationally sourced teas, the offering is as ornately presented as Olinda Tea House and Restaurant ’s immaculately manicured gardens.

Address: 86 Olinda-Monbulk Rd, Olinda

pastries at Olinda Tea House, Dandenong Ranges restaurants — Satisfy your sweet cravings with these decadent pastries. (Image: Olinda Tea House)

11. The Pig and Whistle Tavern, Olinda

Best for: Lunch, setting

The sun-dappled deck at this English-style pub is an inviting spot to while away a summer’s afternoon post-hike, but there are several more reasons to visit.

Not only are the portions generous, but the tavern’s roast pork belly and parmies (Italian, Irish, Southern-style, or classic) in particular keep the locals coming back for more. Chase it all down with one of The Piggy’s British beers, such as Old Speckled Hen, London Pride or Hobgoblin.

Address: 1429 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

burger and fries combo, The Pig & Whistle Tavern — The Pig & Whistle Tavern is your go-to stop for a classic brunch. (Image: The Pig & Whistle Tavern)

12. Ms Banh Mi

Best for: Lunch, value

Located just on the cusp of the ranges lies this ever-reliable pork roll shop. Crusty rolls are filled with tender and juicy hunks of freshly roasted pork and crunchy crackling, and laced with slivers of carrot, chilli, cucumber and coriander.

Ms Banh Mi ’s Vietnamese iced coffee also receives top marks – it’s so moreish that you may in fact want to hook yourself up to a drip of it. Better still, you can buy both and still leave with change from a $20 note.

crusty rolls, Ms Banh Mi — Crunch-filled delight at Ms Banh Mi. (Image: Ms Banh Mi)

Address: 253 Colchester Rd, Kilsyth South

13. Le Voltaire Bistro Francais, Belgrave

Best for: Dinner, French

Le Voltaire Bistro Francais is the type of consistently good neighbourhood restaurant that everyone wishes they had just around the corner. And given the culinary pedigree of its owner, Jean-Noel Langlet, who moved to the area after 20-odd years as a waiter at Melbourne institution, France-Soir, it’s little surprise.

Offering all the Gallic classics (with a few Australian twists), his menu mightn’t win any awards for boundary-pushing, but it has won a legion of fans.

Expect moules marinière, canard à l’orange, oysters shucked in front of you and, of course, snails, alongside house-churned butter, bread made from scratch and a well-balanced wine list of new- and old-world styles.

Address: 1677 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave

14. Citrine Bistro and Bar, Olinda

Best for: Lunch, Modern Australian

One of the smartest restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges region, both in terms of its refined Modern Australian menu and impeccably styled interior, Citrine is a bit of a failsafe local go-to .

The dining room is warm and homely – its open fireplace, tables dressed in white linens, and timber bookshelves decked with books and vintage curios lending a bit of a stately home feel.

The menu is similarly inviting, showcasing seasonal ingredients in familiar ways alongside daily specials. Sample everything from handmade spinach and ricotta tortellini to calamari fritti and cider-roasted pork cheek.

Address: 543 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

Calamari, Citrine Bistro & Bar — Calamari fritti with lemon aioli makes for a great appetiser. (Image: Citrine Bistro & Bar)

15. The Independent, Gembrook

Best for: Dinner, share plates

Rustic, industrial charm is taken to the next level in this heritage-listed hardware-store-cum-restaurant that attracts diners from near and far. The Independent specialises in Argentinian cuisine, to reflect chef/owner Mauro Callegari’s heritage, and features a variety of share plates that are guaranteed to satisfy your taste buds as well as your appetite.

This Dandenong Ranges restaurant also caters well to those with dietaries, offering a slew of dishes to suit vegetarians, vegans, coeliacs, or those with intolerances to dairy, onion and garlic.

And if indecision overwhelms your party, opt for the chef’s set menu, which promises a seven-course tour de force.

Address: 79 Main St, Gembrook

Lime cured scallops, The Independent Gembrook — This lime-cured scallop dish could be your new comfort food. (Image: The Independent Gembrook)

Check out our Victoria travel guide, so you can read up on the very best the region has to offer.

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)

15 of the best restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges for 2024