10 Best Yarra Valley Restaurants For 2025

Whether you’re day-tripping from Melbourne or packing your bags for a Yarra Valley escape you’ll be spoilt for choice when it’s time to dine.

Good food and wine go hand in hand and Yarra Valley restaurants are a perfect fit for one of Australia’s best wine regions. From fine dining to top pub grub, here are some of the best spots to treat your tastebuds.

From winery restaurants to those set within converted stables and chalets, Yarra Valley chefs are creating dishes that are worth travelling for.

1. Greasy Zoe’s

Best for: a fancy date night

Just on the cusp of the valley, this intimate eatery consistently numbers among the pages of The Age’s Good Food Guide. And rightfully so. Helmed solely by wife-and-husband team Zoe Birch and Lachlan Gardner, this cosy timber and brick venue accommodates just eight diners at any one time.

Greasy Zoe’s degustation menu worships at the altar of seasonal, local produce, the dishes listed among it changing near-daily. Expect impeccable, minimalist platings, a tightly curated drinks list, and plenty of hygge vibes.

Given the restaurant’s stature, its small size, and the fact that it’s open just three days a week, advance bookings are a necessity.

Address: 3/850 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road, Hurstbridge

2. No.7 Healesville

Best for: Small plates and lo-fi wines

A frontrunner among the new wave of creative and relaxed restaurants shaking up the region’s historically formal, fine-dining culture, No.7 Healesville is a triple threat. It features artfully styled modern Australian share plates; an impressive selection of organic, minimal intervention wines from across the globe; and a beautifully styled, French-leaning ‘laissez-faire’ interior, complete with a chalkboard menu, art prints and countless bottles adorning the walls.

No.7 Healesville is an urban winery, restaurant and cellar door.

Housed within the lofty walls of a former cabinet maker’s factory, No. 7 has pedigree: it’s the sister restaurant to Stones of the Yarra Valley, and hosts regular guest chef cameos as well as wine list takeover events.

Address: 7 Lilydale Rd, Healesville

3. Emerald City

Best for: An out-of-the-ordinary dinner

The Yarra Valley’s most unexpected and unusual dining establishment? This could be it. Open since early 2024, Emerald City seats just four diners, and is hidden behind a velvet curtain, at the back of Healesville whisky bar Cavanagh’s Whisky and Alehouse . It’s the first solo venture from renowned local chef Joel Alderdice, formerly the head chef at TarraWarra Estate .

Emerald City Yarra Valley — The multi-course menu is ever-changing, playful, and colourful.

Joel’s playful, ever-changing, multi-colour, multi-course menu is laced with bold, punchy flavours. Expect up to 15 plates, with sample dishes including tempura pine mushroom seasoned with freeze dried miso, and wafer thin hibachi-grilled pork jowl topped with ribbons of daikon and fuchsia salvia flowers.

Address: 207 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville

4. Locale

Best for: Italian food

While Italian influences can be found in almost every corner of this beautiful region, few restaurants are as staunch in their approach as Locale . Family-owned and run, De Bortoli Wines has the heritage to back its Italian focus too.

Inspired by the trattorias of Northern Italy, the menu at this Yarra Valley winery restaurant is an ode to Il Bel Paese’s best dishes: think charcuterie, arancini, bruschetta, risotto, spaghetti, tiramisu, and more.

Address: 58 Pinnacle Ln, Dixons Creek

5. Levantine Hill

Best for: Fine dining and architecture

Inside Levantine Hill — The architecture at Levantine Hill is as exquisite as the food.

At Levantine Hill , where some guests arrive by helicopter and with private chauffeurs, you can limber up with a bespoke food and wine flight where house-made snacks have been created to match some of the rarest and most expensive wines in the world.

Levantine Hill helicopter. — You can arrive at Levantine Hill via helicopter.

If you’d rather skip ahead to the main event you can choose between four or six plates of Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a space designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, the firm that created the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) in Tasmania.

Levantine Hill menu — Mediterranean-inspired dishes are served alongside some of the rarest wines in the world.

Address: 882 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream

6. 1309 at Balgownie Estate

Best for: Modern Australian with a view

After losing Rae’s Restaurant to a mid-lockdown fire in 2020 the team at Balgownie Estate now have an even bigger and better space thanks to a multi-million dollar rebuild.

Interior view of 1309 Balgownie Estate — The interior dining room is warm and inviting. (Image: Neisha Breen)

The new restaurant, 1309, includes a 100-seat dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic Yarra Valley views, a refurbished deck, private dining spaces and a function room.

Patrons dining on the deck at 1309 Balgownie Estate — Spend a lazy afternoon dining on the deck at 1309 Balgownie Estate. (Image: Neisha Breen)

Standouts on Executive Chef Aidan Gallagher’s modern Australian menu include the cured hiramasa kingfish, warm smoked duck breast and a ginger almond crumble with candied macadamia and crispy fried sage.

1309 Balgownie Estate smoked duck breast — The smoked duck breast is a highlight of the current menu. (Image: Neisha Breen)

Address: 1309 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen

7. Oakridge

Best for: Hyper-local dishes and long lunches

Thanks to its ever-evolving and seasonally changing menu we can’t tell you what you might find at Oakridge Restaurant when you visit. But we do know that whatever it is, it won’t have come far before it was transformed into something special in the kitchen.

As well as growing a lot of his own ingredients in the kitchen garden, Executive Chef Aaron Brodie is committed to a hyper-local menu and only using ingredients from local farms. It’s Thursday to Monday lunchtime dining only at Oakridge, where those lunches can be very long.

Address: 864 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream.

8. Yering Station

Best for: Casual and elegant dining

Next door to the chateau in the Yarra Valley’s oldest vineyard, Yering Station is home to a light and bright contemporary restaurant where huge glass windows look out over lush fields with grazing cattle.

Diners at Yering Station in Yarra Valle — Dine at Yarra Valley’s oldest vineyard Yering Station. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Open seven days a week for lunch the restaurant has a focus on small, local growers and guests are invited to not only peruse the full range of Yering Station wines but also try exclusive releases and special back-vintages. Lunch can also be enjoyed as part of a helicopter voyage from Melbourne’s CBD.

Address: 38 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen

9. Quarters at Huberts Estate

Best for: Flame-grilled dishes and desserts

A new addition to the Yarra Valley winery restaurants list, Quarters opened its doors in March 2022 as part of the new-look Huberts Estate .

Quarters at Huberts Estate Yarra Valley — Quarters at Huberts Estate is the latest winery restaurant to join the mix in Yarra Valley.

Led by local Eltham resident and Executive Chef Michael Smith, the modern Australian and European dishes are cooked over wood and charcoal in the custom-made grill, while the pizzas that are cooked in an Italian-made Marana Forni oven can be traced back to the sourdough starter that Smith started in lockdown.

Menu at Quarters at Huberts Estate Yarra Valley — The majority of the menu at Quarters is cooked over wood and charcoal in the custom-made grill.

And with a team of pastry chefs working on the sweet treats you may need to activate that separate dessert corner of your stomach to enjoy it all.

Address: 1-3 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream

10. The Stables at Stones

Best for: Chef’s table experience

Back in 1868, The Stables at Stones was used as the sleeping quarters for St Huberts’ winery stable hands. Flash forward more than 150 years and it’s now a boutique restaurant with a focus on sustainable and ethical produce.

Inside The Stables at Stones Yarra Valley — The Stables at Stones was once used as the sleeping quarters for St Huberts’ winery stable hands.

The restaurant is only open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays and has a private dining room where up to nine guests can enjoy the Chef’s Table.

Menu at The Stables at Stones Yarra Valley — The food at The Stables at Stones is divine.

Executive Chef Samuel Eng changes the Chef’s Table menu every night while sommeliers pair the latest dishes with a selection of wines.

Address: 14 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream

The Stables at Stones menu — Treat yourself to the Chef’s Table menu with wine pairings.

Originally written by Amanda Woods with updates by Chloe Cann.

For more insider tips and advice, read our ultimate travel guide to Yarra Valley.

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

a couple on Mount Oberon — Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.

the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland — Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The best bush hikes in Gippsland

the Baw Baw National Park — The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland — Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park — Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park — The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the WildernessRetreats in The Prom — Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

Eating there

the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.