The Best Restaurants in Daylesford

The charming town of Daylesford is one of Victoria’s best regional getaways, with luxurious spa retreats, cosy cottages and storybook landscapes luring holidaymakers from all over. It’s also a magnet for food lovers, home to everything from historic gastropubs and European bistros to hatted fine diners. Book these venues while you’re there to devour Spa Country’s most delectable fare.

Bar Merenda 

This is far and away my favourite dining experience in the past few years. With old-worldly charm abundant, Bar Merenda is a casual neighbourhood wine bar-cum-eatery you need to pull up a seat in, pronto. 

It has a constantly evolving menu that sits somewhere between bistro and tapas, written by hand on a hanging chalkboard.

The food keeps things local, championing seasonal produce from around the area to create simple yet satiating dishes like olive focaccia, winter veggies with buffalo mozzarella and Osso Bucco Milanese.

For the wine, they venture a little further showcasing drops from Piemonte, Tuscany and Sicily alongside Victorian producers such as Young Gun of Wine. These guys also do an epic Negroni – have one for me, will you?

Shop 3/22/24 Howe Street, Daylesford 

Kelsey, Melbourne Editor

Le Bouchon at Attwoods

A zippy 10 minute drive from Daylesford lands you in the lush grounds of Atwoods Wines. Their onsite restaurant, Le Bouchon at Attwoods, offers French fine dining in relaxed surrounds. Chef Sean Marshall uses produce from the kitchen garden to create a five-course menu that changes monthly. Whether it’s duck a l’orange with braised endive, truffle poached lobster or a perfectly constructed salted caramel tart in front of you, rest assured one their exquisite cool-climate wines will make for happy pairing.

260 Green Gully Road, Glenlyon

Lake House

The two-hatted Lake House is a heavyweight of Daylesford’s dining scene. Here, truly seasonal fare is served in a gorgeous sunlit setting by a passionate and accomplished team. They produce almost everything onsite, from growing vegetables and baking bread to even curing their own charcuterie. Enjoy magnificent views of treetops and lake shores as you dine on dishes such as butter poached pheasant with chestnuts or spring lamb with asparagus and morels. After dessert, move onto the outdoor deck for an aperitif under the stars.

4 King Street, Daylesford

Kadota

Fine diner Kadota has won a flurry of acclaim and national interest for their approach to slow and restorative dining. Japanese-trained owner and chef Aaron Schembri has an impressive CV, having worked at a three Michelin star restaurant in Osaka along with stints at the Press Club and Saxe back home. With Kadota he and his wife have created a calming, timber-filled venue in which they serve a seasonal seven course menu that could include fresh sashimi, XO pork dumplings and wagyu sirloin steak.

1 Camp Street, Daylesford

Sault

Set on a beautiful 125-acre estate overlooking rolling fields of lavender, Sault is a destination restaurant unlike any other. The seasonal, modern Australian menu showcases regional produce alongside herbs, vegetables and fruits grown on site, with sumptuous dishes such as market fish with beurre blanc and avruga caviar. What’s on the plate is only half the experience, however – the stunning country house setting offers intimacy and elegance, while a post-meal walk around the nearby lake, lavender farm and forest stirs memories of regional France.

2349 Ballan-Daylesford Road, Sailors Falls

Du Fermier

Du Fermier is a little like eating at someone's home. Highly lauded chef Annie Withers creates a seasonal menu each weekend. Sometimes the dishes are plated, sometimes shared, and always they revolve around what is being harvested from the garden or taken from the store cupboard. The food is based on classic French farmhouse dishes that are to be enjoyed with friends and family. It arrives to your table as 4-course set menu and can also be enjoyed with matched wines from their carefully procured wine list. It's one of the best restaurants in Daylesford region for a gourmet experience you won't soon forget. 

* Open for lunch Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Reservations essential. 

42 High Street, Trentham 

Bistro Terroir

Schedule a delicious rendezvous at Bistro Terroir, a French neighbourhood bistro located in the heart of Daylesford. Terroir is the passion project of chef-owner Matthew Carnell, who brings experience cooking in Michelin-starred restaurants in France to a relaxed, intimate venue of his own. Dive into classics like crab soufflé, beef tartare and steak frites, paired with lush wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. While the cuisine may stick to tradition, their dramatic black and exposed brick fitout is starkly contemporary.

6/8 Howe Street, Daylesford

Boathouse Daylesford

Fancy a long lunch with a view? The Boathouse Daylesford is located right on the banks of Lake Daylesford, meaning tranquil vantage points from any table, but particularly when seated on the al fresco dining deck. The fare is simple and refreshing – start with oysters and gin-cured ocean trout before moving onto grilled fish, pastas and salads for mains. Take your time and soak in the surroundings over a glass of local wine and a vanilla crème brulée for dessert.

2 Leggatt Street, Daylesford

Frank & Connie’s Kitchen

Dining at Frank and Connie’s Kitchen is like pulling up a chair in the family home, with generous share-style meals and specials on the blackboard. The restaurant is named after owner Caliopi Buck’s Greek grandparents, so expect to find Mediterranean favourites such as honey-drizzled saganaki and loukoumades on the menu, but also comforting country dishes like creamed potatoes and gingerbread slice. Every dietary requirement can be catered for – just call ahead so Caliopi can prepare something delicious for you.

97 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

The Surly Goat

If you enjoy being surprised (in a good way!) you’ll love dining at The Surly Goat, where diners concede full control to the kitchen. This beloved restaurant, which overlooks a leafy gully in Hepburn Springs, offers a four course menu that changes week to week depending on what’s freshest and most inspiring. Drawing ideas from all over the world, you could be treated to snacks like prawn and spanner crab stuffed chicken wings, picked mussels with chips or goats cheese Paris-Brest. The staff here are some of the friendliest in town, while the wine list champions local drops.

3 Tenth Street, Hepburn Springs

Beppe

This charming neighbourhood trattoria serves modern Italian cuisine worth travelling for. Framed by elegant leadlight windows and local artwork, Beppe sports both a casual pizza bar and a more formal restaurant. Expect moreish antipasti, crisp woodfired pizza, silky handmade pasta and hearty mains, while to drink there’s an impressive list of local and Italian wines, liqueurs and spirits. Beppe inhabits a site once belonging to the 19th century Athens Hotel, and celebrates the energy and culture European migrants have brought to Daylesford since gold rush times.

32 Raglan Street, Daylesford

The Virgin Kitchen 

Pristine and fresh, The Virgin Kitchen marries cultures and unites taste buds in an exquisite setting. Nestled within the charming and elegant Hotel Bellinzona, this part café, part restaurant, part gallery boasts original artwork adorning its walls and an ethos that revolves around an unadulterated showcasing of local produce. Every plate served up is in support of the region's finest producers.

Enjoy delightful meals all day long in their beautiful gardens, easily making it one of the best restaurants in Daylesford.

77 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

Winespeake

A bonafide paradise for wine and cheese lovers, Winespeake is a cellar and deli in the heart of Daylesford tailor made for the lull between lunch and dinner. They’ve got a stunning range of local and imported pâtés, parfaits, charcuterie, cheeses and accompaniments that you can buy or enjoy in house with a crusty baguette and a glass of fine wine. 

4/26 Vincent Street, Daylesford

Betel Boy

Betel Boy is bringing vibrant pan-Asian cuisine and zingy cocktails to Daylesford’s main street. The restaurant’s energetic, contemporary design makes it perfect for groups and get-togethers, offering a menu made for sharing. Start with snacky entrées like DIY veggie rolls, spiced chicken ribs and duck leg pancakes before moving onto nourishing mains ranging from earthy eggplant Penang curry to crisp barramundi salad. It's one of the best restaurants in Daylesford for a gourmet night out. 

57A Vincent Street, Daylesford

Daylesford Cider Co

Reminiscent of an English-style tavern, Daylesford Cider’s cellar door is an all-seasons beauty worth putting on your itinerary. In summer their expansive courtyard comes alive with merrymaking groups sipping tasting paddles and playing bocce, while in winter you’ll find people huddling inside over hot spiced cider. Their crowd pleasing menu is top rate too, with fresh wood fired pizzas, generous grazing platters and beer snacks keeping punters sated.

155 Dairyflat Road, Musk

Daylesford Brewing Co

Where better to spend a slow afternoon than Daylesford Brewing’s flagship taproom and restaurant? Pair their ever-evolving range of craft beers with on theme snacks like smoked beer sausage, beer hop pickles and chicken pâté served with porter jelly. If you’re after something more substantial, they also do a killer fried chicken burger layered with double cheese, crispy prosciutto and chipotle aioli. With sunshine streaming through the windows and comfy outdoor couches, this is a place you’ll want to stay a while.

97 Vincent Street, Daylesford

Farmer’s Arms Hotel

This historic gastro pub – open since 1857 – is a must visit while you’re in town. Behind the ivory-trailed brick façade and arched leadlight windows is a pillar of the community and some of Daylesford’s finest bistro cooking. The Farmer’s Arms serves an ever-changing menu, sourcing local produce for dishes such as beef tartare, mushroom pate with port jelly, venison pot pie, coq au vin, and burnt Basque cheesecake to finish. Glowing with country charm and hospitality, cosy up in their cushioned booths with a glass of wine to feel like a proper local.

2 East Street, Daylesford 

Taj Mahal Authentic Indian Restaurant

Taj Mahal Authentic Indian Restaurant, a pioneer of Indian cuisine in Daylesford, invites you to indulge in a diverse menu featuring traditional recipes from various regions of India alongside contemporary dishes crafted with local produce.

Helmed by Head Chef Jaswinder Singh, who boasts over 25 years in the industry, highlights of the menu include pani puri and spinach pakora, tandoori chicken, lamb rogan josh, beef vindaloo, aloo gobi and prawn masala. We promise you, you'll leave absolutely filled to brim and all the happier for it!

51 Raglan Street, Daylesford 

Plan the perfect Daylesford holiday with our complete guide to a girls weekend away in Daylesford, top picks for accommodation and list of must-dos while you’re there.