Eat your way through the Yarra Valley, ticking off these culinary highlights.
The restaurant at Levantine Hill underwent a transformation following the departure of Teage Ezard, the celebrated chef of Gingerboy and Masterchef fame. His fine-dining restaurant has been taken over by the Jreissati family, who own Levantine Hill, and is now a more casual affair featuring a menu inspired by the Jreissati's Lebanese heritage and old family recipes.
Don't let the word 'casual' fool you. The vibe may be different, but the food is still on another level and of the highest quality imaginable, from the seasonal snack plate with baba ganoush to the uber-fancy Beluga caviar. A matching wine is suggested with every dish, taking the stress out of picking a pairing while maximising the flavour combinations.
For those that can't choose between dishes – and hey, we completely understand – there's a degustation option featuring either three, five or seven dishes. There's an extensive list of options to pick from, including lamb rump with spiced yoghurt and Ora King salmon gravlax with saffron-pickled nashi pear, as well as optional sides like truffle fries and shucked oysters. And cheeses, of course.
Head Chef Mark Ebbels may be a local boy, but his international experience is vast and impressive. He honed his creative talents at Heston Blumenthal's three-Michelin-starred restaurant 'The Fat Duck' in the UK, as well as Michelin-starred 'Bacchanalia' in Singapore, before returning home to the Yarra Valley to take up the role at TarraWarra. Here, he champions a sustainable food philosophy guided by local, seasonal produce.
The restaurant's menu is designed around TarraWarra's extensive kitchen garden, so expect winter veggies like pumpkin in the colder months, tomatoes in autumn, and citrus and stone fruits sourced from the surrounding trees. For those after for a more laid-back lunch, the TarraWarra team have also put together a grazing picnic hamper that includes hummus, fresh bread, cheese, charcuterie and sausage rolls. Bring a rug, pick a spot on the lawn and the ever-friendly staff will be on hand to provide you with wine. It's the perfect opportunity to finally pair a pinot noir with a hot sausage roll.
Oakridge has ethical eating down to a tee. Executive Chef Aaron Brodie took charge in 2020 after four years as Head Chef under Matt Stone and Jo Barrett, who remain at the cutting edge of sustainable, zero-waste food production. Brodie is putting his own spin on the sustainable style pioneered by Stone and Barrett, making use of local produce and the winery's kitchen garden to create an evolving menu based on the seasons.
It's not just the veggies that are grown locally either; the charcuterie – wagyu bresaola, emu mortadella, kangaroo saucisson – is all homemade, while the lamb (served with smoked eggplant and hazelnut dukkah) comes from just down the road in Yeringberg. The flour is milled on-site and even the crackers are made from leftover bread, meaning nothing goes to waste here.
Hidden among green, rolling hills, the Yarra Valley Dairy is one of the region's culinary highlights. If you like cheese, that is. It operates out of a century-old milking shed and sells a huge variety of cow and goat's cheese including a Perisan feta once crowned the world's best. A cheese tasting will only set you back a couple of dollars, so you're sure to find something you love, while local jams and chutneys are also available.
Done with tasting? Then take a seat and enjoy the full experience, ordering a cheese platter to complement the valley views. Add locally farmed smoked trout, charcuterie from artisanal Yarra producers and a glass of wine from the extensive local wine list for an unforgettable afternoon.
We're calling it: every wine region should have a chocolaterie. The Yarra Valley's has been open since 2012 and quickly became an essential stop on any road trip. It's set on 40 acres and sells over 250 choccy products, but it's so much more than a simple shop, as you'll discover after visiting the showroom and taking part in one of the daily tastings.
Want more than a taste? How about a Rocky Road or choux pastry workshop? Or a children's chocolatier class and chocolate high tea? And we haven't even mentioned the rotating flavours of ice cream, which are made using locally sourced ingredients and seasonal fruits.
