Top food and wine destinations on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road
Planning a trip along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road? From beautiful views of the rugged rocky shorelines of the Southern Ocean (don’t miss the 12 Apostles!), through to canopies of rainforest, verdant farmland and calm coastal towns, this diverse road tour is one of Australia’s most loved holiday destinations. It’s a journey well and truly experienced by the Best’s team over the years, part of our local stomping ground. Whether you start from the Bellarine Peninsula and head west along the coast or begin your journey at your chosen destination, the Best’s team has compiled a list of the best spots to dine and enjoy a glass of Best’s Wine or pick up a bottle from a wine store on your way.
Queenscliff
Shelter Shed Bar & Eatery
Wines from the local regions dominate this casual eatery’s wine list. You’ll find a good selection of Best’s Wines by the glass at Shelter Shed Bar & Eatery to accompany Murray Valley pork cutlets or mussels steamed in white wine.
Farm Foods Queenscliff
Stop in at Farm Foods to purchase aged free-range and grass-fed meats, as well as local wines (including Best’s) with complimentary pairings with local dry goods and a large selection of soft and firm cheeses and tasting plates. Perfect for a light lunch.
Point Lonsdale
Noble Rot
This specialist wine store sells local and imported wines and offers in-house drinking of your purchases and wines by the glass and accompaniments in the form of local produce. Be sure to visit Noble Rot!
Barwon Heads
Barwon Heads Wine Store
This specialised store stocks one of the best ranges of wine, beer, cider and spirits, with a strong focus on local producers. Check out Barwon Heads Wine Store today.
Annie’s Providore
Eat in or take away produce from this well-established gourmet food store. From tasty salads and terrines to house-made pizzas and a fantastic kids’ menu, Annie’s is a local institution with an Italian flavour.
Geelong
Bottles & Barrels
Get in early and grab poached eggs, smashed avocado and goat’s cheese for breakfast at Bottles and Barrels.
Union Street Wine
Looking for an intimate venue to stop for a glass of interesting wine and a plate of food to match? Then Union Street Wine is the perfect place for you. Part fine wine store, part wine bar, this place let’s you buy wine at bottle shop prices, then drink it at the bar with fresh jamón, cheese and olives.
Igni
In Latin, igni means “fire”. Drop in here for a fine meal, indeed, and expect your food to be licked with a flame from the wood-burning grill. Choose from five or eight courses and wines from an ever-evolving wine list.
Alma
Alma Restaurant offers South American-style share plates with a modern edgy fit-out. Are you a gluten-free diner? The food is protein heavy with lots of interesting takes on local vegetable produce.
Torquay
Corks Crew Cellars
The team behind Corks Crew Cellars fine wine store has more than 40 years’ experience in the wine world. Drop in to purchase a quaffer, a mid-range drop or a rare and aged beauty from the cellar. Best’s full range of wine is available here.
Aireys Inlet
The Aireys Pub is a great family-friendly venue, serving Best’s Bin No. 1 Shiraz by the glass year-round and Rosé by the glass in summer. It’s an iconic drinking establishment with a fascinating backstory. The 1983 Ash Wednesday fires burned this pub to the ground. Until it was rebuilt, it operated out of a tin shed. In 2011, when the business closed, developers circled and a town with no pub was on the cards. In a last-minute victory, a group of locals pitched in and saved it from destruction. It’s since been renovated and reinstated as one of the country’s greatest coastal pubs.
Birregurra
Brae
If you can get a table at Brae, one of the world’s finest restaurants (it’s number 44 in the 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurants), grab it. Best’s Foudre Ferment Riesling is often matched with one of the dishes on the dégustation menu, and there’s also a small selection of museum wines available.
Apollo Bay
Chris’s Beacon Point Restaurant & Villas
Overlooking Bass Strait, set high above the Great Ocean Road, this place is popular among gourmet travellers and wine aficionados. The food is modern with a Southern European and Middle Eastern twist. Fresh seafood is the specialty, along with popular Greek dishes and an emphasis on showcasing the flavour of the ingredients. Best’s Riesling is available by glass check it out here.
Warrnambool
Hotel Warrnambool
Choose from tasty honest pub fare or fine restaurant food at this historical hotel. Fancy a glass of Best’s scarce Pinot Meunier or Bin No. 0? Grab it at the Hotel Warrnambool.
Port Fairy
Conlans Wine Store
Located in the historical seaside town of Port Fairy, Conlans Wine Store sells fantastic wines in its wine room but also serves delicious fare, with share plates and cured meats available for dining in.
Merrijig Inn
This is Victoria’s oldest inn. Located across from Port Fairy’s historic wharf area on the banks of the Moyne River, Merrijig Inn is open for dinner Thursday to Monday, with a daily menu of dishes whose ingredients are sourced from local artisan producers and farmers. The in also has its own vegetable and herb garden with resident chooks who are the star of the show. And the amazing wine list offers great local and imported options by the bottle and the glass.
Dunkeld
The Royal Mail Hotel
This local institution boasts the most extensive collection of Best’s museum wines outside of Viv Thomson’s private collection, and stocks current vintage Best’s Wines year round. We’re lucky to have this highly acclaimed accommodation and dining destination only one hour’s drive from Best’s. The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, with its glorious kitchen garden and amazing location, showcases local produce in its dinner service, and elegant accommodation.
Grampians Providore
Fancy fresh fruit on your road trip? The Grampians Providore makes great coffee, gourmet treats, fresh fruit and veg, basic groceries and local produce like Grampians Pure Sheep Dairy Yoghurt and Mount Zero Olives.
