From two-hatted fine diners to classic pubs, cafes and a bustling (dog-friendly) Sunday market, there’s no shortage of things to do or places to dine in Daylesford. These are our top nine picks.
For decades, Victorians have set the compass for this culinary playground in pursuit of leisure and luxury. Some for markets and breakfasts. Others for spas and fine dining. Whatever your speed, rainbows end here, an hour north of Melbourne, in the rich volcanic soil of the Central Highlands. Whether it’s a heritage pub plating heirloom produce or a 360 pampering at an acclaimed retreat, Daylesford’s reputation as both icon and innovator holds. And somehow, every visit tastes better than the last.
Winespeake Cellar & Deli
The first thing to know about the gourmet wonderland of Daylesford is that all roads – physical and metaphorical – lead to Winespeake Cellar and Deli. One of Victoria’s best-loved bottle shops, it’s stocked to the hilt with limited-edition local releases and worldly pleasures in equal measure. Fancy tinned fish and local cold cuts abound, too – some even make delicious appearances in their outstanding toasties. Bring a market trolley, fill it with one of everything, pour it out on the lounge room carpet and have yourself an Airbnb picnic for ages.
4/26 Vincent Street, Daylesford, winespeake.com.au
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Lake House
In a sacred dining room overlooking a quiet lake, truffle-studded honey falls over triple-cream cheese and French toast – an escarpment of ripe butterfats. Dessert is one of hundreds of luxuries at the two-hatted Lake House, Australia’s defining country indulgence for 40-plus years. Its chief comfort, though, might simply be choice: four courses with three to five options each. Some pleasures can be bought: a seasonal bounty of Lake House-grown produce, or chardonnay reared on that same blessed terroir. And the restaurant’s Dairy Flat Farm is an agricultural universe unto its own. Book a bee-keeping class with Dan the Bee Man and consider the astonishing contribution the insects make to our environment.
4 King Street, Daylesford, lakehouse.com.au
Kadota
Daylesford-born chef Aaron Schembri – who trained at Osaka’s three-Michelin-star Hajime – works with wife Risa Kadota to craft a quietly assured experience where local produce speaks with a serene Japanese accent. The two-hatted restaurant’s interiors feel part home and part gallery, with pale wood ceilings, calligraphy scrolls on charred walls and lotus-root light shades. It’s a fine stage where every gesture, from the pouring of tea to the folding of napkins, feels intentional and attuned to the season.
1 Camp Street, Daylesford, kadotarestaurant.com.au
The Royal Daylesford Hotel
You can’t go wrong at a Daylesford pub. If you’re after a pint, an honest feed and a good view of the big game, post up in the sports bar at The Royal Daylesford Hotel and order one of 10 different parmas, or choose from pizzas, burgers and other pub classics that span the lengthy menu. Seating spills out to picnic tables on the lawn adjacent to Albert Street in summer, while a roaring wood fire warms punters in the colder months. (The accommodation here is surprisingly good, too.)
4/27 Vincent Street, Daylesford, daylesfordroyalhotel.com.au
Daylesford Hotel
If you prefer your counter meal with a side of cheffy panache, make for Daylesford Hotel. Chef Rob Kabboord (ex-Quay)’s menu of finessed pub fare also reveals his fondness for Dutch drinking food – don’t snooze on the rabbit bitterballen. Daylesford experts mourning the closure of beloved Italian hangout Beppe will be heartened to find their pizza now on the menu here, too. A beautiful building, a beautiful menu.
2 Burke Square, Daylesford, daylesfordhotel.com.au
Bar Merenda
Bar Merenda became a destination in its own right when it debuted to unanimous acclaim in 2021. It recently moved into two-storey digs, where the casual, blackboard-scrawled offering and thrilling wine list that won it its fanbase continues on the ground floor. Meanwhile, upstairs at Bistro Merenda, a four-course menu is powered by local growers and farmers, and bolstered by an optional wine pairing. The spirit of the original lives on through owners Andy and Claire Ainsworth’s exceptional service. (And turntable selections!)
117 Vincent Street, Daylesford, barmerenda.com.au
Wombat Hill House Cafe
You don’t need to go far to find good coffee and breakfast in Daylesford. But if you do fancy a stroll, Wombat Hill House Cafe eagerly awaits your custom at the peak of the majestic botanic gardens. Run by the team that brought you the Lake House and its inestimable pleasures, a morning here is best spent with a brekkie pizza, a cup of joe, and a gentle traipse through these magnificent gardens.
Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens (entry off Central Springs Road, Daylesford), wombathillhouse.com.au
Cliffy’s Emporium
A semi-canopied street, a spaghetti-western frontage and 1950s advertisements for tea and cocoa colour this Daylesford icon categorically cute. An adorable edit of pantry fillers lines its walls, while in the kitchen, poached eggs are plated with tabbouleh and cardamom yoghurt and ferried out to hungry weekenders and locals alike. Great coffee is a guarantee, and the visual merchandising deserves a medal – budget extra time for browsing.
30 Raglan Street, Daylesford, cliffysemporium.com.au
Daylesford Sunday Market
A visit to the bustling (and dog-friendly) Daylesford Sunday Market is a no-brainer (assuming it’s a Sunday). Located at the historic train station, there are up to 130 stalls to peruse each week selling everything from top-notch biltong to beef-tallow facial products. Crafts, plants, clothes, antiques, jewellery, tools and abound, too – and you can even ride the train! Hungry? There are loads of hot food stalls, and you’ll find more than a few marketeers fuelling up with a barbecued potato rostis topped with fried eggs and beetroot curry.
18 Raglan Street, Daylesford, daylesfordsundaymarket.com.au
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide
Frank Sweet is editor of The Age Good Food Guide 2026 and a former food and drink editor at Time Out Beijing.
