Victoria’s regional towns once lost their most promising hospitality talent to the bright lights of Melbourne. But there’s a correction under way – some of our best chefs are now found in the country. Which means that some of the most exciting recommendations in the forthcoming Age Good Food Guide 2025 are for restaurants that ask diners to clock up a few kilometres on the road.
But whether you’ve travelled to Rutherglen or Red Hill, the reward is obvious once you sit down. Genuinely warm service, ambitious menus from low-waste to high-concept, and ingredients often grown right outside the kitchen (or close by) define many of these venues. In the past five years, the number of hatted regional restaurants has almost doubled, from 24 in 2019 to 46 in the last edition.
The number of award-winners from regional Victoria is also growing. Last year, for example, Bar Merenda in Daylesford won Bar of the Year , a category normally dominated by Melbourne venues. Many pundits trace the excellence of regional dining to pioneering Daylesford fine-diner Lake House, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year .
Farm-to-table cooking, destination dining, sustainable practices, kitchen gardens, and a chic yet arcadian look are hallmarks of today’s top regional restaurants. All these characteristics have long been part of Lake House’s DNA. Founded by Alla Wolf-Tasker and her late husband Allan, Lake House is one of five finalists for The Age Good Food Guide 2025 ’s Regional .