Australia’s regions are where dining feels most alive - salt on the breeze, mist in the pines, vines on the hills and surf at your back. This quartet of standout venues offers four different ways to eat and linger beyond the capital cities.
From Bribie Island’s waterfront ease to Blackheath’s fireside mountain warmth, from the Huon Valley’s vineyard calm to Bulli’s beer-splashed coastal buzz, each stop is rooted in place and poured with personality. Pack an appetite, take the scenic route and let these tables remind you the best meals come with a view and a story you’ll want to retell later.
Out on Bribie Island, @ The Jetty greets you with salt air and soft light. Timber boards warm underfoot as the tide breathes below, carrying laughter and seabird calls. From the kitchen comes the perfume of the sea: just-shucked oysters, grilled prawns and fish crisped to golden edges.
A bowl of spaghetti tangled with chilli and crab tastes like a holiday, while bright salads and charred lemon lift every bite. Boats drift by like daydreams, water flashing silver at dusk. A drink sweats beside you and the island night settles in kindly. You eat slowly, smile often and leave quietly grateful.
In Blackheath’s cool mountain hush, Blaq feels like a warm secret. Dark timber, soft lighting and a low murmur of conversation set the scene while mist clings to the street outside. The kitchen leans into the seasons: slow-braised lamb, earthy mushrooms and vegetables roasted until sweet at the edges.
Plates arrive artful yet comforting, laced with native herbs and deep, smoky sauces. Warm bread tears open with a sigh of steam; dessert lands like a quiet celebration of citrus and spice. You linger, watch the fog roll past and leave glowing, as if the mountains wished you gentle goodnight too.
Home Hill Winery Restaurant rests in Ranelagh’s rolling greens, a quiet invitation to slow down. Vines line the slopes and the air carries eucalyptus, woodsmoke and the cool touch of the Huon Valley. Inside, sun pools on timber tables, with windows opening the room to wide, gentle views.
The kitchen follows the season’s lead: tender local meat, delicate seafood and vegetables picked at their sweetest, finished with herbs and a tumble of brightness. Glasses echo the landscape - fresh and generous, made for lingering. Conversation softens and every bite feels stitched to the view. You leave lighter, carrying the valley with you.
Resin Brewing in Bulli hums like a friendly garage by the sea. You step in from the coastal air to warm brick, shining tanks and the easy clatter of glasses. Hops perfume the room - pine, citrus, a little wild - while the kitchen sends out comfort with a grin: blistered pizzas with charred crusts, loaded fries and burgers that drip with smoky goodness.
Plates are built for sharing, for mopping up sauce between sips. The crew chats like old mates and strangers become table-friends over trays passed down the bench - the last bite tastes of surf, smoke and home.
