AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests


When you're planning an event - whether it’s a stylish soirée, an alfresco long lunch or a casual office celebration - finding the right venue with exceptional catering can make all the difference. From elegant winery spaces to cool cafés and burger joints with big flavour, these venues deliver not only delicious food but memorable experiences designed to impress.

Here are six standout catering venues where quality, creativity and service come together seamlessly.

Black Poison – Five Dock, NSW

Housed in a converted warehouse, Black Poison brings design-savvy style to the streets of Five Dock. Known for its signature 'Thiccs' (hearty gourmet rolls), small-batch baked goods and smooth specialty coffee, this family-run café is big on flavour and even bigger on personality. The industrial-chic space is equal parts refined and welcoming, making it an ideal base for casual corporate functions or creative event catering.

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests

The catering game is strong - offering boxes stacked with buttery croissants, indulgent Thiccs, fresh sweets and savoury delights that deliver just the right blend of indulgence and practicality. Every item is prepared in-house with a focus on seasonality, making it the perfect go-to when you want to feed a crowd with flavour and flair.

Level up your catering game - get in touch with Black Poison for your next event.

Soft Café – Geelong West, Vic

Soft Café has become a go-to destination in Geelong for more than just its excellent Inglewood coffee and family-friendly brunches. With a dog-friendly alfresco area, dedicated meeting room and a relaxed vibe, it’s a venue that suits everything from kids’ parties to weddings and cocktail-style receptions.

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests

The catering options are flexible and extensive - offering customisable menus for everything from low-key lunches to cocktail weddings, complete with canapé-style service and mingling-friendly fare. Whether it’s a banquet or alternate drop, they’ll work with you to craft the perfect food experience that reflects your style and occasion.

Say goodbye to boring catering - plan your next function with Soft Café’s expert team.

Jimmy G’s Café – West Gosford, NSW

Nestled in Riverside Park, Jimmy G’s Café brings Central Coast charm to every plate with a Modern Australian menu peppered with Italian and South American touches. The space offers both indoor and alfresco dining, making it a relaxed yet refined spot for all-day gatherings and catered events.

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests

From baked eggs with spicy tomato to the standout steak sandwiches, Jimmy G’s is all about fresh, vibrant food made from locally sourced ingredients. With a bespoke coffee blend and a kitchen that’s consistently on-point, it is a top pick for casual catering with soul.

Planning a get-together? Contact Jimmy G’s to organise a flavour-filled catered experience.

The Pickled Sisters Café + Restaurant – Rutherglen, Vic

Surrounded by vines and infused with rustic charm, The Pickled Sisters in Rutherglen offers one of the High Country’s most versatile and picturesque catering venues. Choose from three event-ready spaces: the chic heritage interior, a leafy courtyard or alfresco dining under a grapevine canopy.

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests

The catering offering includes everything from cocktail functions to long, luxurious lunches and bespoke degustation dinners. With a menu built on the region’s finest produce and flexible packages tailored to your needs, this is the kind of venue where both food and setting leave a lasting impression.

Make your event truly regional and remarkable - enquire now at The Pickled Sisters.

Two Fat Buns – Essendon, Vic

For something less formal but packed with flavour, Two Fat Buns in Essendon is your go-to. This burger joint serves up big, bold American-inspired eats with a side of fun. Think rustic interiors, a laid-back vibe and a menu filled with burgers that demand two hands and a serious appetite.

Top Catering Venues to Impress Your Guests

When it comes to catering, the sliders are the hero - perfect for birthdays, office parties and casual celebrations where good food is the priority. From mac and cheese croquette-stuffed burgers to spicy kofta creations, each bite brings cheeky satisfaction and crowd-pleasing appeal.

Need catering with serious street cred? Lock in Two Fat Buns for your next function.

Whether you’re planning a rustic vineyard celebration or a buzzy cocktail-style catch-up, these venues bring thoughtful menus, beautiful settings and genuine hospitality to the table. Catering shouldn’t just feed your guests - it should wow them and with these options, you’re already halfway there.

Featured Locations

Cafe    $$$$$

Black Poison

Tucked into a converted industrial warehouse in Sydney’s Inner West, Black Poison on Queens Road in Five Dock is a family-run cafe and bakery built on tradition, creativity and community. The space...

Cafe    $$$$$

Soft Cafe Geelong

Synonymous with Geelong for many years, Soft Café on Minerva Road in Herne Hill is renowned for great quality food, drink and friendly service in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Pumping out ...

Modern Australian    $$$$$

Two Fat Buns Essendon

Those craving American-style burgers and slow-cooked brisket in Essendon head to Two Fat Buns on Mt Alexander Road. Rocking a black and yellow colour palette, this Melbourne burger joint oozes rust...

Modern Australian    $$$$$

The Pickled Sisters Cafe + Restaurant

Discover a regional restaurant committed to the best local food, wine and friendly service at The Pickled Sisters Café on Main Street in Rutherglen. This rustic, high-ceilinged winery café boasts a...

Cafe    $$$$$

Jimmy G's Cafe

Nestled in Riverside Park, Jimmy G's Café on Central Coast Highway in West Gosford offers a warm, inviting atmosphere with both indoor and alfresco dining options, perfect for a relaxed breakfast o...

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