The Palace gastro pub specialises in modern Australian food and can also cater for any occasion in private dining rooms. The venue is pretty special, but the food is the star and head chef MJ serves up some of the best modern pub food around, like roast lamb rack with spiced eggplant puree, veal osso bucco with mashed potato, and banana tarte tatin.
One of Melbourne's newest venues already has a glowing reputation thanks to some old school recipes. After a recent refurbishment, the Grosvenor is perfect for any occasion, which could have something to do with their team of Italian chefs.
The Palace Hotel
505 City Road, South Melbourne
Ph 03 9699 6410
www.thepalacebylukemangan.com.au
Grosvenor Hotel
10 Brighton Road, St Kilda East
Ph 03 9531 1542
www.grosvenorhotel.com.au
The Convent at Daylseford
The Convent Gallery is a Daylesford must do, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. With so much to do on site, you might as well stay the night. The Convent's newest place to stay and indulge is Monastiraki. It means little monastary, which is appropriate as it's between the fives spires of Daylesford's church precinct, but the accommodation is boutique and it's a converted 1920s federation home with artwork in every room. There's also a tempting store at the Convent that specialises in unique jewellery, fashion and accessories, and you can visit to the restored chapel and nun’s museum and have a meal at the Mad Habbits cafe and a drink the Altar bar.
The Convent Gallery
Corner Hill and Daly streets, Daylesford
Ph 03 5348 3211
www.conventgallery.com.au
Sweet treats
For sweet indulgence, Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio has recently opened in South Yarra. English born pastry chefs Ian Burch and Darren Purchese mostly make ready-to-go or special-order cakes, but you can also get ice cream, chocolate bars, jam, a box of their signature edible flowers or a meringue cloud.
And if your sweet tooth wants more, head down a cobbled laneway off Coventry Street in South Melbourne, where a once-empty warehouse has been transformed by chef Andrea Reiss. The new space is Chez Dre Patisserie and Boulangerie and is open for breakfast and lunch. But you may not get past the feature cabinet full of madeleines, gateaus and macaroons.
Burch and Purchese
647 Chapel Street,South Yarra
Ph 03 9827 7060
burchandpurchese.com
Chez Dre Patisserie and Boulangerie
285–287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne
Ph 03 9690 2688
chezdre.com.au
Chewton
Red Brick Barn is on a private three-acre property in picturesque Chewton, about a 90-minute drive north-east of Melbourne. It may look like it's been there for centuries, but this barn is only three years old and was built from recycled and reclaimed materials. It's been furnished with an eclectic mix of European and early Australian antiques, a smattering of French industrial furniture and lighting, Turkish kilims and rare Depression pieces from regional Australia. You only have to go outside to be at the start of a walking track and 15 minutes down the road is the wonderful Bold Garden Nursery and Bold Cafe.
Bold Garden stocks a wide range of hardy Australian and exotic species, but what really sets it apart is its large collection of original garden art. Bold Cafe is known for its wholesome, home cooked food with a welcome east-meets-west flavour.
Red Brick Barn
11 Manchester Street, Chewton
Ph 0409 489 573
www.redbrickbarn.com.au
Bold Garden Nursery
146 Duke Street, Castlemaine
Ph 03 5470 6028
www.boldgarden.com
Bold Cafe
146 Duke Street, Castlemaine
Ph 03 5470 6038
High Teas
Spring Street's Hotel Windsor offers the most famous high tea in Melbourne. The hotel has been serving high tea since it opened in 1883 and long-time fans look for the traditional feathery vanilla scones, while smiling at the recent weekend addition of a dessert buffet, chocolate fountain and ice cream stand.
Across town in Armadale, there’s a new high tea trend at Cooper and Milla’s in High Street, where you can enjoy your treats in the store, or they can bring it to your home.
For a traditional country style tea, Chateau Yering in the Yarra Valley has a high tea on Sundays. There are scones with jam and cream, petit fours and other French delights, all with a cup of tea or a glass of sparkling. And you get to enjoy it in English country-style rooms filled with antiques.
The Hotel Windsor
111 Spring Street, Melbourne
Ph 03 9633 6000
thehotelwindsor.com.au
Cooper and Milla’s
1094 High Street, Armadale
Ph 03 9500 8127
Chateau Yering Historic House Hotel
42 Melba Highway, Yering
Ph 03 9237 3333
chateauyering.com.au