Pack your appetite and settle for nothing less than the best. It's time for a Geelong and Bellarine culinary adventure, a journey that takes in big names and as-yet-unknowns, urban back streets, historic edifices and ocean vistas. And then there's the food – so local and so fresh you can practically have a conversation with it.
Dining scene on fire
Ignite the appetite in the back streets of Geelong. Awarded two hats by the Good Food Guide 2020, Aaron Turner's Igni has set the city's dining scene alight since opening in early 2016, and the sparks have quickly blown further afield. Get a reservation while you still can and savour the taste of the region in the creative vegetable-driven tasting menu.
Over in West Geelong, Tulip provides a floral interlude in Pakington Street's cafe society. Tulip is as bright, elegant and yes, pretty, as the name suggests. The kitchen team works wonders with the region's bountiful produce, and the wine list spans Victoria.
Merne at Lighthouse is the place of choice for those who love a meal to be an occasion. Located in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula, the restaurant offers panoramic views of the surrounding farms, dairies, orchards and vineyards, and menus featuring the freshest local produce.