Where To Celebrate Lunar New Year 2024

It’s a Lunar New Year tradition to enjoy a special meal with loved ones. Here is our guide on where to celebrate this special occasion around Australia.

Lunar New Year 2024 falls on 10 February when the Year of the Dragon begins. In Australia, many nationalities join in the festivities by heading out to restaurants to feast on ‘lucky food’ over the 16-day event. From dishes of jiaozi (dumplings) to signify wealth or tangyuan to promote family togetherness, we give you our guide on where to feast while ushering in the Year of the Dragon (more specifically the Wood Dragon) in 2024. Gong hei fat choy.

NSW | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | NT | ACT

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in NSW

Est., Sydney

Chef Dan Hong will be shaking up tradition at the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Mahjong Club event at Est. alongside the star of Crazy Rich Asians, Remy Hii.

Chef Dan Hong with Crazy Rich Asians, Remy Hii at Est — Chef Dan Hong with *Crazy Rich Asians* actor, Remy Hii at the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Mahjong Club event.

In-between tile tournaments led by a mahjong master, guests will be treated to bite-sized dishes such as rock lobster bao and wagyu skewers paired with bespoke Johnny Walker Blue Label cocktails. The Lunar New Year 2024 event will be held for one day only on Saturday 17 February, between 1.30pm and 9pm.

rock lobster bao and wagyu skewers at Est — Feast on bite-sized dishes such as rock lobster bao and wagyu skewers.

Address: Level 1/252 George St, Sydney

Redbird Chinese, Sydney

In Sydney, Lunar New Year is a multicultural event. Perhaps you’re craving a greater connection with your heritage. Or maybe you just want to get to know the city of Sydney by eating your way around its best restaurants.

The Lunar New Year 2024 banquet at the neighbourhood eatery ticks both boxes. Bec Lines and Hamish Ingham will draw on the legacy of the Lunar New Year for the special set lunch menu at Redbird Chinese in Redfern. It will also hero the eponymous, red-braised bird to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.

a table-top view of fodd at Redbird Chinese, Sydney — Taste your way around the menu at Redbird Chinese. (Image: Nikki To)

Address: 99 Redfern Street, Redfern

Grain Bar

Take note of the message in your fortune cookie: ‘An exciting opportunity lies ahead of you’. Then brush your moustache and get yourself down to the Grain Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

The bar will be celebrating the Lunar New Year in Sydney with a collab with the international team from an award-winning bar in Guangzhou, China. The Grain Bar will also be the gateway to a good time with contemporary cocktails full of masterly flourishes. The two takeover sessions are scheduled for 9 and 10 February.

people raising their wine glasses at Grain Bar — Welcome the Lunar New Year with a toast.

Address: 199 George St, Sydney

Darling Square, Sydney

Those who bounced from spot to spot in Darling Square for 2023’s Year of the Rabbit will know how to navigate around the Asian eateries dotted around this buzzy precinct.

the Darling Square twinkling with lights during the Chinese New Year — Darling Square is festooned with fairy lights and Chinese lanterns.

Feeling lucky? This year’s festivities will include a lantern giveaway with every visitor who spends $50 or more at a Darling Square retailer receiving a free lantern.

Darling Square is part of the Darling Harbour precinct, one of Sydney’s many revitalised hubs. Expect dragon boat races, lion dancing, live DJs, jet pack water shows and fireworks each weekend from 10 to 25 February.

Chinese lanterns at the Darling Square — Ring in the Lunar New Year at Darling Square.

Address: Tumbalong Blvd, Darling Square

Harvest Buffet, Sydney

Those born in the Year of the Rooster, Rat, Monkey, Dragon and Snake will be counting their blessings in 2024. According to Chinese horoscopes, these are the signs that will have the most luck and fortune in the coming year.

The abundant buffet at Harvest Buffet at The Star Casino includes bao and prawns, oysters and salads. — Uplift your spirits with new beginnings.

The traditional lion dance is central to the Lunar New Year celebrations at The Star . But it’s the bountiful spread at Harvest Buffet that will really make you feel fortunate. The options are endless but the most decadent of all the dishes is the steamed slipper lobster e-fu noodles.

Person using chopsticks to enjoy dumplings at Harvest Buffet at the Star Casino Sydney. — Have your chopsticks at the ready to devour dumplings at Harvest Buffet.

Address: Level 1, 80 Pyrmont St, Sydney

Pearl Dining

The Lunar New Year lunch at Pearl Dining is steeped in rituals. The four-course exclusive banquet includes a yee sang salad of abalone, lobster and kingfish that diners toss for prosperity. Dragons are associated with assuring bountiful harvests in Chinese culture which Pearl Dining has taken full advantage of with its 10-course menu.

Lean into the symbolism of Lunar New Year by watching the captivating Lion Dance Performance and going into the draw to receive random red envelopes. The $168 set menu is available for tables of four or more. It includes auspicious dishes such as wok-fried scallops, dry-aged double-roasted duck and a lucky chocolate box.

A whole baked fish at Pearl Dining pictured on a plate with chillis and coriander. — Scale up… and order the steamed fish at Pearl Dining.

Address: Young St, Quay Quarter Tower, 50 Bridge St

Luna Lu, Sydney

Lunar New Year attracts up to 1.3 million visitors to the nation’s capital according to the City of Sydney. Connect with this auspicious date on the cultural calendar by attending a dumpling master class at Luna Lu . Dumplings are traditionally eaten at Lunar New Year to draw in good luck as they’re shaped like ancient Chinese money.

A sustainably focused restaurant with Opera House views. — Treat your Valentine to Opera House views at Luna Lu.

The restaurant, which boasts Sydney Opera House views, is hosting a special set menu to welcome the Year of the Dragon 2024. It’s also bringing to the table its famed dumpling classes ($100 per person) run by celebrated chef Davide Maiuri who has worked in prestigious four-Michelin-starred venues around the world.

Making purple dumplings at Luna Lu — Enjoy Luna Lu’s famed dumpling classes.

Address: 5, 7-27 Circular Quay West, Campbells Cove, The Rocks

Aria, Sydney

Aria executive chef Tom Gorring has designed a limited-edition Lunar New Year menu that will showcase some auspicious ingredients indeed.

The Peking duck consommé with abalone, shiitake and coriander and Southern rock lobster with XO sauce and handmade noodles will dazzle as much as those Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge views. Invite good fortune for the Year of the Dragon with each spoonful of the raspberry, lychee, white chocolate and coconut dessert. The seven-course tasting menu is available from 10 to 24 February.

a table-top view of food at Aria — Dine on a seven-course tasting menu at Aria. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Address: 1 Macquarie St, Sydney

Star Capital Seafood Restaurant, Sydney

One of the best things about dining out in Sydney is to see how deeply our multicultural population has influenced the hospitality scene.

The Chatwood Year of the Dragon Festival leans into the Lunar New Year with a lantern parade, dancers, traditional costumes and music from 1 to 25 February. Head to Star Capital Seafood for xiao long bao or trawl through the LNY stalls that will line Victoria Avenue for the duration of the celebration.

Address: 399 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood

Lilymu, Parramatta Square

The Lunar New Year is a great time to experience Lilymu at Parramatta Square where crowds converge for home-style meals with modern accents. Lunar New Year is for everyone at Lilymu, as the pan-Asian eatery sits at the intersection of culture, cuisine and tradition.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, the Lilymu team has curated a menu of exclusive dishes for guests to enjoy such as the wagyu rib-eye on the bone. It’s elevated in this instance with Japanese hot mustard, yuzu nori and a ginger shallot relish. Fortify yourself with a few cocktails before enjoying these crowd favourites. Each guest receives a lucky red pocket with a $20 voucher redeemable at future reservations.

a close-up of food at Lilymu, Parramatta Square — Celebrate this auspicious occasion at Lilymu. (Image: Nikki To)

Address: 3 Parramatta Square, 153 Macquarie St, Parramatta

The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, Marrickville

Wish your loved ones a happy Lunar New Year with a special edition rice lager called ‘Hawke’s Lucky Lager’. Commit to a few tinnies and make the lazy Susan work by giving it a couple of solid spins to send the spicy ‘Dragon Wings’ your way. Born in the Year of the (Wood) Dragon? You’ll receive a $10 pint for being so auspicious.

Lucky red envelopes and fortune cookies laid out on an ornate tablecloth at the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre in Marrickville Sydney. — Push the envelope for Lunar New Year at the Lucky Prawn in Marrickville. Credit: Nikki To

The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is a venerable modern-day Marrickville institution. Hawke’s Brewing Co has partnered with the Lucky Prawn for the festivities, which will include a cymbal-clashing cameo from the Jin Wuk Koon Lion Dancers. The restaurant is a retro throwback to the Chinese restaurants from our childhood: think patterned carpet and paper chandeliers. Expect Hawke(r)-inspired dishes such as special fried rice, sweet and sour pork and other Cantonese classics.

A banquet laid out on a table at the Lucky Prawn for Lunar New Year in Sydney — Expect good fortune to be bestowed upon you at the Lucky Prawn. Credit: Nikki To

Address: 8-12 Sydney Road, Marrickville

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in Victoria

Spice Temple, Melbourne

Gold bao buns. Abalone. Tea eggs. Insider intel tells us these are just a few of the auspicious dishes that will be on offer at Spice Temple in Melbourne as part of its Lunar New Year 10-course banquet.

The menu curated by chef Andy Evans is a masterpiece, designed around celebratory dishes that “promote peace, prosperity, happiness, peace, love and other aspects of good fortune". Those looking for love should save room for the Jasmin tea parfait with mandarin sauce.

an array of dishes on the table at Spice Temple, Melbourne — Indulge in the menu curated by chef Andy Evans at Spice Temple.

Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

Moonhouse

The Year of the Wood Dragon symbolises longevity, wealth, prosperity and happiness. Make way for incoming luck this Lunar New Year by getting together with the extended family and following the unyielding scent of soy, garlic and ginger to Moonhouse .

The 110-seater restaurant dishes up classic Chinese yum cha dishes on Saturdays and Sundays and is a celebration of Melbourne’s colourful culinary fabric.

a half roast chicken at Moonhouse — Don’t miss out on their special roast chicken.

Address: 282 Carlisle St, Balaclava, Melbourne

Panda Hot Pot

This 228-seater former Dracula theatre restaurant roared back to life when it was rebooted as the first Australian iteration of China’s Panda Hot Pot chain. The fact it has a 1.5-tonne steel dragon presiding over the two-storey dining room means it’s retained a sense of drama.

But instead of vampire-themed cabaret, the theatrics now involve live cultural performances year-round. It’s like stepping through a door into ancient China. The spicy Sichuan hot pot is served with a floating dragon which seems suitably auspicious.

a giant dragon inside Panda Hot Pot — A giant dragon statue welcomes you upon entering Panda Hot Pot.

Address: 1056-1060 Dandenong Road, Carnegie

Din Tai Fung Emporium

Brush up on the art of eating xiao long bao without losing the encased soup before booking a romantic night out at Din Tai Fung Emporium for the Lunar New Year. That way you can dig in to devouring as many dumplings as you can handle which will ensure you have good luck in 2024.

You can see the chefs demonstrating the art of bao jiaozi (wrap dumplings) in the glass-walled kitchen. They pleat, you eat. And then repeat.

Address: Level 4/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

Firebird

Tết Nguyên Đán is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. And this wood-fired Vietnamese restaurant in Prahran will be running a special Tết menu to celebrate the ‘Festival of the First Morning of the First Day’.

Firebird is the sister venue to Moonhouse and the Lunar New Year is the time to splurge for Melbourne’s Vietnamese-Australian community. Request a table by the kitchen so you can watch the chefs playing with fire and preparing your extravagant feast.

food at Firebird — Fill your tummy with delicious Vietnamese specialties at Firebird. (Image: Leah Traecey)

Address: 223 High St, Prahran

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in Queensland

Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’gari

Kingfisher Bay Resort on K’gari is hosting a special Lunar New Year event that includes accommodation and a Chinese buffet banquet. This is good news for anyone who loves kung pao chicken and Moreton Bay bugs, which in this instance are stir-fried with ginger, shallots and soy chilli sauce.

In addition to these two dishes, there will be another 10 courses on the banquet menu. There will also be traditional dragon dancers and percussionists at the resort’s ballroom.

Address: Kingfisher Bay, K’gari

Donna Chang, Brisbane

Donna Chang is doling out a lot of daji dali (good luck and prosperity) during Lunar New Year. Dig into dishes such as red-braised pork ribs, duck wontons and lo bak go with chilli, all of which signify abundance and plenty. Brisbane has a mind-bogglingly diverse multicultural food scene and Donna Chang is one of the best of them.

Seinfeld fans will recognise the restaurant’s name from The Chinese Woman episode; the fortune cookies even contain classic one-liners from the cult series. There’s not a panini in sight but the lazy dragon roll makes a guest appearance on the banquet menu on offer 9 and 10 February .

dim sum at Donna Chang, Brisbane — Try Donna Chang’s special dim sum.

Address: Adina Hotel, 171 George St, Brisbane

Madame Wu, Brisbane

Expect the atmosphere at Madame Wu to be lively for the Lunar New Year festivities. The riverfront restaurant’s Year of the Dragon menu includes yu sheng (the celebratory prosperity salad of Ora salmon and raw vegetables) and a whole steamed fish (in this case North Queensland coral trout) with handmade and aged soy sauce.

The Lunar New Year menu at Madame Wu, on offer from 5 to 11 February, has all the classic pan-Asian dishes we crave. Sit out on the terrace and watch the current of humanity float past by and toast to your good fortune.

Madam Wu signage in Brisbane — Dine classic pan-Asian dishes at Madam Wu.

Address: Upper Plaza Level, 71 Eagle St, Brisbane

Stanley, Brisbane

Chef Louis Tikaram has curated a diverse menu of Cantonese dishes to enjoy at Stanley over Lunar New Year. The culinary offerings run the gamut from grilled baby abalone with black bean, garlic and chilli to XO pipis with crispy noodles, coriander, shallots and truffle and spanner crab egg fried rice with caviar.

The Lunar New Year set menu will be held over lunch and dinner from 9 to 13 February with traditional lion dancers on select nights. It will be offered in addition to the signature banquet and a la carte menus.

lion dancers at Stanley, Brisbane — Dine at Stanley’s and catch traditional lion dancers.

Address: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane

Southside, Brisbane

Diners at Southside will have good luck, happiness and good fortune bestowed upon them while observing the lion dance. The troupe will be performing as part of the restaurant’s Lunar New Year celebrations from 7.30pm every Friday and Saturday evening between 5 and 11 February.

A special banquet has also been designed to mark the occasion. It features prized delicacies such as pork belly with sweet and sour Davidson plum and smacked cucumber with salted chilli. A Southside Dumpling Festival will also be held on 4 February. It’s part of BrisAsia.

diners enjoying the lion dance at Southside, Brisbane — A special banquet has also been designed to mark the occasion. (Image: Markus Ravik)

Address: 63 Melbourne St, South Brisbane

The Ville, Townsville

Those who have booked the light banquet luncheon on offer at The Ville can also participate in workshops designed to prepare punters for what’s in store for ’24. While you’re feasting like there’s no tomorrow, there will be dance troupes weaving in and around the tables at The Ville, which is one the best places to stay in Townsville.

The resort, revitalised after a $43 million redevelopment, overlooks Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island. The banquet will be held from 20 January to 5 February in Miss Songs Asian Kitchen.

Lunar New Year banquet at The Ville in Townsville, Queensland — The Lunar New Year banquet will be held from 20 January to 5 February. (Image: Simon Shiff)

Address: Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville

Golden Boat Seafood Restaurant, Cairns

Lunar New Year is a time when families spend time together. Spend the Saturday morning of 17 February checking out The Chinese Zodiac calligraphy exhibition of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar at the Tanks Art Centre.

a dragon dance at Golden Boat Seafood Restaurant — Dine on a 12-course feast at Golden Boat Seafood Restaurant.

Then push the boat out by enjoying a lavish Lunar New Year Banquet on offer at the Golden Boat Seafood Restaurant. Dress to the nines to enjoy this 12-course feast with options such as Peking pork loin, roast duck and crispy pork.

Address: 34-40 Lake St, Cairns

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in South Australia

NNQ Vietnamese

Expect the good-natured staff at NNQ Vietnamese to cock their head and offer a chúc mừng năm mới as you enter. The local families pouring through the door look like they are part of a procession stepping into a temple.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is celebrated at NNQ in style. From real-deal lion dances to a five-course menu with glass of sparkling on arrival and prizes for the best traditional ao dai or ao ba ba on the night. Ring in the Year of the Dragon on 11 February.

a close-up shot of a dish at NNQ Vietnamese — Celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year in style at NNQ.

Address: 65 Woodville Road, Woodville

Mrs Q

Get in the queue for Lunar New Year at Mrs Q . Set in Adelaide’s historic Loft Wine Bar, a former ballroom that attracted the city’s bigwigs, the modern Asian restaurant and bar promises to transport diners to ‘a night in Bangkok’.

The edges will start to blur between Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisine when you sit down for prawn dumplings, soft-shell crab, pork belly and Peking duck pancakes. Keep checking the restaurant’s website for updates on the Lunar New Year event.

Address: 1/128 Gouger St, Adelaide

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in Tasmania

Mr Good Guy

Work up an appetite at the Lunar New Year festivities in Hobart which are held on the grounds of Parliament House Lawns. The Chinese Community Association of Tasmania has curated a range of colourful events such as Lion Dance, Dragon Dance and lighting of a three-metre firecracker. Get amongst it and then mooch over to Mr Good Guy for a hawker-style Asian banquet around a table bountiful with (lucky) mandarins and hidden red envelopes.

Mr Good Guy is named in honour of a Chinese term that refers to ‘a know-it-all tour guide’. The colourful restaurant on the ground floor of ibis Styles Hobart roars into being for Lunar New Year in Tasmania for 2024. Arrange a family reunion for this firecracker of an event to invite good luck, prosperity and a healthy long life. Expect playful props such as quirky chopstick rests, carefully placed maneki-nekos (beckoning cats) and a ceiling decorated with paper umbrellas.

raising cocktail glasses at Mr Good Guy, Tasmania — Ring in the Lunar New Year with a toast. (Image: Olivia Claire Media)

Address: 173 Macquarie Street, Hobart

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in Western Australia

HQ Bar + Kitchen, Perth

Bao wow! The braised pork bao with pickled mustard, peanut powder, cucumber and chilli on a charcoal bun at HQ Bar + Kitchen is a must-eat. The Lunar New Year celebrations mark the end of the Year of the Rabbit (or Cat for Vietnamese Australians).

Frock up in red to ward off evil spirits and reunite with the family over dishes such as prawn bar gow, crispy school prawns, and prawn har gow. Use the money your family members gave you to buy your own luck with dinner here on the 10th floor of Quay Perth . The rooftop bar looks out over Elizabeth Quay.

a plate of braised pork bao, HQ Bar + Kitchen — Kick of your meal with braised pork bao.

Address: Level 10, 18 The Esplanade, Perth

Fortune Five Chinese Restaurant

Walk through the pagoda into Perth’s Chinatown to find Fortune Five Chinese Restaurant , which serves the kind of food that has been shaped by generations of Chinese chefs.

Here, you can pay homage to the Lunar New Year over a plate of stewed pig trotters: it’s the kind of traditional ‘lucky’ dish that sets this place apart. Eating here is like a trip to the heart of Shanghai. It’s big. It’s noisy. The service is suitably abrupt. The yum cha nirvana.

Address: 108A James St, Northbridge

Silks at Crown Perth

There are a plethora of great places to eat and drink in Perth. But celebrating the Lunar New Year in the Western Australia capital is about levelling up.

dining at Silks, Perth — Raise a glass at Silks for a good year ahead.

The Cantonese cuisine at Silks is a curated roster of dishes served with a contemporary spin. Twice-roasted crispy pork belly or the lobster ginger and spring onion roll are designed to tempt. And there’s an extravaganza of decadent desserts, too. Save space for the green tea mango cake or fried beetroot sesame ball.

a golden garlic lucky charm at Silks, Perth — Golden garlic signifies wealth.

Address: Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in the Northern Territory

Dragon Court, Darwin

Lunar New Year is as much a thing in Darwin as New Year’s Eve thanks to the multicultural fabric of the Northern Territory capital. Surely dining at Darwin’s Dragon Court in the actual Year of the Dragon is bound to bring good luck for the coming year.

Expect traditional Lunar New Year foods chosen with care. And be prepared to joust chopsticks when the food arrives. Dragon Court is not billed as the best Chinese restaurant in Darwin for nothing.

Array of food for Lunar New Year from Dragon's Court in Darwin — Dining at Dragon Court in the actual Year of the Dragon is bound to bring good luck.

Address: Gilruth Avenue, The Gardens, Mindil Beach

Darwin Chinese New Year Festival

The Chung Wah Society is behind the carefully curated program for the 2024 Chinese New Year Festival . The NT capital has a proud history as a group that promotes peace and harmony and seeks to organise events for the city’s multicultural population.

There will be tai chi demos, lion dancing, a street parade and singing as well as food stalls selling ‘lucky’ Lunar New Year dishes. Take a Walk Darwin tour to hear the Chinese migrant story and then wander around the event held at the Sitzler Netball Centre.

Address: 235 Abala Road, Marrara

Lazy Susan’s Eating House

Book yum cha brunch at Lazy Susan’s Eating House on a Sunday for a special occasion celebration. Expect a parade of dishes during the lavish feast. You can also go for a la carte and immerse yourself in the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in at this cheery Chinese diner known for its dumplings and delicacies such as the sensational siu mei (roasted meats). After giving the lazy Susan a few spins, have a crack at karaoke.

Address: 21 Cavenagh St, Darwin

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year in the ACT

Tiger Lane

For Canberran families talking about doing the festivities up deluxe, Tiger Lane is a must. It’s one of the best places to dine in Canberra.

The plentiful pan-Asian dishes on offer here are as playful and bold as the neon signage and graffiti-clad interiors of the hawker-style eat street. Expect lion and dragon dances throughout the entire Lunar New Year, live cooking demonstrations and drumming performances designed to dispel any evil spirits.

dragon dance performance at Tiger Lane — Attract good luck and fortune at Tiger Lane. (Image: Ben Calvert)

Address: Bunda St, Canberra

CBD Dumpling House

CBD Dumpling House is a great spot to take the family for Lunar New Year in Canberra. The eatery also has a rota of great dumplings that will be Instagram gold for your foodie followers.

The more dumplings you eat, the more money you’ll make during Lunar New Year 2024. After taking your seat, a waiter will dispatch stacks of little bamboo steamers stuffed with savory and sweet dumplings to arrive at your table. Dig in.

Dumplings from CBD Dumpling House in Canberra — CBD Dumpling House is a great spot to take the family for Lunar New Year.

Address: Canberra Centre, Bunda St, Canberra

Natural Nine

Head to Wooley St, Dickson for dragon dancing, festive drumming, Chinese martial art workshops, musical performances and more as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Canberra for 2024.

After hitting the streets, it’s time to nosh on Chinese New Year dishes at the casual, upbeat Natural Nine restaurant in Canberra. The Chinese New Year banquet is on offer on 9 and 10 February, 13 and 14 February and 24 February. The ‘pop’ Chinese restaurant at Casino Canberra is an 18+ venue.

Address: 21 Binara St, Canberra

Monster Kitchen + Bar

Vegetarians wondering where to dine to celebrate the Lunar New Year should plug Monster in the sat nav. Lunar New Year 2024 signals the transition from the Year of the Rabbit in 2023 to the Year of the (Wood) Dragon in 2024. And at the centre of the celebrations is food.

Monster Restaurant & Bar Canberra — You’re only minutes away from a Monster good time when you stay at Ovolo Nishi.(Image: Zachary Griffith)

The Canberra restaurant is offering a special menu in honour of the Lunar New Year for $125 per person. Located within the Ovolo Nishi hotel , the feast will draw inspiration from Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures with a roster of vegetarian dishes. It’s one of the best Canberra restaurants for vegetarians.

There are many ‘wonder-full’ nooks to cosy up in at Monster Kitchen and Bar.

Address: NewActon precinct, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)