Sample Sensational Flavours At The Best Geelong Restaurants

From waterfront winners to elegant fine diners, the best Bellarine and Geelong restaurants encourage serious culinary indulgence.

I’m more than an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s famed restaurant-dotted laneways, but Victoria’s dining scene continues to glitter in Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula. Blending breezy beachfront cafes, Instagram-perfect neighbourhood bistros, achingly cool laneway stars and several special occasion spots, this region is very underrated in my book, especially along Little Malop St (which in itself is one of the best things to do in Geelong). Let’s take a squiz at the standouts for flat-out fabulous meals.

The shortlist

Hottest new opening: Jeffie’s
Family-friendly spot: Little Creatures Canteen
Best design: The Arborist
Best views: Tarra

1. Tulip

share plates at Tulip restaurant, Geelong — The share-plate menu changes frequently at Geelong’s award-winning restaurant, Tulip. (Image: Supplied)

Little Malop is buzzing but Pakington St remains Geelong’s chic culinary headliner for hot spots like its long-serving titan: Tulip . The hatted Geelong restaurant has been a hit since 2013, but with head chef Johnny Chiang spinning seasonally led magic these days, I feel like there’s never been a better time to experience its joyous, intimate dining room which spills out over brick pavement to a pretty water fountain. The focus is produce-driven dishes that celebrate local and sustainable  – share plates on the winter 2025 menu spanned a prawn sandwich with hot sauce, a honey glazed lamb belly and a Wagyu 7 score Porterhouse with pepper leaf jus. My advice? Wash it all down with a drop from the highly researched wine list which also shifts with the seasons.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Homely

Location: 9/111 Pakington St, Geelong West

2. Woolstore Restaurant & Bar

I love how so many Geelong restaurants look as trendy as those dotted throughout Melbourne’s CBD yet welcome children in so enthusiastically. Woolstore Restaurant & Bar is among the marvels, fit out all industrial-cool with a magnificent mosaic green bar I’d like installed in my home, but run by an entirely kid-loving team. My little ones loved the ‘Happy Meal’ with its pumpkin bun, beef patty cheeseburger, chicken skewers and fries, while I was impressed by comfort food splashed with local influence like the tomato and nduja arancini, the oyster mushroom Karaage and the Humpty Doo barramundi with caviar beurre blanc. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is led by the Golden Plate-winning 2024 Regional Chef of the Year, Eli Grubb, but widely, the ethos here is to champion local where possible – that includes the cocktail menu which teams with fellow Geelong businesses to create the standout, fragrance-led, multi-sensory experience amid other delicious concoctions.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Slick

Location: T13, 400 Pakington St, Newtown

3. Felix

the dining interior of Felix restaurant, Geelong — The French-style Felix restaurant brings a menu of classics into its contemporary dining space. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Another spectacular fit out, paying homage to traditional French brasserie dining while keeping things contemporary and warm-timber coastal, Felix is a beautiful spot for a meal. Built inside a former mechanic’s shed, the Geelong restaurant is tucked down an alley off Little Malop – look for the burgundy painted feature wall and arched windows. Once you’re inside, a menu of classics is nailed with modern perfection, like the chicken liver parfait, piped liked icing on a cake then dotted with quince and sliced baby pickles. Go for the lamb backstrap if it’s on the menu, too – it melts in your mouth while fresh broad beans and sliced carrots dial up the colour.

Cuisine: French

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Cosy

Location: 9 Downes Ln, Geelong

4. The Arborist

a woman sipping cocktail at The Arborist, Geelong — Settle in at The Arborist. (Image: Visit Victoria)

You won’t miss The Arborist on Little Malop, a striking architectural wonder right in the thick of the buzz. Look for the black framework and caramel timber. True to its name, the Geelong restaurant’s interior takes its cues from an ash tree at the build’s centre and several that frame the place, and the result is sustainable and beautiful, all rendered in natural tones of green, cream and timber. I highly advise tucking into more than a few of its small, medium or large share plates with Middle Eastern (but also very international) hints to team the sights with equally dazzling indulgence: think cod roe with salmon caviar and charred bread, haloumi done with hazelnuts, apricot and saffron, and ricotta dumplings with Jerusalem artichoke, mushrooms, truffle and pine nuts.

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Enthralling

Location: 75 Little Malop St, Geelong

5. Jeffie’s

While we’re sending our taste buds around the globe, consider revisiting France through another Geelong restaurant nailing European cuisine. Sitting less than 20 minutes’ drive inland from the coast, Jeffie’s is a love letter to French cooking, staged inside a quiet corner block that lures comfort food-adoring locals with extreme gusto. The unassuming fine diner only opened its doors in August 2025, but dishes like a beef tartare with bone marrow, a cheese fondue with delicious dunkable accompaniments, and a Ratatouille Niçoise with goats cheese, have already impressed.

Cuisine: French

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Chic

Location: Shop 14, 65-71 Barrabool Rd, Highton

6. Little Creatures Canteen

a look inside Little Creatures Canteen, Geelong — Step into Little Creatures for a unique brewery experience.

I love popping heels on as much as the next diner, but I equally adore a solid pub session with quality pub grub. Little Creatures Canteen is a Geelong staple, housed in one of the region’s best breweries, and serving as its own standout eatery. The brand’s east coast home (it hails from WA’s Fremantle) is in fact a converted flour mill, so it feels more beer factory than fancy, effortlessly cranking up the fun factor from the moment you step inside. Alternatively, you can remain outside in the courtyard as wood-fired pizzas, a Pale Ale battered flake and chips, sticky pork ribs with chipotle maple glaze and a stack of small plates reliably delight. If the kids are eating too, there’s a children’s menu to pluck from, plus a playground to temporarily tucker them out.

Cuisine: Pub food

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Chilled

Location: 221 Swanston St, Geelong

7. Pavilion Geelong

the Pavilion Geelong restaurant — Head to the Pavilion Geelong for a satisfying brunch by the beach. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Occupying a prime waterfront spot, Pavilion Geelong is a must-try for brunch. Light and breezy, the 120-seater cafe and kiosk offers water views alongside the likes of acai bowls, braised mushrooms on toast, Belgian waffles with ice cream, battered flathead and chips and burgers. Additionally, you’re dining inside a gorgeous slice of Art Deco history, just a few steps from one of Geelong’s best beaches.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Beachy

Location: 95 Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong

8. Two Noble

Asian meals at Two Noble restaurant, Geelong — Savour authentic Asian flavours at Two Noble.

Ready for king-hit flavours? Two Noble is one of my favourite Geelong restaurants for an authentic Asian-inspired feast. The cooking is superb, crammed with seasonal ingredients and dressed in delicately balanced sauces, like the kingfish with burnt onion and soy plus the all-too-popular roasted duck with hoisin and Cointreau. Additionally, this spot is so warm and inviting, somewhat of a hidden gem you won’t spot from the street. Wander up the stairs from the Sawyers Arms Tavern to find Two Noble’s glass entry door and step inside where every made-to-share showstopper awaits.

Cuisine: Southeast Asian

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Homely

Location: Level 2, 2 Noble St, Newtown

9. Tarra

drinks on the table with sea view at Tarra restaurant, Geelong — Wine and dine with dazzling ocean views. (Image: Tarra)

It’s impossible to avoid being swept up by Tarra in Queenscliff, located on the southern end of the Bellarine Peninsula. First, the construction itself is a work of art, located right off the sand and lifting above ground like the hero of a Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. Inside, the ocean views dazzle no matter where you’re placed or which meal you’re there for, as breakfast and lunch are both on offer. If you’re there for lunch, like I was, pick a few items off the small plate menu (the baby beets with smoked yoghurt won me) before diving into something large, like the 500g ribeye on the bone for two, to share. You’ll need to save room for cocktail o’clock too – a total non-negotiable accompaniment when views like this drench the scene.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Elevated

Location: 1 Wharf St East, Queenscliff

10. Baah Lah! Dining

a hand using chopsticks to get food on the table at Baah Lah! Dining, Geelong — Baah Lah! Dining serves up traditional Singaporean flavours with a twist. (Image: Jane Fitzgerald)

Yet another stellar Geelong restaurant for sensational global cuisine, Baah Lah! Dining zeroes in on traditional Singaporean flavours to jazz up the finest of local, super-fresh produce. You’ll devour ingredients foraged from the team’s family farm up north in Katandra (Head Chef Brian Anderson’s father still runs the show out there), whipped into small plate knock outs including the crispy leek and zucchini pancake, fried eggplant chips, and Singapore chilli crab doughnuts, before launching into the larger curry chicken in Malaysian sauce or Cantonese-style roast duck breast with boysenberry sauce. Seriously epic, whatever the seasonal menu holds.

Cuisine: Asian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Buzzing

Location: 1/100 Pakington St, Geelong West

11. Geelong Cellar Door

With its exposed brickwork, squishy leather sofa and rustic open fireplace, Geelong Cellar Door , a locally beloved wine bar and store, exudes old-world charm. It makes for the perfect place to showcase the cool-climate wine of the Greater Geelong region, in fact. Slurp down a glass or few of your preferred poison alongside cheese and charcuterie platters or dabble in the region’s local craft beers and ciders. And there’s plenty more to help line your belly – think beautifully crafted terrines, chicken liver pate and local sourdough.

Cuisine: Bar food

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Casual

Location: 95-99 Little Malop St, Geelong

12. King of the Castle Cafe

pouring milk over coffee at King of the Castle Cafe — Sip on excellent brews at King of the Castle Cafe.

Looking for Melbourne’s signature understated cool? King of the Castle Cafe exudes warehouse-cool and friendly vibes. You’ll find excellent coffee and an extensive breakfast, brunch and lunch menu covering off everything from Indian Spices Eggs with roti bread, a fried chicken burger with French fries, white chocolate and raspberry pancakes with ice cream and pulled pork tacos. Produce is sourced from local suppliers and there are also vegetarian and vegan dishes including tofu scramble on grilled roti.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Location: 24 Pakington St, Geelong West

13. 63 Degrees

63 Degrees Geelong — Tuck into Portuguese baked eggs or a Mexican pulled chicken and super grains ‘clean bowl’.

While we’re talking cafes, consider 63 Degrees , too. Further down Pakington, this hot spot is endlessly bright, decked out with white paint and fresh colourful blooms. Like most of its Geelong neighbours, the emphasis here is on clean eating and sustainably sourced produce, so you’ll be choosing between a stack of seasonally led dishes including the ‘Unsmashed’ avocado plate with lemon myrtle hummus and tofu, a chilli scramble bagel and two dedicated all-day Vegan menus (breakfast and lunch).

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Casual

Location: 140 Pakington St, Geelong West

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes — Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

holding Portarlington mussels — See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

blue mussels off Portarlington — Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli — Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

“Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

a hand holding a Portarlington mussel — Mussels are a sustainable food.

Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard — Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.

Savour coastal produce at the 13 best Geelong restaurants

From waterfront winners to elegant fine diners, the best Bellarine and Geelong restaurants encourage serious culinary indulgence.

The shortlist

1. Tulip

2. Woolstore Restaurant & Bar

3. Felix

4. The Arborist

5. Jeffie’s

6. Little Creatures Canteen

7. Pavilion Geelong

8. Two Noble

9. Tarra

10. Baah Lah! Dining

11. Geelong Cellar Door

12. King of the Castle Cafe

13. 63 Degrees

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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels