10 of the best restaurants in Ballarat for knock-out global flavours

By Kristie Lau-Adams
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Whether you’re craving something exotic or inventive Australian fare, the best restaurants in Ballarat unleash a booming Victorian food scene.

Home to a string of international-inspired hot spots that showcase local ingredients fused with innovation and creativity, Ballarat is emerging as a formidable foodie destination. With a firm grasp on where to unearth peak Victorian produce, the best restaurants in Ballarat attract some of the world’s leading chefs and hospitality stars. When you’re looking for a break between activities in the region, relax at one of these world-class restaurants.

The shortlist

Hottest new opening: Eleanora
Best farm-to-table: Babae
Budget-friendly: The Forge Pizzeria
Great for special occasions: Underbar
Best date spot: Boatshed Restaurant

1. Eleanora

a look inside the wine bar at Eleanora, Ballarat

Step into the industrial-chic wine bar at Eleanora. (Image: Supplied)

From the team behind the now shuttered Mitchell Harris Wines wine bar, Eleanora served as one of Ballarat’s most anticipated restaurant openings of all-time prior to launch in December 2024. It had big shoes to fill, built inside the same industrial-chic 140-year-old former produce store, tentmakers and motor workshop that kept locals hydrated since 2013—but they’ve nailed it all over again. Toffee shades of timber and leather join forces with exposed brick and soft lighting to create instant warmth, while the freshest of local ingredients are jazzed into hearty photo-ready plates. Think market fish with a ruby grapefruit and herb salad, oven roasted beets with cashew cream, and a crispy skinned chicken with grilled peach, smoked almond and watercress.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Warm and welcoming

Location: 38 Doveton St North, Ballarat

2. Underbar

bagels with three kinds of dip at Underbar, Ballarat

Their bagel is truly a game-changer. (Image: Matt Dunne)

You’ll find a true highlight of Ballarat’s foodie renaissance in an unassuming space with no sign at the door. Underbar is a 20-seat fine dining restaurant that opens for dinner on Friday and lunch, and dinner on Saturday, to serve a seasonal tasting menu shaped by local finds (think the finest local Black Angus sirloin sliced at the table in front of you). Chef Derek Boath brings experience in some of the world’s top restaurants to the table and ensures each sitting is an intimate and immersive experience for fine-food aficionados. Reservations open on the first day of each month and get snapped up quickly.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$$$

Atmosphere: Celebratory

Location: 3 Doveton St North, Ballarat

3. Peasant

European fare at Peasant, Ballarat

Fill your belly with beautifully plated European fare. (Image: Peasant)

A wonderful, value-for-money degustation in the heart of Ballarat, Peasant is a local’s favourite. Renowned for bringing the traditional art of European peasant cooking to country Victoria, this Ballarat restaurant welcomes diners Friday and Saturday, filling bellies with rustic, beautifully plated fare made from the season’s freshest ingredients. Five courses will delight no matter what the team are currently playing with — from chilled gazpacho with basil and sherry vinegar cream to juniper and lemon thyme marinated skirt steak, the menu is reliably filled with surprises.

Cuisine: European

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Elegant

Location: 413 Sturt St, Ballarat

4. Babae

a close-up shot of a dish at Babae restaurant in Ballarat

Much of the menu at Babae is inspired by Foster’s own 25-acre garden. (Image: Babae)

Another of Ballarat’s more recent openings, welcoming diners from January 2024, Babae is a dining destination focused on highlighting the region’s exceptional flavours and produce. Found inside the uber-cool Hotel Vera, one of the best Ballarat accommodation picks, the restaurant is hinged on the Latin definition of its moniker: to wow and amaze. Spearheaded by acclaimed chef Tim Foster, much of the menu is inspired by Foster’s own 25-acre garden, so guests can expect the likes of cornfed duck with plum sauce, pearl barley and savoy cabbage, plus the famed Jerusalem artichoke and chestnut with oyster mushrooms, coddled egg and caramelised onion.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$$$

Atmosphere: Intimate

Location: Inside Hotel Vera, 710 Sturt St, Ballarat

5. Boatshed Restaurant

share plates at Boatshed Restaurant, Ballarat

Tuck into fried chicken and dumpling share plates at Boatshed Restaurant. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Dial up the romance with a seat at the Boatshed Restaurant, located right on peaceful Lake Wendouree. Grab a spot at the light-flooded end of the Ballarat restaurant, right over the water’s edge, to soak up sparkling vistas, as a menu of Modern Australian classics spliced with international influences (think shares plates of Karaage chicken and dumplings, alongside seafood platters and crispy skinned Atlantic salmon) rolls out of the kitchen. Make it a date to remember by indulging in a cocktail or two, that seize sweet seasonal flavours in Instagram-friendly style.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Breezy

Location: 27A Lake Wendouree Foreshore, Lake Wendouree

6. The Forge Pizzeria

A long-time Ballarat favourite with two local outposts, The Forge Pizzeria is a winner every time. Its central outpost on Armstrong Street North is the OG, based in an old heritage building where exposed brick walls suit the ambience of its roaring wood-fire oven. Chewy and flavourful, the pizzas include the classics alongside inventive creations like Pancetta, with cured meat, potato, garlic, mozzarella and local Meredith goat’s cheese, plus the vegetarian friendly The Vego, with tomato, mozzarella, mushroom and capsicum. There are heaps of pasta dishes and salads to choose from too, and desserts including a Nutella and strawberry pizza.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Family-friendly

Location: 14 Armstrong St North, Ballarat and 1771 Sturt St, Alfredton

7. Meigas

the dining interior of Meigas, Ballarat

Pop into Meigas if you’re in the mood for churros or cerveza. (Image: Meigas)

Meigas is an authentic tapas bar in the heart of Ballarat, with all the flavour and atmosphere to match. Order share plates of everything from patatas bravas and pimientos fritos (blistered bullhorn peppers with goat’s cheese) to generous plates of paella with chicken and seafood. Wash it down with a cerveza or two, wine or Spanish cider, and don’t forget the churros dipped in thick, warm chocolate sauce. A Spanish non-negotiable.

Cuisine: Spanish

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Buzzing

Location: 33 Armstrong St North, Ballarat

8. Mr Jones

a spread of food at Mr Jones, Ballarat

Feast on the ever-changing banquet menu at Mr Jones.

Refining Asian power-punch flavours with considered finesse, Mr Jones is an extremely cool neighbourhood eatery on the main strip in Bakery Hill. While an unassuming facade may resemble your regular Melbourne hipster haunt, it’s the scent of authentic seasonal ingredients that will send you right to the neon-laced alleys of your favourite long-haul destination. The banquet menu is ever-changing, but you can expect the likes of fresh tiger prawns dressed in brown butter, plus a moreish grilled duck curry with coconut, peanuts and cardamom. They’re also open for lunch on Friday, so swinging an office early mark to get you into town ASAP is never a bad idea.

Cuisine: Modern Asian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Stylish

Location: 42-44 Main Rd, Bakery Hill

9. Pancho

Mexican food and drinks at Pancho, Ballarat

The menu at Pancho bursts with Latin American flavours. (Image: Pancho)

Transport your tastebuds to the cantinas of South and Central America with a table at Pancho, home to a tight edit of authentic dishes. The fit out alone is enough to send you straight to your dream holiday, complete with Virgin of Guadalupe homages and scattered national flags, while the menu’s moreish tostadas, tacos, ceviche and more will keep those vacay vibes soaring. Just add watermelon margaritas and Jarritos (that excellent Mexican soda you’ll recognise as soon as you spy it), plus a list of classic cocktails, to cement one seriously rocking meal out.

Cuisine: Latin American

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Gleeful

Location: 213 Mair St, Ballarat

10. The Shared Table

potato croquette with Sauvignon Blanc at The Shared Table, Ballarat

The crowd-favourite potato croquette with Sauvignon Blanc at The Shared Table.

Creativity runs rife at The Shared Table, a Ballarat restaurant that takes the season’s finest local ingredients and transforms them into genius homages to global cuisines. Whether you’re taken by the sticky lamb ribs in black vinegar caramel, potato croquettes with Yarra Valley caviar or the Western Plains pork cotoletta with lemon and slaw, this place dares to dine differently, resulting in unique flavour bombs.

Cuisine: International

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Homely

Location: 317 Learmonth St, Buninyong

Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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    Roll up to Ballarat this August to taste one of the best pies in Australia.

    There are very few things Australians can agree on when it comes to food. Is it a potato scallop or a potato cake? A parmi, or a parma? Was the pavlova invented here or in New Zealand? Is the Shortbread Cream the best biccie to exist, or is it some other, lesser biscuit? Yet, what we can all agree on is the fact that the humble pie is an elite Aussie staple. Of course, then we can all continue to fight about which pie is best – or we can save face and head to Ballarat’s Best Pie competition to find out.

    Feral Pie at The Shared Table

    Taste the award-winning Feral Pie at The Shared Table. (Image: littleBIG)

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    creator holding Mrs Browne Bakes’ raspberry goldfields cookie pie at Naomi & i

    Mrs Browne Bakes’ won for her dessert pie entry. (Image: littleBIG)

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      at Naomi & i
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    • Best Sweet Pie: Mrs Browne Bakes’ raspberry goldfields cookie pie at Naomi & i
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    Beef rendang pie at Turret Bakehouse

    Beef rendang pie at Turret Bakehouse won Best Bakery Pie. (Image: littleBIG)

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