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

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

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.

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

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

The shortlist

1. Eleanora

2. Underbar

3. Peasant

4. Babae

5. Boatshed Restaurant

6. The Forge Pizzeria

7. Meigas

8. Mr Jones

9. Pancho

10. The Shared Table

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The road trips and trails you need to experience in Victoria now

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

The Black Spur

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Metung to Mallacoota

Great Ocean Road

Bellarine Taste Trail

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo