8 of the best Port Fairy restaurants to visit on your next trip

Jo Stewart Jo Stewart
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From a lively pizza joint with a big personality to a classic pub with a long and storied history, there are plenty of Port Fairy restaurants to choose from on your next trip along the Great Ocean Road.

Whether you’re after a seafood feast, hearty pub lunch or a fine dining experience with an elevated wine list, there are plenty of Port Fairy restaurants to choose from. Got your heart set on having dinner somewhere special? Be sure to follow the cardinal rule of visiting a coastal holiday hotspot and make a booking or you’ll risk missing out.

1. Merrijig Kitchen

The Merrijig Inn’s famous restaurant is much more than a place to eat, it’s a local institution. Chef Tanya Connellan has cooked professionally for more than 30 years, and it shows.

the exterior of Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy
Merrijig Kitchen is a local institution. (Image: Visit Victoria)

An ever-changing menu enables Tanya to showcase whatever is flourishing in her kitchen garden or local growers and producers bring to the table, whether that be organic asparagus grown nearby in Warrnambool or crayfish caught in the seas just off Port Fairy.

friends dining al fresco at Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy
Let the good times roll at Merrijig Kitchen. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Once you enter the cosy dining room you’ll be treated like an old friend. So kick back, relax, order a bottle of Victorian red and let the good times roll.

al fresco dining in a garden setting at Merrijig Kitchen, Port Fairy
Nab an outdoor table in the garden. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Quaint

Location 1 Campbell Street, Port Fairy

2. Sidro Bar & Restaurant

Found inside the Oak & Anchor Hotel, this bar and restaurant  has both indoor and outdoor seating, making it a top spot for dinner and drinks, rain or shine. Choose something light like grilled halloumi and a grain salad or go all-in by sharing the slow-cooked lamb shoulder or beef brisket (both perfect for splitting between two diners). Can’t decide? Hand the reins to the chef by opting for the three-course feasting menu. Add a gin and tonic made with Gallivanter Gin from Western Victoria and you’ve got yourself a party.

a fine dining table setup at Sidro Bar & Restaurant, Port Fairy
Dine in style at Sidro Bar & Restaurant. (Image: Joanne O’Keefe @missfarmerjojo)

Cuisine:  Classic pub-style cuisine with a modern twist

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Relaxed and inviting

Location: 9 Bank Street, Port Fairy

3. Blakes Restaurant

This much-loved eatery  is well known for producing some of the best seafood dishes in the region. Open for lunch and dinner, make a booking well in advance to make sure you don’t miss out, especially if you’re visiting on the weekend or other busy periods. From Bass Strait scallops to yellowtail kingfish and Bellarine mussels, you’ll be treated to the greatest hits of the Australian seafood scene here. Not sure what to order? You can’t go wrong with the Seafood Chowder, a signature dish that consistently gets rave reviews.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Casual elegance

Location: 57 Bank St, Port Fairy

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4. Coffin Sally

A little corner of Port Fairy that was once home to a coffin maker and an undertaker is where you’ll find this aptly named cult pizza joint and bar.  Its bluestone walls, old fireplace and shelves decorated with bleached animal bones signal this isn’t your average pizzeria.

the dining interior of Coffin Sally, Port Fairy
Slip into the rustic and classy setting at Coffin Sally.

Craving something salty? Order the ‘A Salted’ for a hit of Napoli with mozzarella, peppers, anchovies, olives, capers, parsley and chilli. Prefer something simpler? The Fior Di Sally’s simple flavour combo of fior di latte mozzarella, cherry tomato, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil will do the trick.

sprinkling spices over pizza at Coffin Sally
Coffin Sally isn’t your average pizzeria.

Cuisine: Italian

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Rustic and cosy

Location: 33 Sackville Street, Port Fairy

5.  Bottega Toscana

The simple yet delicious flavours of Tuscany can be found on the Victorian coast thanks to this friendly, little trattoria on Bank Street . Start with some antipasti then move on to Tuscan culinary greats like Risotto dell’Orto (garden vegetable risotto) or Pollo Alla Pizzaiola (chicken thigh in Napoli sauce with mozzarella). All the usual Italian sweet suspects can be found on the dessert list (tiramisu, pannacotta, affogato) too. Bellissima!

the exterior of Bottega Toscana, Port Fairy
Dine on Tuscan flavours at Bottega Toscana.

Cuisine: Tuscan

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Rustic and cosy

Location: 26 Bank Street, Port Fairy

6. The Stump

Established way back in 1844, the Caledonian Inn is a Port Fairy landmark well worth visiting and the good news is that you don’t need to be staying at the inn to enjoy lunch or dinner at The Stump . Serving hearty pub fare like steak sandwiches, beef burgers and chicken schnitzels, the Stump excels at delivering all the country pub classics you’d expect from one of the state’s oldest pubs.

a meal at The Stump, Port Fairy
The Stump serves up hearty pub fare.

During summer, make the most of warmer weather by perching yourself at an outdoor table to enjoy some ales and a meal in the sunshine. In winter, head to the dining room to feast by the warmth of the rustic fireplace.

a bowl of food at The Stump, Port Fairy
Perch yourself at an outdoor table to enjoy a meal.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Charming

Location: 41 Bank Street, Port Fairy

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7. Conlan’s Wine Store

Food and wine lovers should not miss experiencing a meal at Conlan’s Wine Store.  Make a lunch or dinner booking at this popular spot and you’ll be treated to carefully crafted dishes and an exceptional wine list worth paying a bit more for.

the dining interior of Conlan’s Wine Store, Port Fairy
Conlan’s Wine Store evokes a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere.

Housed in a heritage building full of character, this restaurant and retail store stocking wine and gourmet produce is a must-visit whether it’s for brunch, lunch, dinner or takeaway wines and treats.

holding drinks over a spread of food on the table at Conlan’s Wine Store, Port Fairy
Make a lunch or dinner booking at Conlan’s Wine Store.

Pro tip: leave room for dessert (the affogato made with Market Lane Coffee is top-notch).

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Sophisticated yet relaxed

Location: 34 Bank Street, Port Fairy

8. Lemongrass Thai

Bangkok may be more than 7000 kilometres away, but you can still get the flavours of Thailand at this friendly neighbourhood  favourite. Treat your tastebuds to a spicy and sour seafood Tom Yum, coconutty jungle curry or light and fresh larb gai (chicken salad). Then cool down with some black sticky rice topped with Thai custard and coconut milk. Can’t be bothered leaving your accommodation? Order takeaway for delivery right to your doorstep.

Cuisine: Thai

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Casual

Location:  55 Bank Street, Port Fairy

Now read our 3-day driving itinerary for the Great Ocean Road.

Jo Stewart
Jo Stewart is a freelance features writer who pens stories about nature, pop culture, music, art, design and more from her home in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. When not writing, you can find her trawling through vinyl records and vintage fashion at op shops, antique stores and garage sales.
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This scenic Victorian region is the perfect antidote to city life

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

    The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

    There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd . In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

    Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

    ‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

    Exchanging city chaos for country calm

    kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park
    The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

    I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

    The trails and treasures of the Grampians

    sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd
    Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

    Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

    Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles . I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

    walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain
    Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

    There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail , Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

    Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

    “There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

    wildflowers in Grampians National Park
    Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

    Grampians National Park at sunset
    Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

    The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

    What else is on offer in The Grampians?

    a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola
    Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

    You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

    And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region ? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

    dining at Pomonal Estate
    Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

    The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

    Salingers of Great Western
    Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

    The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

    Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

    And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

    Kookaburras on a tree
    Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

    You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity .

    Playing there

    abseiling down Hollow Mountain
    Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

    Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors . Visit Wama , Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium .

    Eating there

    steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

    Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate . Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock , can’t be beat.

    Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park
    The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

    For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe . Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines , Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines .

    two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.