The Good Food guide to eating and drinking in the Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley’s bucolic, vine-lined hills have deservedly earned it a reputation for high-end wine dining. It’s the home of Domaine Chandon, Oakridge, and Levantine Hill, where the affluent can charter a chopper from the CBD for lunch. But chardonnay isn’t the only gold emerging from those rich soils. And while Healesville remains the most blessed by provedores, distilleries and cellar doors, as you trace the valley’s arteries, you’ll find world-class bakeries, caffeine dealers to rival the CBD’s most elite, and places pimping so much of the region’s bounty, you’ll never be able to look at the valley through purely rosé-tinted glasses again. Come for the wines. Stay for deliciously good times.

For excellent coffee (and beans for home)

Silva’s Wesburn roastery and sister coffee bar in Warburton nips your regional coffee fears in the bean. It’s the sort of coffee nerd zone you don’t expect to find beyond Fitzroy, where, aside from crafting their nutty, caramelly Bom Jesus or fruity Copan Ruinas roasts into perfect ristrettos and lattes, you can stock up on freshly ground beans and brew tech (from Aeropress gadgets to premium siphon set-ups) for the rest of your trip. Hiking? Grab their sparkling cold drip cans to power you up Mount Donna Buang.

Unit 1, 3400 Warburton Highway, Warburton, silvacoffee.com.au

For bread and pastries

People travel far for the kind of detailed pastry lamination you see in the croissants and kouign-amann made by chef-turned-baker Benjamin Griffiths at Yarra Valley Artisan Baker. In fact, the customers often come from further afield than the ingredients. The biodynamic rye, spelt and French red Zanzibar flours for the fastidiously slow-risen loaves come from Miller Baker James in Seville. The eggs and rich jersey milk for the custard and citrus tarts come from micro-farms around the corner, while danishes and frangipane are all stuffed with whatever locals provide. Your only decision is whether to come early and snag all the potato focaccia, or wait until 10.30am when the baguettes drop.

Shop 1, 2876 Warburton Highway, Wesburn, yarravalleyartisanbaker.com

For all-day breakfast

They’re big on detail at My Little Kitchen. Local corned beef is layered up with bacon-braised cabbage, a fried egg and luxe cheese sauce for one helluva croque-madame-Reuben crossover. You can (and should) book for brunch in the dog-friendly courtyard for their signature green machine of zucchini fritters flanked by pea hummus, wasabi peas and mojo verde; eggs benedict with local ham (or harissa spinach) and fresh juices. Or if you’ve done damage visiting distilleries, roll in later for the succour of a southern fried chicken burger and a brew – coffee or beer – to fix what ails you.

274 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, mylittlekitchen.com.au

For a cheese fix

Cheesemonger Sophie in Healesville is the realisation of cheese whiz Sophie Classon’s lifelong dream. The stunning fromagerie has the best from around the globe, the whole range from local star Stone and Crow, and a belting menu of baguettes and hand-rolled bagels (from Bear Bagels in nearby Coldstream). How about a Reuben with raclette?

Shop 3, 222 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, cheesemongersophie.com.au

• Also try: Yarra Valley Dairy is the genuine pasture-to-plate experience, where you can stock up on their trademark Persian-style feta and silky ash-rolled goat’s cheese, or do simple or comprehensive tastings ($5 or $15 a head respectively) while looking out at the lush paddocks. If your ideal lunch consists of a glass of shiraz and an outrageous toastie, grab their four-cheese heart-stopper stuffed with gruyere, cheddar, that tangy feta and mozzarella for maximum pull.
  70-80 McMeikans Road, Yering, yvd.com.au

For pantry supplies

The fill-your-own-bags-and-containers concept is a boon for travellers who hate plastic detritus, but the huge range at Fill Good Wesburn goes far beyond the typical nuts, spices and snacky dried goods. The fridges are packed with local organic vegetables, yoghurt and jersey milk from Little Yarra Dairy, free-range eggs, and cheeses from Stone and Crow. Finish restocking your weekend pantry with Jam Lady pickles, organic vinegars and raw cacao chocolate made by Tonantzin just across the road.

2874 Warburton Highway, Wesburn, fillgood.com.au

• Also try: If your route takes you through Healesville, it’s worth dropping into Kitchen and Butcher purely to perv at the glistening cabinets filled with premium meats (Toulouse sausages and ethical rose veal cutlets), international cheeses and wines to go with both.
  258 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, kitchenandbutcher.com.au

For wines from near and far

While it’s not technically a wine bar, you can sit down to drink anything off the shelves of Barrique Wine Store, an unmissable stop for any oenophile. Guided by the expert team, you’re guaranteed to get the valley’s best bottles without doing the legwork, as well as international heavyweights if you’ve overdone it on local terroir. Plus, every Friday they invite renowned wine and spirit makers to take over the space for free tasting sessions (5.30-7pm), often backed by local food vendors selling their tacos or dumplings in the firelit courtyard.

260 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, barrique.com.au

For pizza, paella and pinot

Innocent Bystander steps into the breach when you want the winery experience without leaving town. The longtime Healesville hero went down a casual route in 2018 and now has a refreshingly tight focus on wood-fired pizzas crowned with local meats and vegetal treats, big plates of paella, and cheesecake-stuffed waffle cones. If you’re not feeling quite so carbcore, veg-driven salads and sides such as wood-roasted beets with Yarra Dairy feta round things out. That big warehouse swallows noise, taking the pressure off families, and you can still get your winery fix by doing a tasting. Or just skip straight to ordering carafes with lunch.

316-334 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, innocentbystander.com.au

For a pub lunch

All good pubs are dog-friendly, but how many provide stalls to tether your horse? The newly renovated Launching Place Home Hotel, sitting just off the stunning Warburton Rail Trail, is the dream find for weary walkers and riders on both hoof and wheel. A huge sunny courtyard looks out the hills and the menu has exceptional breadth – there are good parmas (vegetarian or chicken), but also caper-dressed roasted marrow bones, rabbit terrines and a proper spaghetti marinara. Likewise, you can get around local gin cocktails, wild craft brews and Medhurst’s excellent rosé or stick to the big-name brews on tap.

2170 Warburton Highway, Launching Place, launchingplacehomehotel.com.au

For cocktails

Feeling spirited? Healesville’s Four Pillars distillery remains an essential stop for all things gin. But since 2022, veteran bartender Brendan Cavanagh and partner Kate have been fulfilling desires for darker drams at Cavanagh’s Whisky & Alehouse, also in Healesville. Australia’s stars (Lark, Starward, and Brunswick’s Gospel) are part of a 100-bottle strong lineup. If your heart beats for moody bars, new-style old fashioneds made with rare, single-barrel releases and freaky beers for the ultimate boilermaker, this is the place.

207 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, 0430 385 008, instagram.com/cavanaghswhiskyalehouse