There was some sort of force field drawing us into Gourmet Larder. We tossed and turned about…read moresitting inside or out and in the end we took a seat by the window. There are tables available on the footpath for prime people watching, in the rear courtyard for a little more privacy or inside with an industrial but still cosy feel. The waiter was wonderful! Charismatic, cheery and funny. And whilst we did escape his memory for a while we didn't really mind. We only stayed for a coffee but it was a really good drop and I would definitely recommend giving the Larder a go!

Stopped by for a late breakfast & since it is always pretty busy here, luckily a table had just…read morebecome available for our group of 5. The service is friendly & bottled water was brought to our table straight away, as well as our orders taken for coffee.There's a large menu selection for all day breakfast. I was looking for a dairy & gluten free option & decided on the vanilla rice pudding with rhubarb, strawberries and flaked almonds which was absolutely delicious. The other meals for our group looked pretty good too, bacon & eggs were a generous size serving, there's definitely no scrimping on the bacon here. We were all very happy with our breakfast choices. No split bills, but that's ok. There's also produce available for purchase including coffee beans, wine, condiments & sauces. I would highly recommend Gourmet Larder when visiting Daylesford, whether for breakfast, brunch, lunch or just for a coffee.

Over the last couple of years I've been here several times and it's consistently had great food and…read morebeer, a solid level of customer focused service, and overall superb ambiance, all the more so in that they're dog friendly so I can take my pupper with me - I'd encourage folks (especially dog owners) to give it a shot

Highly recommended that when you book do not get the corner booth area as the table is far too…read moresmall. One of our guest who is 6foot 4 (btw) had to sit with plate on his knees. The Manager did not come to table after waitress advise he would and totally ignored us. Food was hit and miss. Some meals were good and one was very average especially for the price. Waitress did her best and when paying the so called Manager did not asked how was our meals for obvious reasons. The with plethora of restaurants in this region wouldn't put this as our highest option.

Fine dining at its best. We were able to get a table but, suggest you book!!…read more I honestly wasn't sure when I first saw the menu but, that quickly all went away after the first bite of the eggplant chips with raw beef!!! You could tell the chips were made with care and precision. I was wanting to order another plate. The first of our mains was the 1/2 baby chicken which was a large cut for one. I tend to eat the items on my plate singularly (I'm weird) but, this dish forced you to combine and I simply loved it!! The balance is obviously the main strength. The second main was the duck. I have NEVER had cooked at this high standard and the quince dressing was perfect with it. We were full after all this but we wanted to continue eating because the food was so delicious. I loved the chilli pineapple (with a one-punch) and ice cream sandwich, and the house made apple sorbet was very fresh.

Very sweet interior with mixed pattern antique porcelain plates and cozy environment. My friend and…read moreI started with the fennel salad which was crisp and flavorful. I had a seared piece of barramundi in a crab broth with greens and coconut rice, so satisfying and the broth was spectacular. My friend had the lamb ribs which were well prepared, and a very large portion. The only thing that was a miss for us was her charred kale and purple sweet potato salad which had a dressing too sweet for our palates. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive, would highly recommend!!

It's a very good cafe. Could have been a little more special as a restaurant if they'd gone for a…read moreslightly more upmarket fit out. That being said the food is very good with a lovely view of the lake.

A beautiful spot for a coffee or meal. Lovely setting. Would absolutely recommend. Could lose a…read morecouple hours there easy sitting on the deck taking it all in.

It may be in the middle of nowhere, but it's a bloody good pub!…read more Radio Springs is the most fantastic and weird mix of a tiny little local, constantly buzzing with the inhabitants of Lyonville, and quite a fancy restaurant, offering some pretty delicious (though not super cheap) dinner options. I had the steak with garlic sauce which was pretty damn drool worthy. The chips & vegies on the side were great too. Radio Springs is a little bit like visiting someone's house- you can sit on the open verandah area and have a beer if the weather is nice, feast on dinner around the fireplace with a live band in the background if that's what suits, or head around to the red room at the back, where you'll feel transported to a different era in the rather elegant and dimly lit dining room. This one is worth a visit for the overall experience. Don't expect a regular restaurant as this place is in a world of it's own, but I'm not complaining!

Between Dalysford and Trentham in what can be called inner rural Victoria, or more to the point a…read moretown called Lyonville, places like the Radio Springs are a bit of an oasis. the place had a wonderful eclecticism going on, and when you walk into the rather small space we found the walls held up be several musicians playing very laid back tunes together. The music is ragtime and 1940s things and the bartender is nowhere to be seen. It's only when the song had finished and one of hem stands up and walks round the other side of the counter that it sinks in. This is pub full if the most intimate of locals, locals from all around. There are actual hotel facilities (unlike several places in Melbourne called a Hotel, which are in fact only a pub). From what I heard they're reasonable rooms and in nice surroundings when the sun's up.

When I was growing up Daylesford was the kind of place my grandparents would go for a day trip. The…read morekind of place where you bought alpaca knitting yarn, preserved fruits and other "old people" stuff. Now, either Daylesford has got trendy or I've become old because now I love the place! A weekend away in this part of Victoria is a relaxed affair, and while I might be willing to give up the city life for a couple of days I'm not prepared to give up on city quality food and booze. That's where Wombat Hill comes in. It's a charming spot inside the botanical gardens which means you can have a pre or post lunch stroll and a climb up the tower that gives good views over Daylesford. Come for breakfast, a hearty lunch or afternoon tea. There's big comforting meals like meatballs and soup, or if you're wanting to stick to healthy things you can order beautiful salads and even a bottle of keffir! Booze hounds are equally looked after with cocktails and wine. A sure bet when you're in Daylesford for the day. Note: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

This delightful cafe/function venue is a highlight of a trip to Daylesford. Set in the beautiful…read moreWombat Hill Botanical Gardens the cafe invites fireside eating and drinking in stylish and a"home beautiful" setting. If the weather is mildish or even better sunny head for the attached conservatory (guaranteed "warm inside") or open area with fire pit. We have sampled breakfast, lunch and in-betweens. The prices are very good value for the area and there are always special soups, pizzas and curries of the day. A highlight today was home made crumpets with poached pears which will unfortunately put you off bought crumpets for all time! The sweets cabinet has a scrummy selection of home made temptations including the cutest mini carrot cakes. Wombat Hill is fully licensed and has a blackboard menu of cocktails - I spy an Espresso Martini or a Citrus Fizz. How about a gelato martini with 1 scoops or 2? Does anyone know what time cocktail technically starts as their kitchen closes at 4.00pm!!! Oh I forgot any hour on holiday is cocktail hour!

Thoroughly enjoyed our time here, food, service, venue, surrounds were amazing - enjoyed a walk…read morethrough the vegetable garden and down by the lake. Excellent menu, sumptuous food together with a good wine list and a very pleasant few hours was had by all.

I'll join the 5 star action here. We had the 6 course menu and loved every bit of it. The staff are…read moresuper friendly and actually good at what they do! The setting is just beautiful, so get there early for a walk around, and head out to the balcony at sunset. Really worth the money for a nice night out or special occassion.

An evening deep in dark Daylesford on a frosty winters night, my partner and I on a lovely weekend…read moreaway elected Rubens as our first feasting feat. Though, firstly we were told they were unable to seat us without a reservation on night like this. So away we went and returned when our time came. The interior is sparsely decorated, a pizza oven feature in the main dining area, a beautiful touch, if it functions, I do not know. Clean, contemporary, functional wooden furniture that cleverly compliment the exposed ceiling beams which are common in these parts. The restaurant was bustling and all seemingly enjoying. The serving staff are polite and professional, attentive however there were a few repeated questions, implying there was a lack of communication and/or organisation with front of house, however given how busy Rubens was this night, staff being over attentive is hardly a complaint. We ordered a Margherita, mostly because we couldn't decide on anything else. The ingredients were so fresh and the base was perfect! However, there was a shocking lack of depth to the flavour. Strange especially as one would assume the Napoli sauce base and the basil pesto on this pizza should be house made? All I could taste was sourness. There was a sad excuse for a garnish of grated beets and sparsely scattered roquette- refer to my photo. For $15, in Daylesford, I was disappointed frankly. Now, for one of the two issues that has lead me to to the two stars. I'll admit I made an adjustment to a menu item which is usually a no no however, the concept wasn't that dissimilar to what was already on there. I asked the for Napoli Marinara with Gnocchi instead of the listed spaghetti- why? Because I wanted Gnocchi. Boy, do I regret this order! I expected floury, potato pillows with fresh seafood and rich Napoli sauce. What I got was, sour mash potato marinara soup. Considering the beautiful meals I saw on other tables, I am unsure how my meal turned out this way. I sent it back. They didn't charge me for it. I would have expected an a word from the manager but didn't hear a peep. I was brought a spaghetti with Napoli sauce in place of my meal ($22) is strange to admit I was surprised we were charged for this, considering it is a basic dish chosen to correct an error? You may be surprised to learn, that the sauce was sour. This is the second reason I have come to the two stars, an Italian inspired/style restaurant that can not master red sauce is an embarrassment. To develop complexity and to balance flavour in a basic red sauce, is admittedly something that requires technique and practice, but possibly one of the most important things a chef/cook must learn. The Mango Island cocktail that is quite popular from all accounts, is very decent, strong and sweet, worth a taste if you happen upon Rubens. If..

We had a pleasant evening meal here at Ruben's…read more The starter sharing plate was delicious, as were the donuts for dessert. The pizza left me disappointed though. The base is not made in house and a bit frozen pizza-ish if I'm honest. Not what you want from an Italian restaurant. The toppings were fresh though. The pasta had by our friends was very nice from all accounts. Staff were very nice and very helpful.

I don't hand out 5 stars lightly but, if I could give more stars, I would…read more From walking inside yet, still feeling like you are outside, is peaceful and relaxing. It was raining today and I felt like it was a nice summer day. Having worked for large, well known hospitality venues, the staff (including the kitchen) were incredible and first class. They knew the menu back to front, were extremely helpful in providing the right options for dietary requirements and constantly checked in with us despite full tables everywhere. Whilst we were waiting for food, out came all these "tasters" which were simply delicious. We were enjoying ourselves so much, we didn't even realise that we had waited a while for food. THEY CAME AND TOLD US, offering us a free drink each. They are too nice. And I haven't even started on our meals (which were great!!!!) If you run a restaurant, have a meal here and learn!!!! We are coming back tomorrow or the day after

Visited The Convent Daylesford and had lunch at the Bad Habits Cafe. Love the name of the cafe…read more Very apropos for the venue. The food was ok but the venue more than makes up for the ok food. Beautiful high ceiling with lovely light. Very cosy. The convent/gallery architecture is gorgeous. Formerly a real convent, it is now an art gallery. #maneklady #manektravel #manekeats

While in Hepburn Springs we ventured to try as much the restaurants had to offer! This place was…read morerated quite highly on Yelp as well as a few other sites so we attempted it. I can honestly say I was underwhelmed. From the head staff who looked and treated his coworkers as if they were beneath him and showed many signs of disgust towards them to the very underwhelming food it just was not the best experience. There was obviously a new staff member in training and the head waiter was extremely rude to her and very condescending. Everyone has to learn and unfortunately the way he was teaching was not the best way. She brought us the wrong food (it was for the table next to us) and he scolded her in front of the place, then proceeded to give us a top up of our wine to make up for her error. Not a good way of doing it at all and I was definitely not impressed. The entree was a lamb mince type of thing and absolutely delicious, cooked perfectly and super moist but my Duck, with the thick layer of skin and fat should have had a bit more of a crispy skin so it wasn't as chewy. The pinkness on the duck was perfect but the skin really ruined it. For dessert we asked for a cheesecake thinking we would get a slice of cheesecake and we got some deconstructed type of thing to represent a cheesecake but I definitely wasn't a fan. If you list cheesecake on the menu then place a cheesecake in front of the person not a pretend version. Definitely don't think this place represents anywhere near their higher starred rating.

Simple food with local produce, letting the produce speaks for themselves! The dining room was…read morequiet, other guests was eating quietly. The cocktail was amazing - something the bar tender make up on the spot. We started with freshly baked bread and pancetta bread (sooooo good), yoghurt with lime granita. For entree we opt for ocean trout, barbecue pork cheek and I thought my pork cheek was a lot tastier. Next came the snapper and venison. I don't see venison on the menu much so I can't stay away from it. It was cooked to perfection, just lightly sear. Finishing off with lemon & olive oil curd & gingerbread with rhubarb, I thought my lemon curd was too much, too sweet or too mushy, there wasn't too much texture to this dish. The gingerbread with rhubarb wasn't the best dessert I have had. I would definitely go back for a nice romantic meal.