I visited here the other day with a friend and it was reasonably busy so we were asked to wait…read morewhile one of the girls working checked on table availability. In between that time a man who we were told was "the boss" came and took us to a great table with an amazing view. Staff were quick to offer us menus and a drink and were very polite and charming. The food came relatively quick and did NOT disappoint. I loved every bit of it!! When it came time for dessert I was well and truly full however couldn't say no to the deconstructed cheesecake. It was amazing although i could not have more than a few spoonfuls. Would recommend to anyone visiting the area. It is the perfect amount of casual and classy. Seems quite family friendly also. Staff are beyond amazing, food is beyond amazing, the VIEW is beyond amazing, what more can you ask for?

A-Mazing seafood - the Chowder was great; full of fresh seafood, not to spicy. The Panacotta was…read moreexcellent; a great blend of flavours and tastefully decorated. But the Barramundi was outstanding; beautifully seared, juicy and tender on a simple butter mash base with some parsley and gorgeous lightly steamed asparagus. Superb! Overall fantastic value for the 3 courses. Ambiance was lovely; warm and light, with the clearing weather revealing moored boats weathering the light rain. Staff were very friendly, efficient and helpful. Definitely will be back!

Nicely decked out cafe with a good variety to choose from on the menu…read more Had the tuna patties with salad - was actually a lot better than expected (from the description on the menu). Salad was very fresh tasting and complimented patties well. Was much more filling than expected too. Bit on the pricey side - they had Vietnamese bread roll for an extortionate $15.50 - that's got to be THE most expensive banhmi I have ever come across!!

Rarely do I come across a cafe where "bookings essential" should be posted at the door, however the…read morealways-busy Winter's cafe, at the Newtown end of Pakington (Pako) St certainly fits the bill. Don't believe me? I've been living in Gee-town for 6 months now, and was finally gifted with a table! :-) Admittedly, I could have just booked ahead of time, but I'm a firm believer in eating breakfast at whichever point of the day might seem appropriate at the time, so making some form of formal booking is out of the question...apologies, I digress. Back to the review. The cafe is staffed by a number of charming young ladies and gents, who seem to find the perfect mix of affable hospitality & ample attention, without being overbearing. this gave enough time to peruse the menu - also venturing into lunch options - which went a long way beyond the standard breakfast fare. In hindsight (for the benefit of the review) I probably should've gone with one of these more adventurous options...but settled on eggs my way (poached, can't seem to do them myself at home) @ $10 + a bunch of extras @ $1.50-4.00, which with my hungry eyes brought the dollar price quite a bit! ;-) The wait on food was as expected (they were busy, as mentioned) but not overly-long - and on arrival the meals looked to have been prepared with care and attention. It was equally delicious. Only small gripe was only having one piece of bread for two eggs, although it was fairly thick cut so probably sufficient for most! I on the other hand had just been for a 20km run so was well beyond peckish... To sum up? The locals clearly think Winters are onto a good thing, and I agree wholeheartedly. Check them out during the week, I'm sure table acquisition will be a breeze... :-)

An absolute best find of the day!…read more Fishos is definitely Torquay's little gem. We stopped by for lunch yesterday and I was instantly in love with this place. Charming atmosphere, panoramic views from the comfort of your table and the food... oh the food, was one of the best fish and chips I have the pleasure of devouring. Simple one page dead-on menu and they did advertise on using local and fresh ingredients, so yay for that. We got one of the family boxes (serves 4) for $65 with the options of grilled or fried as well as sides of salad or chips. Opted for the deep fried tempura style, and boy I did not regret this at all! All hail to the platting, it arrives in a huge basket and beautifully presented! The calamari was definitely the highlight of the dish, uber tender and flavorful! The fish and potato hotcakes were delicious as well. Humble and friendly service, price point might be a little steep, but for a memorable dining experience in a gorgeous setting, I would be back in a heart beat!

I was a bit thrown off by the word gummy fish but I am so glad I tried it anyways. The fish here…read morewas full of sweet flavor, flaky and hearty. Much better than the cod that I normally have in the PNW. Portion sizes were pretty good though the scallop was a bit more expensive and small, but still nice to try. This also was sweet. So interesting to try fresh seafood from different ocean areas.

They advertise winning Australia's best pie for the mushroom and truffle pie and it was definitely…read moreworth the stop while in the area. The pie was really delicious, with a light flaky crust and rich creamy filling. Super delicious savory flavor with big chunks of mushroom. My coffee was fine but I wouldn't make a special point of getting coffee here. Really friendly service!

I adore the pastries and slices here. Everything tasted just like home and how I'd remembered…read moreyears ago strolling along Hesse St with a cup of coffee and a slice, looking at all the lovely stores. Service was fast and friendly.

When I stumbled across this seemingly fried chicken and wine restaurant, I thought how very Geelong…read moreyet was eager to try it.  As it turns out, Hot Chicken project is a Nashville inspired hot chicken and  organic wine diner of Aaron Turner fame (previously of Belle's Fitzroy and Loam).   Hot Chicken project perfects chicken and spices it according to your preference.  I ordered the chicken tenders. They were plump and juicy served with the most delectable shoe string fries I've had in a long time. The organic or natural wine is great too.  Start with your colour of choice and ask to sample the wines de  jour.  You'll be enjoying a healthy glass of your new favourite drop in no time. The ambience is casual and friendly, with excellent attentive and passionate staff.   Talk about winner, winner chicken dinner!  The chicken project is boldly fresh and fun and a supurb addition to Geelong's emerging foodie scene.

Very low quality chicken. Grey and rubbery with pink blotches all over it. The cheese on the…read morechicken burger is cheap processed slices of orange plastic.

Great sandwiches and friendly service! Led by the positive…read moreonline reviews we stopped for lunch at this little eatery. We ordered a couple of meat and salad rolls which were made to order. The staff were friendly and our sandwiches were really delicious, but they weren't very good value - each was about $5 more expensive than the sandwiches on offer at other outlets!

Visiting our friends with a summer cottage in Somers, we spied this new restaurant while grocery…read moreshopping across the street at Balnarring Shopping Village. What a pleasant surprise of an open restaurant, bar, take-away specialty food and desserts venue in a sleepy beach town. We decided to try it out and made dinner reservations for 6 on a Saturday night. The eclectic menu choices pleased everyone of all ages. Our octopus and calamari starters were refreshingly spiced and tender. We enjoyed a juicy Paddock burger, chicken & king prawn laksa, steamed mussels (white wine garlic and Thai green broth) and King George whiting and tuna tartar with a side of caramelized carrots. We shared a bottle of their house Pinot Grigio and some beers on tap. Foregoing the dessert menu, we gazed at the take away sweets but instead, opted for a marshmallow on-a-stick that one can self-coat from a chocolate fountain -- donations for breast cancer were tossed into a tip jar.

The best Chinese food ever! We've eaten both take out and at the restaurant heaps of times now and…read morewe've never had a problem. Highly recommend the bbq pork in plum sauce and Mongolian.

I ordered a Lemon Chicken last night. The chicken was well cooked and enjoyable. The Lemon…read moresauce was more like a jelly and did not taste like a real lemon - more like a bottled substitute. Purchase at your peril.