During a recent trip to Australia, we had the pleasure of doing a special tasting with James at Giant Steps. As a fan of Pinot Noir and liking Chardonnay that is not heavily oaked, I loved all of the wines. We were treated to 3 single-vineyard tastes each of both varietals. We ended up taking back a whole mixed case to California. Thank you, James! read more

I've been a fan of Giant Steps since they first started making wine over 11 years ago, long before they created this terrific cellar door experience. These kids are clever. They know how to make delicious wine and have two ranges pitched at slightly different markets - The IB range pitched slightly younger or for what I like to call "Tuesday night drinking" and the Giant Steps which is high end, special drinking and what I like to call "stash it away for later" kind of wine. Each range offers terrific value and you can try both when you visit the cellar door, though the GS tasting will set you back a tasting fee of $10. On top of great wine, these kids know how to cook (pizza, shared-dishes) and know that to keep people happy you should keep them fulfilled with coffee (they roast their own), cheese (the have an amazing selection) and sweet treats (check out their take-home cake and pastry section). It's a massive venue, but don't go assuming you can just rock up unannounced. Giant Steps is hugely popular, particularly on weekends, so do yourself and your hungry family a favour and make a reservation well ahead of arriving. read more

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The food is a bit hit and miss here for me, some people rave about the place and the pizzas but I am not a massive fan. Big draw cards are the Little Creatures brewery next door and the great selection of wines. The service here is excellent but somehow they get away with charging a 10% surcharge for a Sunday. This is one of those places that has great facilities and features on my appropriate list. Great hand soap and hand creams! read more

Giant Steps - Fantastic beer! Must try - Wineries Near Me - Healesville, VIC

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I came here with my wife after touring the Yarra Valley and sampling a ton of wines. Still sober, we came here for dinner based on the recommendation of the chef/owner of one of the smaller wineries that we visited. Everything that we order was up to par, sans the truffle fries, the prosciutto board, trout salad, oysters on the half shell, and the the salami pizza. Let me say that the pizza was AMAZING! One of the best I've ever had. It was super thin, cheese was browned slightly to perfection, wonderful amounts of tomato from Italy, and huge salami slices baked perfectly in a wood-fired oven. I would come back just for the pizza alone. There is also a brewery and winery that are connected to the property, but we didn't get to visit these because they were closed. read more

I love coming out to giant steps. It's over an hours drive away from me, but I've still been there over 5 times because it's worth it. Home place of the innocent bystander moscato, this winery/restaurant/bakery is somewhere I love to go for a calm getaway lunch. It is tastefully furnished and designed with attention to detail everywhere. Their food is good, their homemade bread is good, their salt flakes are good...everything is good! I've had many things from their menu, make sure you try the pizzas! You might want to jump online and check out the menu before going as it changes seasonally. Giant Steps have a huge open plan dinning area, large wooden tables up against a 4m high glass wall that looks into their cellar. They have an assortment of baked goods at the front (all fresh and baked in house) I would suggest the Portuguese tart. Another thing worth mentioning is the cheese platter, the double cream brie cheese is to die for, it is so soft and smooth you spread it as if it were butter. Have it with a glass of their famed moscato, then help yourself to their moscato flavoured sorbet (soo good). I love coming here, I'm always looking for an excuse. Oh and theres free wifi too! read more

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Dropped in for a Sunday morning breakfast to begin our day in the Yarra valley. We wandered in and were immediately greeted with a couple of menus and told to sit where ever we wanted. A few minutes after almost all the tables were full. We chose the halloumi tart, ham and cheese croissant, cheddar, Chive and bacon muffin and vanilla bean doughnut. There was a little wait on coffees so we began eating. Everything was incredible, especially the savoury muffin from the bakery. We were so incredibly full at the end but you could easily grab a box to fill with leftovers or fill up on baked goods. The system is self serve so make sure you load up before heading to the register to pay. We also grabbed a bottle of rose, proseco and moscato and a loaf of sourdough before leaving. Can't wait to go back and try lunch! read more

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Great wine and great hosts! Ravi gave us a great tasting experience and shared his wine knowledge with us. I'll definitely come back to try the food here. read more

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Came by after hearing very good feedbacks. We were not disappointed. Our waiter is friendly and informative despite the many questions I had. Food is top notch. Both tapas and pizza. The pumpkin freekah salad is out of this world. Simply really good. While waiting for our food, we went for wine tasting. Innocent bystander range is free and Giant Steps costs $10 per head. Tried both. Giant's $10 tasting was incredible. The wine connoisseur, Oliver, was very informative and the produce was one of the best we've tried for a long while. Will be back for the Giant Step Chardonnay and Syrah. read more

Giant Steps - Funghi pizza w truffle oil with lamb and croquette tapas - Wineries Near Me - Healesville, VIC

This place is awesome! Not only the restaurant, but the wine here is amazing. The Pinot Noir is one of the best I tasted in the Yara. And don't get me started about the muscat. The food was good, but honestly nothing fancy. If you are looking for fancy food - you might want to go somewhere else. But it is good. You can also buy bread, cheese and pastries to take home. Which we did. The Portuguese tarts are good. But honestly the best thing about this place is the wine. read more

Romantic, fresh, organic, child friendly, indoor seating and outdoor seating... this place has it all... and it's in Healesville, Australia! This place was like being in northern California except that people drive on the other side of the road down here. Most of the food and wine was delicious. The service is not fast but they tell you that. I will say that some of the tapas were not as "perfect" as they could have been but overall, this place is great. Pricey at $200 for five. read more

Giant Steps is an amazing multifunctional space -- wine tasting, bistro dining, bakery, and cafe -- housed in a spacious, modern, open-plan building. We visited several times on our last trip to Healesville: for a late lunch, for morning coffee, for evening drinks, and for a bakery run or two. For lunchtime, the wood-fired pizzas and accompaniments were perfect over a couple different glasses of their Pinot Noirs. The standouts were the melt-in-your-mouth plate of wagyu bresaola dressed with fresh pressed olive oil, and the witlof, radish, and smoked trout salad with a tangy-sweet citrusy dressing. In the evening, we enjoyed snacking on the spiced cashews while sampling the Mule Gateway Vineyard Sangiovese. In the morning, we took away some lovely, rich milk chocolately noted espressos with a sourdough baguette. My partner raved over his custardy Portuguese Tart, and we both looked longingly at the pizzettas with bubbly egg baked in the middle. Both of us mused about how much we longed for a space like this in Melbourne; with the ample light, open space, and wifi it's the kind of place you could spend untold hours writing, reading, and the like. But, let's face it, in the city it would probably be too noisy, too crowded, and less special. In fact, the waitstaff told us that they can get crazy busy on the weekends with the out of town crowd. Mid-week it was bliss: quiet, but not too quiet, with different groups of people dotted around carrying on conversations. In sum, if the lack of places like Giant Steps in the city is the problem, then the solution is clear: more mid-week getaways to Healesville! read more

This is my favourite place in Healesville, possibly even the Yarra Valley! They make THE most amazing Moscato I've ever tasted. But wait... there's more... It's not only this deliciously addictive wine they make, their Moscato is almost it's own little franchise. As well as coming in the usual bottle, it's also comes in smaller, take home 4/6 packs, cans, it has it's very own glasses, hot pink Moscato coasters... AND... I got a little too excited about this part... It comes in frozen/granita/daiquiri form!! For someone who loves cold, frozen, sweet things, and delicious, refreshing Moscato, I was in taste bud heaven. It's like being a little kid again drinking a very non-kiddy grown up drink (kids do not try). Ok Moscato-rant over. It's surprisingly not the only thing I love here. The Wood-fired pizzas are to die for, as are the truffle oil fries. There's always great music playing, you can see right into the wine cellar which gives a very rustic, industrial feel. There's a bakery section with great bread and pastries (try the lemon tart!), really good coffee, the best vanilla ice cream any of my friends have ever had, and, to top it all off, Turkish Delight sorbet!??? The designers of this place have thought of everything. You get to drink great wine, eat great food that's delicious, sophisticated and fun! Oh and go into the bathrooms ladies and use their hand soap. Smells so good you'll want to eat it. Can't speak for the men's bathroom, you might need to just sniff your female friends' lovely hands. Enjoy... read more

Giant Steps - Wineries Near Me - Healesville, VIC

We've only ever been to IB on the busiest of Saturday nights so thought we'd take a trip out for a Thursday dinner for some quiet time. We've misjudged, it's local night. Anyone with postcode 377.. gets 25% off and everyone with such a postcode is there. Bambinos clatter spoons and forks with doughy cheesy anticipation. They mistake my glares for requests for an encore and so sets the scene. Placated with a (big) glass of their 2013 Sangiovese I start to forget that six under six are playing musical chairs to aforementioned bambinos musical genius and that regular talking has been replaced with shrill squeals (of joy - but not mine). Two glasses in, having fought husband for the most delicious pork belly and chicken terrine I have had since France and I am now encouraging squeals and musical chairs, hell this food tastes so good I may almost join in. But the true glory lay in the pizza. This version was a little thicker on the base than that which I've had previously, which we personally liked. The smothering of the Napoli sauce meant that when you fold over the slice and squeeze the dough, it oozes enthusiastically. Slurping licking goodness. I suggest people would rather have sat next to the kids than us at this point...The lights are dimmer (or just my senses are), the old jazzy tunes are turned up and everyone is happy. I love this place. I love their breakfast muffins (which I may or may not have had after the pizza), their smashing coffee, their wine, their friendly but not pushy staff and even the local kids. The next morning I didn't like them as much.... read more

My partner and I stumbled upon this gem on a recent trip out to Healesville. Not wanting to make the drive out to a winery, we set our sights upon something local, and Innocent Bystander surpassed all of my expectations. Having no idea we would need a reservations, we were surprised to find a massive crowd on a Thursday evening, but while waiting for a table we were served drinks in a lovely little corner of the restaurant/bar/winery/bakery, which felt intimate while still being a great place to people watch. When we did sit down, the food and service were both amazing. We had a pizza with picked eggplant (amaze!), sausage and cheese, which was devoured, as well as some of the smaller share plates, including a chicken liver and duck terrine and smoked salmon. For dessert my boyfriend ordered Turkish Delight (which I'm normally not a fan of) which was homemade with Innocent Bystander moscato... needless to say, it turned me into a fan. The next arvo we went back to try some of their coffee and pastries, but I was disappointed to find that the previous nights dinner menu was also the lunch menu, hence why I haven't given Innocent Bystander 5 stars. While a great dinner menu, it's just too expensive and rich to serve as a lunch menu. read more

One small step for man, one Giant leap for wineries. Whether you're looking for the perfect tasting wine or cider, authentic pizzeria or a savvy winery experience, look no further, Giant Steps has it all and nails it! Rustic, wood fire, candles, cheese, beer, timber and rainy days are keywords to describe how you feel inside. The décor and setting feels nostalgic. The service is attentive and you're always feeling like someone is there to take care of your needs. The food, wines and the Innocent Bystander Real Cider on offer is fantastic. The Pumpkin and Parmesan arancini balls were crunchy and soft, that warms up the soul. The spicy pork sausage pizza with buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomato and chilli on a thin base is tasty. It's hard to see Giant Steps make a bad pizza, it's that good. There's even love for the sides, the seasonal green vegetables with aged balsamic vinegar, almonds and pumpkin seeds is an example of how much quality and care that goes with each dish. We took a break from the food to experience the wine tasting. This is awesome. You can drink until the cows come home, so try all the Giant Steps wines, you're in for a treat. If it's available, try the Knowledge wine bottle, it's perfect. We took on the cheese selection and dessert menu to sober up. The cheese board included Beaufort d'Alpage cheese, Stone and Crow Galactic cheese and Rogue Creamery blue cheese with house made quince paste, green apple slices, walnuts and Parisian style baguettes. Lovely tasting cheese, a joy to eat with the wine. The Chocolate nemesis with cream is a dessert to share, it's rich and deadly of the good kind, share it and be merry, because it's a crowd pleaser that's sure to keep you smiling for a long time. Driving into Healesville, exploring the Yarra Valley, Giant Steps is hard to miss, and it would be a crime to not drop by if you're in the area, you will be seriously missing out. We were lucky to dine here before the restaurant closed for refurbishment and changing part of its business. I can't wait to see the facelift, I hope it's just as good and even better. It's been a pleasure to have known what Giant Steps was like before the renovations. read more

This place was a little gem - easy to find and great ambience!!! Staff were very friendly and helpful with the menu and what to recommend. Is designed as a share/tapas type menu and with a great drinks list and MANY wines to offer - had a Pinot Noir there and was probably the best/lightest and freshest red I've had in a long time! Our eating choices for the day were: Had dozen oysters they were to die for. The beef brisket - little dry but still very tasty. Cured Wagyu and the asparagus salad and chorizo potatoes for sides!!!! Yum. With the large indoor and groovy outdoor wooden areas and warm welcoming feel I Definitely will drive the hr for that experience again! read more

Go here for their Pink Moscato. Girly, totes yes but if you like a sweet drop in the very literally sense then this will hit the spot. Did I say it is fizzy too? Everyone's welcome here including the littlies but be warned that they do expect you to mind them all the time or as the big green sign says, stray children will be fed double espresso shots and told what Santa will bring them. Do try their wines as well as any of their pizzas but gone from the menu was a duck dish I had ages ago. And ask for their specials too. The baked goods tend to sell out before the night so get in early. Great ambience, and but a little loud as they have ceiling and wall mounted speakers blaring down jazzy tunes. You almost need to shout to be heard. read more

Giant Steps. Giant Praise. The food was outstanding, the surroundings thoughtfully laid out, the atmosphere is perfect. And then there was Rhys. Rhys is the best out of everything at Giant Steps. And I don't say that lightly. Rhys knew his stuff (expected), nothing phased him and his good nature and easy conversation brightened an already beautiful winter's day. You can't go wrong having lunch at Giants Steps. The food and wine are worth the drive. If you have the pleasure of Rhys at your table, you'll be living the dream. Thanks Rhys for making a fun day out even better. read more

A trip to the Yarra Valley is probably my favourite little excursion within Victoria. Here, not one hour away from Melbourne are some of the best wineries and restaurants in the country; and a trip to the Yarra Valley is simply not complete without a stop at the Giant Steps winery in the heart of Healesville. At once beautifully and breathtakingly designed but with all of the welcoming warmth of a tiny little bistro, Giant Steps is the sister wine label of Innocent Bystander and here, at this gorgeous Yarra Valley winery/restaurant you'll find both. By the bottle, by the glass, to drink in or take away, Giant Steps sells an incredible range of its own label wines alongside a beautiful food menu; bakery; 'cheese room' and coffee roastery and the quality of everything is divine. Tastings take place every day between 10am and 6pm so you can try before you buy and the variety of wines on offer is dizzying. Particularly noteworthy? Innocent Bystander's incredible Moscato, a light, sparkling pink wine which goes particularly well with Giant Steps' incredible gourmet pizzas. It doesn't get much better than this. read more

Great! We went on a week night so it was very quiet and friendly. I was led to believe that this place is hectic and awful on weekends but we experienced loveliness! We had a a quick tasting of the Innocent Bystander wines which turned into a tasting odyssey. The staff were lovely and, after the initial tasting, kept pulling out interesting wines for us to try. Then dinner was tasty, though we'd had quite a lot to drink at this stage so I may be an unreliable witness. Squid-something was amazeballs, pizza was woodfired and perfect. They gave us free sourdough as we left as they had to chuck it otherwise. Yay! Go here! read more

List of assets: Wine tasting Pizza Wine tasting Cheese platter and freshly baked read Wine tasting Tapas Wine tasting Modern European menu Wine tasting Bakery Giant Steps is the restaurant and shop for Innocent Bystander vineyard and affiliated companies. As such it offers a fantastic range of wines and food to be had in the modern and relaxed atmosphere of the Giant Steps headquarters in Healesville. If you are in the area it is an absolute must to visit this place. read more

I love Giant Steps!! I have to stay that driving past I wasn't sure that this is the best lunch stop. Big concrete building and least good looking venue in all of Yarra valley area. But I walked in and boy I was wrong!! The venue is a huge open space two storeys building. It's a restaurant at the bottom floor with some office rooms upstairs. Since its a warehouse type space, the restaurant really feels big and spacious. At the front is a takeaway bakery type section where you can pick up some cakes and other goodies to go. At the other end is wine tasting area and there's also outside balcony seatings. At the back of the restaurant is a glass window where you can see their 'factory'/ storage area with wine barrels etc and another room that seems to be a cool private tasting area. It has a great atmosphere and looks very impressive. Food wise, we had the truffle fries and artichoke pizza , loved it and really enjoyed it. I've learnt that they house three labels and we tried the Sangiovese (delicious). For the non alcoholic, they stock Summersnow apple juice which is a small Australian juice company that I love and support myself so all big ticks for me here. They open till late so definitely a nice destination for dinner if you are visiting the area, if you are after a more casual and buzzing atmosphere than the vineyards dining. I will definitely be back to visit! read more

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I'm like a kid in a candy store every time I pop out to Giant Steps. Incredible wine, freshly baked bread, a decadent menu and fantastic service to boot - you really can't go wrong. My first visit to Giant Steps was on a surprisingly ladylike Hens Party. I indulged in one of their famous pizzas which are on a 100% organic sourdough bread and then topped it off with a cheese tasting from their home-matured selection. I also noticed they have a children's menu so this is a good place to take the kids too! We were then lucky enough to do a tour of the winery, see how everything was made and then of course finished up with a tasting. The Pinot Noir is orgasmic. It can be pricey - you're looking at around $30 for a main meal, but why not spoil yourself? read more

Oh Lordy! This place is a little piece of heaven on earth when you have foolishly decided to bicycle from Yarra Glen to Healesville over the hills, beside the juggernaut laden roads and through the torrential rain. They produce their own wine and cheese and it is to die for. Their restaurant/bistro is incredible and so is their impressive beers list. We were blown away by their pizzas. They were as good as the likes of DOC and +39 and perhaps even topped them. If you dine there as well, they give you a discount on takeaway wines. Do their wine tasting and you will definitely be impressed. They produce high quality hard to find wines that mainly are sold through their cellar door. Wine tasting. Cheese tasting. Incredible food. Freshly made bread. A great atmosphere. Go wild! Did i mention the service was really good too? read more

OK; lets bring a bit of sanity back into this - i have frequented IB since it opened(over 6 years), and i am a 377? resident; over the years it has being reincarnated several times; the pizza is good , but i prefer zonzo's BTW, just near Yarra Glen, now that's a gem of the yarra valey. coffee is way to mild for my taste ; so anyone who like "real coffee" perhaps this is not the place. i wish they would do a strong expresso roast - Guys? when its busy you must take your noise cancelling headphone along; again this is not what i call enjoyable dining....others don't mind; Cheers read more

There's not so much I can say about this #Octupus #Salad that the photo doesn't say for itself. Head out to #innocentbystander #giantsteps this weekend and give it a crack!! A must try with their #pinogris read more

Giant Steps - @EchoTree - Wineries Near Me - Healesville, VIC

Amazing wine , nice steak but over cooked when I asked for medium rare. The srincini could be good if goat cheese was added and the oysters were nice but only one type and slightly Briney. I really loved the snapper with bokchoy and amazing effing fantastic sour dough!! The truffle fries were also nice but too salty read more

What a great place for lunch. Excellent service, wonderful food, and the wine! The menu is very interesting with local produce. We sat outside and spent all afternoon there. A little music waffted outside every now and then and although crowded this did not seem to effect the impeccable service. Our waiter knew all the specials, was very knowledgeable re the wines, and stepped us through the complex menu of local produce. Cannot wait to return. read more

Quite enjoyable in every way. Modern, spacious and comfortable, the dining room features a glass wall look into the working winery, so you never quite forget that this is a cellar door (tasting room) and not just a restaurant. That could be easily forgotten, however, given the extensive and sophisticated menu, which features an impressive charcuterie selection (albeit without a mixed charcuterie option, for some reason), an extensive cheese program, fantastic house-made bread, and seasonal dishes that never failed to impress. Besides their own wines, they also stock an impressive list of their favorite wines from Australia and around the world. A little more casual than most restaurants of this caliber, but the food is top shelf. read more

Wow was this good! After enjoying a fresh beer at the White Rabbit Brewery we wandered over to the Innocent Bystander. We ordered a nice bottle of wine along with the calabrese pizza and hand cut chips with aioli. Everything was delicious! For dessert we ordered the chocolate cake that came with fresh cream - some of the best fresh cream we've ever had! I'm hoping we get one more visit in here before we leave the area. read more

Don't be a bystander - through yourself right into the action, you won't regret it! This place has a LOT to offer. Based in Healesville (a lovely little town to explore) you can enjoy a great day trip if you want a break out of the city or need somewhere to take visiting guests. The menu has a lot of variety and is designed for sharing (unless of course you want the goodness all to yourself). We had the ham croquettes - which had a delicious crispy shell enveloping the smooth and tasty filling, the grilled lamb - juicy, well seasoned and smoky, and the spring bay mussels - the sauce of which we mopped up with bread to savour all the goodness, followed by the spicy pork sausage pizza - as the name suggests the sausage had a lovely kick and generous amounts of buffalo mozzarella all atop a lovely homemade base and the nicest pizza sauce I have ever tasted. There are plenty of take home goodies - we purchased one of the half loaf fruit breads (which we toasted the next day for breakfast - delicious) and a Portuguese tart which we shared for dessert! There is also wine, breads and t-shirts for sale! On a recommendation we booked a head which was lucky. On the beautiful spring day that we visited it was pumping from the moment we sat down for our 2pm reservation until we left. read more

Great ambience to bring a big group for lunch (no joke). I had the pizza and some finger foods. Can't resist to buy a dozen of moscato. They also have the moscato sorbet which I don't really like. Great wine selection as well. read more

ambiance//***** spaciously separating the store portion from the cafe you can eat then shop or vice versa hungry eyes anyone?! we decided to dine outside...enjoying the delightful spring weather of yarra valley service/*** service was very standard...no surprises =p food//***** delicious and beautifully plated dishes and beverages my cousin was IGing the sh!t out of photos with my hand and our sunnies as props lol ps. their moscato is highly recommended...so guess who went home with 2 bottles? ;p ~*~ wonderful place to brunch! that and I like going to places where I can also purchase the stuff I've had in the shoppe section Thank You Sharon C. for the hospitality!! read more

This restaurant was recommended to us by a few friends before we headed to Healesville. I can't say it blew me away- the waitress was a little lacklustre when we asked her about the wine she brought us to taste, although our main waiter was friendly, attentive and knowledgable. The tapas-style plates were interesting, but the $20+ individual pizzas didn't fill our kids up so didn't represent good value. Nice atmosphere and interesting menu if you're looking for a meal out, but nothing special. read more

Great space, food and wine. Would be great if the waitress knew a bit more about wine basics.

Payten & Jones Wine provides Premium Red Wine, Premium White Wines Online in Australia. For more visit @ https://paytenandjoneswine.com.au/

The problem with IB or Giant Steps, is that with all the attention to most detail... excellent food, great coffee and attentive staff, is the amount of aural noise. The building is large and echoes and amplifies the clatter of food preparation and chatter of patrons.. which is, in the context of what the venue is supposed to be, is acceptable. Part of the package of a venue such as this, are these drawbacks. The added noise of fairly intrusive music piped through tinny high frequency speakers is unsettling, at least it is for me. Most of the music is esoteric scatty jazz with an emphasis on muted trumpet and saxophone., or drum machine driven pap. hardly soothing or conducive to genial conversation with friends, or just drinking a coffee and reading a newspaper or magazine. I agree with the glowing reviews of other patrons about the food etc, as most is excellent, however, if you are feeling jaded and tired, I'd suggest a venue without recorded music, and some sort of sound deadening. On this issue alone, IB and Giant Steps fail. FAIL. read more