Mt Macedon is a wonderful part of the world and it really deserves a great cafe and restaurants. I…read morehad seen some photos of the Trading Post and was intrigued by the eclectic country general store feel to the place. The building and location certainly have a lot of character and you can sit out the front on the deck, down the side under the trees or inside if you want to stay warm. The menu is simple, mostly pies, quiches and a simple specials board with a soup of the day and items like lasagne with salad. This is all boding well so far, but unfortunately the Trading Post is let down by very slow counter service when you order, reheated food not always warmed right through, some wonky furniture and a chaotic layout. This will be a hit and miss experience. Good some days and annoying on others. We had a bit of both.

Sadly I feel that this place took the chance to trade in their customer service and good values. As…read morea customer under the average old of retired I felt that my moneys were worth less than other clientele. Two coffees arrived burnt and flat. With a cake and sausage roll arriving around 15mins later. We tried a few more times in the hope that our first experience was an off day. Unfortunately not.

Stopped by this bakery for brunch and what a surprise! Selected some hot food to eat. The curry…read moremeat pie was tasty and not overly curried, chicken and bacon pie was generous will the chicken filing, the sausage was average and the chilli beef pie was yummy with just enough chilli to give it a kick. The pastry for all were flakey and crunchy. It was a great choice for a stop by with tables and chairs both inside and outside to enjoy the food.

Some of the best Austrian food out there. Good service and got food quickly. If you're in…read moreCastlemaine I highly trying it out.

The most amazing café lattes... But a little known secret... is they have the absolute BEST…read moreEspresso Martini in the world!!!! Beans are roasted in house! And the staff...

Yes, the food is great and there are rabbits everywhere. I…read morereally enjoyed Run Rabbit Run. It's more on the casual hip side, perfect edginess that is Castlemaine. I had the Mediterranean veggies with hummus on brioche bread. It was delish and filling. They change their menu often, always offering a fresh fare. It's the perfect café for breakfast, lunch or to pop-in for something sweet. Located a few stores down from the theatre, you can't miss it. Staff were lovely and they have local Harcourt apple juice. What's not to love?

Ok I think I have a new local favourite!! We noticed this joint pop us a few months ago but for…read moresome reason hadn't managed to get there yet. There wasn't a whole lot of options to choose from for lunch on Good Friday in Castlemaine so we found ourselves at Run Rabbit Run and we were not disappointed! There's a choice between sunny outdoor seating on the footpath or dark and moody seating inside. It smells of coffee and delicious 'bad for you' food. They have plenty to choose from on the menu without it being overwhelming. They have an all day breakfast menu and lunch menu that leans towards good ol' American food. We all chose different meals and between the 4 of us we had scrambled eggs (which looked so delicious), an epic looking hotdog, a pulled beef sloppy joe with coleslaw and housemade waffles with cinnamon poached apples. Everyone was over the moon with their meals and speaking from my point of view you NEED to try those waffles! If you've got a spare moment before your food coma sets in take a walk upstairs - it's actually a little art gallery. that used to be the local video store. Now I'm just counting down the days 'til I actually get the chance to go back.

I came to The Gov on recommendation from a couple of friends who swear by the coffee and the view…read moreand I certainly wasn't disappointed. We decided to visit on a 40'C day and coffee was out of the question but the Daylesford Herpburn Sparkling Mineral Waters were just what the doctor ordered along with a beauiful view overlooking the whole of castlemaine. The menu is very simple but I enjoy only having 8-10 itmes to choose from. Big menus are often overwhelming and when you've got your choices already narrowed down for you but still quite varied it makes it pretty easy to choose. We opted for the fresh schnitzel wraps and should have got one between us. The weather was too hot to eat too much and these wraps were big! The Gov is located inside the Old Castlemaine Gaol and the barista advised us that the cafe is now fully licenced and will be holding live gigs from february 2015. There's lots of little nooks and crannies to seat yourself inside, on the verandah or in the garden with a super chilled out vibe. I'm excited to come back here!

Good cheap and cheerful cafe on a hill overlooking Castlemaine…read more A little rabbit warren of rooms is not immediately apparent when you walk in the front door. They allow groups to have private spaces or, when we were visiting, for kids to play in. The food is decent, the coffee adequate and all appropriately priced. Service was good and the place had a cheerful vibe. Nice to visit.

Excellent food and they also grind their decaf on the spot so you're guaranteed real, fresh coffee…read more Their pastries are to die for, absolutely irresistible. Cheers!

Can I give them more stars? Friendly counter staff, good coffee, but hey, it's a bakery and that…read moreis what you come here for. The range of meat pies is simply awesome, the pastries likewise, as are the king size meringues. Never been disappointed in 20 or so visits over the years. My parents live in Castlemaine, and they and my family from California always find something delicious.

What a gem in Castlemaine! Mentioned in Lonely Planet, looked for it at its old location at Halford…read moreSt when we passed thru Castlemaine. It had however just moved (just 2 weeks ago) to its new location at Parker St, right across the Botanic Gardens. A much better location with a wonderful premise to boot. It was part of the former Wool Mill but its 1-year old labour of retrofitting love created a wonderful rustic Austrian/Hungarian/German country restaurant ambience. Great friendly staff on hand to welcome and make you feel comfortable. Its coffee is roasted on site and has an amazing range of coffees - from the standards to the European styles. Each drink is served on a platter. Beautiful old world charm. Food was good. Loved the goulash and sausages although it took a while for the food to be prepared (long queue for the takeaways). Do come by and enjoy the charm and hospitality whenever you come thru Castlemaine.

Great strong coffee and beautiful food makes this cosy, although large space, one to return to. So…read moremuch more on the menu I'd love to try!

We got there 20 minutes before closing time. They graciously took our order and rushed it in. We…read moregot the charcuterie board since we were going to have dinner in 4 hours. He had a local brew and I had the Billy tea. It was delicious!!!! The service is great! Everyone there is so nice. Then there is all the gourmet food just like the Oakville Grocery in Napa. I think it would be great for people that are renting a cabin. You can go off to the spa and relax at home with all the gourmet foods, beer, and wine. This is a great place for brunch. Don't go too late in the day or you might miss out. Sit outside when it's nice out. It makes for a lovely meal in a pretty place that makes you feel so relaxed and pampered. Which is, of course, why a person goes to Hepburn Springs.

Cliffy's never fails to deliver. A huge selection and variety of foods, fabulous service and a warm…read moreand welcoming interior make this a must do on every visit to Daylesford.