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.

We came to Montalto recently for a celebration dinner that finished before it got started when my…read morehusband became unwell . The care and level of service from both Jade and Mark was exceptional. Having to cut short our dinner they sent us home with some beautiful food and drinks . But more than that it was just the wonderful care and concern they exhibited . I don't think I have ever experienced such service anywhere. Montalto will continue to be our go to when we are down on the Peninsula . Thanks so much Jade and Mark ,

"Go to Montalto" they all said. "They" being a couple of friends who chimed in when I asked a group…read morewhere we should visit on our first trip to Mornington. "There is art... and wine" they said. "You'll love it" they said. I admit I hadn't heard of Montalto prior to this trip, but I put it on the list because surely my good friends knew just the place to send me, right? When we arrived I honestly thought I might have to disown them all. The place was packed. It was teeming with cars and people. Kids were running riot all over the cafe and grounds. "Dear God, the wine had better be bloody good..." I thought. I always assumed that exceptional wines comes from quiet and sophisticated places, filled only with a certain ilk of wine loving snob. The kids and diversity of the Montalto crowd really thew me (and, yes, demonstrated what a snob I am). Well it turns out that Montalto has something for everyone. There's lawns of grass for the kids, a casual eatery for families and those wanting something less fancy-pants, a hatted restaurant, a sculpture walk (highly recommended if you need to walk off cheese and/or wine), easy-to-drink "approachable" wines like Rose and Moscato, olive oils for sampling and then what I was most surprised with, amazingly good single estate Chardonnay and Pinot. I like their tasting set up. With two tasting areas and enough staff to cover the crowds, this was one of our most enjoyable tastings over the weekend. We were served by Justin and he loved nerding out with us about Chardonnay, even opening bottles that weren't listed for tasting. Good job he did because we walked away with several bottles and a very timely reminder that first impressions don't always count.

God bless Victoria. No matter where you are, there's always a craft beer brewery nearby. In this…read morecase it was in the bush in the middle of Red Hill. And I mean true-blue bush - tractors, a shed and a lot of blokes talking shop. While I am not certain that you can actually do a brewery tour here (there doesn't seem to be many staff) the bar area of the Red Hill Brewery is a lovely place to stop for a paddle or two. I tried a paddle of four of their freshly brewed beers and with the exception of one (their Temptation golden ale was a bit too fruity for my palate) loved all of them. We sat out on their lovely deck, admired the giant smoker on the side and cheekily eavesdropped on some of the local conversations. We left and couldn't help ourselves... we bought a bunch of takeaways. Their Cherry Saison is currently chilling in my fridge and I plan to sip on it in just a few short hours. This would be a fun place to get rowdy with the locals on a Saturday night and if you're in the area, it would be very silly of you to not stop by.

Red Hill Brewery's beers are some of our favourite hand crafted ales. I love them all from the…read moreBelgian style to more Germanic brews, to stout. And one of the things I like about coming here is that in addition to their usual delicious range are seasonal speciality brews. If you're interested in trying a selection of their beers, try a tasting paddle. The brewery is a small operation run by husband and wife team David and Karen Golding. It's an added bonus that their hop garden and bar are located in a beautiful part of the Mornington Peninsula, surrounded by wineries and farms. This makes a visit even more of a pleasure. You don't have to be a beer lover to stop in here, the cafe food is beer friendly and not typical of peninsula venues, featuring interesting locally sourced food, from snacks to grazing plates or something more substantial. If you prefer wine or cider to beer you're still bound to find something to please. Sit out on the deck and unwind or at certain times of the year you can also take one of their beer appreciation sessions/brewery tours. When we were there last a small wedding party dropped in late afternoon while the bride and groom were having their photos taken nearby - what a great idea! The cafe can get really popular for lunch in Summer so be prepared to wait if you are a large group with kids, they'll do their best but it's not a huge venue. I don't live nearby, but thankfully their beer is also available at selected venues in Melbourne. So coming to Red Hill Brewery still remains a special treat for me.

This is a very fun place to do a tasting. Everyone was helpful and gracious and it was a beautiful…read moreplace with great ambiance and food available.

Foxey's Hangout is simply stunning and an absolute must when travelling through the Red Hill area -…read morethe view alone should be enough to get you there! We popped in on a Friday afternoon and the place was pumping, surprising for a week day! The service was fast and efficient and while we didn't get a seat outside on the deck, we got one right in the window so were still able to take in the breathtaking hilly views of the Red Hill country side. Foxey's offers wine tastings if you are on a cheeky tour, otherwise you can grab some simply yet delicious nosh to accompany your glass of wine, with all menu items costing $12. We ordered: + Bread with olive oil and pistachio spice + Mushroom sausage rolls + BBQ quail The sausage rolls were truly a standout and an absolute must if you visit. A lot of the wine at Foxey's is award winning. Best ask the friendly staff what might go best dependent on the flavours you like.

Wonderful home cooked food. The scones are to die for as are the sausage rolls and coffee. We will…read morebe back

Had food poisoning following a breakfast there. Chilli Scramble. Both Hubby & I had the meal and…read moreboth were violently ill. We never get ill. Not likely to return.

Omggg this place is Beautiful simply amazingly gorgeous. An old general store that has captured,…read moreretained, and continues to display the beauty of the original design of the building. While it is repurposed into a very active restaurant with an extensive wine tasting experience in the mornington peninsula. Service is quick and efficient. Food is delivered hot, beautifully presented full of flavors gnocchi is done nicely, pork belly delicious. And our waitress was energetic, efficient, and pleasant. This is a must stop and visit establishment when ever you are passing through the area. Pp

I was not expecting such an amazing dining experience or such a stunning dining area driving upto…read morethis place, as on the outside it is very rustic and looks like a general store so my expections where not very high, however Everything was cooked beautifully and presented well. The waiters were prompt and friendly there was a fantastic wine selection We had the Burrata as a starter with some bread, it was absolutely stunning, the best Barrata iv had. Everyone ordered there own mains and shared the vegetable sides, which was a fantastic conversation starter. With everyone having there own mains we ordered 2 vegetable sides for 4 people and i was the perfect amount. The perfect place to surprise someone special on a cute date.

Good coffee, great service and nice atmosphere…read more Busy, bustling on a Sunday morning and full of people. The food looked amazing, especially the pancakes, and I would go back just to try their tucker.

Awesome food, amazing and personal service. The spirits are expensive and few, but the whiskey neat…read moreI had was definitely a nice drop to treat myself with

Wonderful! The service, the food, the plating... All amazing. We loved everything we sampled here,…read moreand found it to be well worth the money spent. Our waiter was pleasant, knowledgable and prompt. I had the rabbit for entree and the duck for main. Divine! Highly recommend dining here, it is my new favourite on the Peninsula!

Professional kitchen provides artful , flavourful and texturally delicious meals…read more Hospitality is crafted , as are the wines from home and abroad .

Sommelier was excellent. Very informative. Food delicious. Service perfect. Ambiance classy but…read morerelaxed