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.

Stopped here to have dinner before our penguin parade. Lots of seating indoor and out. We had a…read morenice table near the windows on a chilly evening. We chose to split a salad, the bread and olives, and a pizza. While I like veggie pizza, husband likes meaty pizza so we asked if they could do a half and half. While they said, they don't usually do that, they made an exception for us. We love that focus on the customer and appreciate the accommodation. All the food was excellent. We were debating about all three salads and our server suggested the one we got and we were not disappointed. Such a nice light dressing and lots of veggies. For dessert, we had the affogato. I love that dessert. So simple but delicious. Husband hates coffee and loves ice cream. I love both so works for both of us.

After wrapping up our night at the penguin parade we headed over to downtown and decided to eat at…read morePino's. It seemed busy with lots of cars parked out front. It was a fairly large restaurant with outdoor and indoor seating. Decor was nice with an unusual display of motorcycle outfits mounted to the walls. We were promptly seated and asked a couple times by different staff if we were ready to order. It seemed like there was a lack of coordination. However, after placing our order it did take awhile to flag a waiter's attention to get water refills and later one to go box for leftovers. In general the pastas were good in size but a bit lacking in flavors and seasoning. The bolognese and arrabiatta tasted about the same. The chicken risotto was watery instead of creamy. The romana pizza turned out to be the best of all the dishes we tried that night. At the end of the meal, we paid at the counter in front.

Mad cow disease is a brain disorder in adult cattle that may be spread to humans through diseased…read moremeat, hence a curiously yet puntastically named cafe, maybe I will skip the beef. With an open view out to the water I visited on the first day of a long weekend and the vibe was relaxed. Coffee arrived with a layer of milky foam I was frothing to drink it and it didn't let me down. Flavours were subtle and it went down smooth and easy. Food was a delicious umami delight. My order was the Madcowes Hash ($18), the large croquette was crispy, kasundi mushrooms meaty, egg soft and oozing offset nicely with crisp watercress. Looked good and tasted great .. olive oil was so fresh it was almost fluorescent green! Grab the bull by the horns and pop into this cafe when you're next in this small seaside town. Papers a plenty! Music - none, just the sound of voices reverberating around. Less ambiance but easy to chat

I'm glad I found this place !…read more Looking for a place to have a quick meal while i was visiting Phillip island, I ended in Cowes, I first went to another place, without any reviews and that I couldn't even see on Yelp, to give it a try. I sat, saw the waitress passing in front of me and watching me two times, and after 5 minutes without getting any intention (at least maybe, giving me a menu?) I decided that, well, maybe it was enough. THANK GOD (or whatever I don't believe in) because I ended up here instead ! Decided to go healthy (that's impressive Pierre) and had the Mad Cowes chicken salad (as you could see in the pictures) and it was a freaking good as it looked awesome ! The seasonning was just perfect, the chicken was not dry at all, and... I HATE THE CUCUMBERS (ALL OF THEM) You don't know me, but it's a big deal, if I say to my friends that I ate cucumbers, they would die instantly. It's like Superman eating Kryptonite, or... Batman eating his dead parents ! (it's a big deal) I had a perfect lemon meringue pie with a marvelous Mocha and that was it, I'm in love. oh and add a friendly staff, and a wonderful view on the ocean. YEAH

We took a half hour drive out to Hastings on a Saturday late morning for brunch and this cafe made…read moreit worth the drive. Beautiful surroundings, a great menu, food & coffee were delicious and well presented. The owners are lovely as well. We will definitely be back!

I love an adventurous chef and good coffee and here you get both with the view and relaxation to…read moreboot!! Super friendly staff for toddlers (& big kids too) ... Enjoy this little hidden gem!!

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.

My wife and I cam here for dinner as our friend highly recommended this place and we were not…read moredisappointed. The atmosphere is really nice and the waiters are all super nice. The food looked really nice and was super tasty!

If you havent eaten here, do yourself and go what a place wonderful staff, a fantastic atmosphere…read moreand the FOOD. It was like being in heaven, every mouth full was full of favour, we had the prawns, the batter its self had so much flavor then the sauce drizzle had a slight kick, you just wanted to go back for more. The mains even better, highly recommend ordering the kangaroo nothing compare to how well it was cooked and all the flavour, the seafood marianna was just love no need for salt or pepper the calamari was cooked so well not chewy just melted in the mouth. I will repeat eat here you will never regret it. I promise you

Arrived after 2 for late lunch. Ordered frittata and iced coffee. Specifically asked whether i…read moreshould wait at counter or sit down. Told to sit down and they would find me. After a 20 minute wait i went back to counter to chase up my order. I was told it was my fault that I did not get my items ordered and eventually got given frittata in takeaway and my coffee was sitting on a counter for i don't know how long. This was all in a non busy time. When i went to the counter to chase up my food and coffee after a 20 minute wait i was told after 2 it was takeaway so apparently i should not have sat down as specifically told to do. Customers are expected to know all of this as the worķers just tell you lies and then blame you for not knowing their serving rules. When I spoke to the manager she reiterated that it was my fault and then blamed me for upsetting her staff member. When I said I was a tourist and could not be expected to know the serving rules, the manager and another server smirked at me. They made it obvious that they do not like tourists. At no time did I raise my voice or say anything to the staff member that was in the least bit rude. All I said was asked where my order was and told her that it had been 20 minutes. I also said that she told me to sit down when I ordered. I do not blame the server as it is now clear that the problem is extremely poor management. There was obviously some mistakes made but their response was to blame the customer and then falsely accusing the customer of upsetting a staff member. As a tourist to this area, i would not recommend this place and will never come here again. Lots of other friendlier and more professional places in the same shopping area.

Cute little bakery and has a small grocer attached. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Vegan…read moreoptions available. The pies are good-- not your typical gas station, dubious meat pies. The flavors are quite interesting. We ordered the Duck & 5 Spice Pie and a Beef & Burgundy Pie. The duck pie tasted a lot like Chinese BBQ duck which was kind of weird but interesting. The beef pie was good with big chunks of meat and good flavor, although a bit gooey. Both pies came with (onion?) relish. The attached grocer has a good selection of fresh fruits/ veggies and frozen take home meals which would be very convenient if you're staying somewhere with a kitchenette. There's a few Red Hill Bakers around the area.

First time here plenty of space, not crowded for a Sunday Afternoon. Very good and friendly…read moreservice. Large selection on menu with reasonable prices. Beer battered fish and chips $28.00 with either side of rocket salad or vegetables. We had tge salad which was a good serve. Fish and chips were very good. Bistro also caters for dinner. Selection of beers on tap as well as Fat yak cidet. Would recommend and will co e back.

My husband & I dined here last night. Pleasantly surprised, we had a table outside overlooking a…read moregarden & the Hastings Marina. Table had white tablecloth & was set with quality dinnerware. Fast friendly service, complimentary bottle of iced water, waitress, (didn't catch her name, had green nail polish) nice smile,very efficient & knowledgable of menu. So much to choose from on menu. Husband had fish, I had Fettuccine Carbonara, both meals delicious. Nice to see lady manager approaching tables to check all is well. Lovely place for dinner sitting outside on balmy summer evenings.

Flavor bomb upon flavor bomb at this authentic restaurant in the middle of the tourist zone in…read moreCairns. It is so easy to miss because it's on the second floor but if you're a lover of Thai cuisine, this is a must!!!!! Service is great and attentive and every dish we had was just flavorful and packed several punches. It was raining cats and dogs when we visited but we enjoyed the ambience from their terrace.

As I was on a tour bus visiting Phillip Island, my group stopped in this area for dinner. I walked…read moreby Thai on the Island and decided to give this place a try. I am so happy I came across this place as it may be the best Thai food I've had in my life. Thai on the Island is a small, casual family owned restaurant, you'll see the owner's adorable daughter walking around playing with her bucket of toys. My husband and shared the Mixed Entree Appetizer plate (which came with fish cakes, spring rolls, and curry puffs) and the Beef Pad See Ew. Everything was so flavorful and simply the best I've ever had. I'm still dreaming about this place.

If you're reading this review, chances are it's because your Phillip Island Tour bus has dropped…read moreyou off in this random area for dinner at a restaurant of your choosing. I would recommend The Fat Seagull because: 1. Food was not bad, expect to spend $25 AUD per person. I would have loved to try their signature Coat of Arms pizza (half emu, half kangaroo), but they were sold out early. Instead, we enjoyed the baramundi fish and shrimp entrees. 2. Nice, clean atmosphere. Table cloth & wine glasses kind-of place, but everyone was in casual attire. 3. You really don't have many options in the area. For some odd reason, every other restaurant on the main street was closed for business, and the ones that were opened mostly served fried food.

For a small town this restaurant does not do badly - we were in search for dinner as one does and…read moreconsidering the options on the two main streets where restaurants were most apparent this seemed the best choice. The choices are pretty straight forward - pasta or pizza - I went for the seafood linguini - and it was pretty decent considering the neighbourhood. We got seating outside - even though there were five of us and it was peak time we were lucky to get that! And they also had a pretty economical deal going that evening - I think a Tuesday and for Australian standards that was the bargain. So why 3 stars? Well firstly the seagulls. At first it's pretty cool they come up close and you are feeling closer to nature - but then they get kinda aggressive ! Scarily so - they were attacking my friend - no joke and am pretty sure plucked a few prawns off his pasta bowl. So that was strange but memorable ;) And most people at this intersection of restaurants by the coast are to be fair tourists because they want to see the penguins - and we were guiltily the same. It's cool but it would be nice to hear your own thoughts whilst you eat sometimes.