This was a rather delightful pub, though in a way it has been converted into a Chinese restaurant…read more However, despite that, it is still got somewhat of a pub atmosphere, which I do think is pretty cool. Yeah, it has a bar, and some louge areas to sit at, as well as some outdoor areas, including a smokers cage. The other thing is that there are some nice beers on tap, and the service is actually not bad either. I did rather like the charm of this place, and the fact that you can still come in here just to have a beer.

This establishment brings to the Macedon Ranges superb Asian fusion food. Our first visit will…read moremost certainly not be our last. All the food we had was mouth wateringly delicious. But SHARE ..... don't order individual dishes. Otherwise you will miss out on sensational tastes. Well done, Fook Shing. 9.9/10 because no one is a ten. But you guys come just about a perfect score! #asianfusion #kyneton #piperstreet #deliciousfood

The Elpho, as it's affectionately know, is my local for another week or so. It's off the beaten…read moretrack, so to speak, so it's definitely a 'locals' pub. There aren't too many passers-by out this way unless there's an event on. Staff are very friendly and know everyone by name. The current owners reopened the pub almost a year ago after a kitchen fire that saw the Elpho closed for about 3 years. They remodeled the interior so it's fresher but still retains that country pub feel. The kitchen is open Wednesday through to Sunday and offers up your average pub menu and the food is tasty and pretty well priced. A burger with chips & salad or a parma will set you back around $15 or something like crumbed lamb cutlets are $20 (and I can vouch for them being freakin' delicious!). Downfall being that it's hard to pick when they're going to have a quiet or busy night. It's always safest to call up and book a table just in case because we have been denied meals in the past due to unexpected busy nights. We held an event here in August and they were very accomodating, admitting that they wouldn't be able to cater for the number of people we were expecting so they organised a woodfired pizza van to set up out front for our hungry attendees. When a few hundred people turned up (many more than we expected) and drank them out of kegs and stubbies the owner drove into town to purachse more alcohol for everyone. Now that's a commitment to customer service! They have a huge beer garden out back and stock local brews from Harcourt. They even have their own pale ale on tap. It'll be sad to leave this local behind but we're hoping to use them for another event in the future.

Hands down the best pub in Castlemaine area (worth the short drive or gorgeous bush walk from…read moretown). Great ingredients, top noch chef, awesome front of house Scottish hospitality. The locals in Chewton are a tough bunch to please and they're happy! Front bar has classy grub and some hearty AF classics like the pub chips - with gravy & cheese! Treat yo self.

This place looks so inviting and quaint from the outside but inside it's totally different. The…read morelocals stopped and stared as soon as we walked in, mind you, we only live 5 minutes away from here. And it's as though the barman was going out of his way to NOT serve us, serving everyone around us. Oh no! Outsiders? A female? People with tattoos? I don't know, but it was strange. Finally he decided to take our orders but the whole process was confusing. Do we order food from the bar or from around the corner? And there were a couple of different menus for different sized meals. Once we made our order we decided to sit in the beer garden away from everyone glaring at us. We waited ages for our food to come while people who'd arrived after us received their meals - and it certainly wasn't busy. We overheard 2 different tables of people complaining that they'd received the wrong meals. When the food finally came out it was pretty average. I mean, you kind of expect them to step up their game if you're going to wait forever for it but it definitely wasn't worth the wait. After we had finished our meal a waitress actually brought out our meals AGAIN. Somebody in the kitchen was obviously very confused and unorganised. I wouldn't recommend stopping for this pub but if you're in Chewton for some reason maybe just stand out the front for a quick drink and move along.

Decent quality food, good value. nice ambience. not really kid friendly.read more

Family friendly with great selection of food and fast service. Worth your time. Will be back. Good…read morevegetarian options. The plate size was generous. Happy and friendly staff. Upstairs is food and outdoor dining; while downstairs has a pool table and I think music so more club/pub. Ample car parking but can get full so get there early - it's popular for a reason.

Located in a renovated cottage in the heart of The Basin, The Acorn on Forest is a prime example of…read moreThe Basin's growing popularity as a little hill's hideaway. With the suburb reporting recent booms in property value, and the freeway only 10 minutes away, The Basin has grown from a small village on the way to the more touristy area of the hills to a trendy little town of its own . The Acorn of Forest has more of a 'Wine Bar" feel to it than it's neighbouring 'Good old-fashioned pub' the Oak Tree. With a focus on quality dining and weekend breakfasts, you could say it's the 'bouquet' to the Oak Trees 'bucket'. The menu features dishes such as Quail, Veal and Kangaroo and while you can expect to pay a little more for your meal than at other nearby pubs, the Acorn is all about Quality over affordability. Popular with functions and parties, The Acorn also hosts live music on weekends, usually from a rotating roster of local favourites.

Amazing food, wonderful service and a terrific cosy atmosphere. They have great bands over the…read moreweekend to, which is a real bonus. Can't wait to go back again and again.

A great pub. Real family atmosphere. Playground out the back and the best top restaurant style…read moremeals!

how many ways can I say that I love you?? there are meals…read morewhere you are afraid to eat or drink anything else just in case you lose the taste in your mouth.. this has happened on both occasions ! the burgers here are amazing, moist, saucy, fresh!!.. know I cant stop thinking about it...

It may be in the middle of nowhere, but it's a bloody good pub!…read more Radio Springs is the most fantastic and weird mix of a tiny little local, constantly buzzing with the inhabitants of Lyonville, and quite a fancy restaurant, offering some pretty delicious (though not super cheap) dinner options. I had the steak with garlic sauce which was pretty damn drool worthy. The chips & vegies on the side were great too. Radio Springs is a little bit like visiting someone's house- you can sit on the open verandah area and have a beer if the weather is nice, feast on dinner around the fireplace with a live band in the background if that's what suits, or head around to the red room at the back, where you'll feel transported to a different era in the rather elegant and dimly lit dining room. This one is worth a visit for the overall experience. Don't expect a regular restaurant as this place is in a world of it's own, but I'm not complaining!

Between Dalysford and Trentham in what can be called inner rural Victoria, or more to the point a…read moretown called Lyonville, places like the Radio Springs are a bit of an oasis. the place had a wonderful eclecticism going on, and when you walk into the rather small space we found the walls held up be several musicians playing very laid back tunes together. The music is ragtime and 1940s things and the bartender is nowhere to be seen. It's only when the song had finished and one of hem stands up and walks round the other side of the counter that it sinks in. This is pub full if the most intimate of locals, locals from all around. There are actual hotel facilities (unlike several places in Melbourne called a Hotel, which are in fact only a pub). From what I heard they're reasonable rooms and in nice surroundings when the sun's up.

I guess this is just one of those standard pubs that you tend to find about the place, though of…read morecourse this pub does happen to be located in a small town. I guess it is one of those 'day trip' towns, and the pub certainly does reflect that, and it is open reasonably often. I found that the service was actually pretty good, and they also had a rather nice beer garden down the side. When I was here it was rather quiet and relaxing, and I certainly didn't mind the place. Oh, and there were a couple of nice beers on tap as well.

Early dinner on the way back to Melbourne from Castlemaine. My lambsfry was good, but my wife's…read morefish (snapper) was hard and rubbery as though it had been warmed up from yesterday or boiled rfather than grilled. Desert was the lemon and lime cheesecake and was inedible: it had no flavour or sweetness or tang at all, just a big chunk of fat. We mentioned both to the waiters but received no response. We won't be back.

If you love condiments this is the place for you. Emilia makes the best sauces, dressings, pickled…read moregoods, meal makers etc. that you could ask for. She has recently ventured into per-cooked meals arena which I'm not such a great fan of and have tried a few, but what she is so well known for are her sauces and everyone should definitely get stuck into the great variety of flavours on offer. Free tastings are also available.