The Food
Four of the Peninsula’s best restaurants have been hand-picked so that you can discover the hidden gems and experience the best of the Peninsula all in one day. Starring the region’s best produce, experience a diverse range of cuisines, tastes and cooking techniques.
DOC Mornington
Doc Mornington
With five iconic establishments dotted around Melbourne and on the Peninsula, what began as a humble pizzeria in suburban Melbourne has now grown into a modern Italian Gastronome. Italian food and culture is the backbone of DOC, and its pursuit of excellent produce, charcuterie, cheese and, above all, experience is its mission.
D.O.C. is real Italian eating and age old simplicity refreshed with contemporary flair. D.O.C celebrates its use of local organic Mornington Peninsula produce in its artisanal delivery of its product. Aged old Italian without the fuss.
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Red Gum BBQ
Red Gum BBQ
Rustic country vibes, fine local wines, exceptional craft beer on tap and the best Aussie-smoked, American-style BBQ this side of the equator. With a focus on low and slow cooked, authentic Southern BBQ cuisine, Red Gum BBQ is committed to ethically sourced, organic meats and produce – Australia’s only B Corp certified restaurant. Red Hill residents, Red Gum BBQ is available for dine in, take away, catering and events!
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The Rocks Mornington
The Rocks Mornington
Our mission is to showcase Australian sustainably sourced seafood, The Rocks reflects our deep connection to the coast.
With a pantry so diverse on its alluring doorstep, being the Mornington Peninsula, and a team that strives to extract its fruits, it is no wonder its annual reviews and recommendations in various media for the past 20 years, along with the support of its loyal customers, has led the rocks to become a recognised institution for fine food.
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Alatonero
ALATONERO = SALTWATER IN GREEK
Inspired from a long-term love affair with Santorini, and a passion for Greek food and life, Alatonero offers you a true taste of the Greek Islands without the airfare!
Alatonero is all about sharing our love of food and wine, stories and bringing people together. Located in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula, directly opposite the stunning foreshore and iconic lighthouse in McCrae.
Bright, breezy and bursting with the Mediterranean colors of santorini, the restaurant across the road from the water offers a stunning mezze style menu of Greek favorites including both traditional and modern dishes.
Whilst our food is unmistakably Greek, we aim to source as much local produce as possible such as honey, coffee, local olive oil, Victorian seafood, local lamb and goat and local wines.
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The Wine
With a selection of the Peninsula’s most acclaimed wineries and producers, this is the best opportunity to sample some of Australia’s favoured drops in the leafy and sea-salted surrounds of Mornington Racecourse.
Montalto
Montalto
A visit to Montalto is an experience not to be forgotten; a moment out of the ordinary. The hatted Montalto Restaurant boasts a wood-fire grill, allowing the best of ingredients to sing, and the abundant seasonal produce of Montalto is given top billing. Locally sourced meats, fish and fowl showcase the very best the region has to offer.
Visit the cellar door to sample award-winning wines or walk the extensive Sculpture Trail which winds through the property.
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Paringa Estate
Paringa Estate
Established in 1985, Paringa Estate is Mornington Peninsula's sixth cellar door to open in the region has won over 100 wine show trophies for its chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz and has achieved one of the few pinot noirs in Australia’s highly regarded Langton’s Classification. The Estates proudest accomplishment is being awarded James Halliday’s inaugural 'Australian Winery of the Year'. It also boasts one of the top restaurants in the region overlooking its iconic The Paringa vineyard achieving a Chef’s Hat in The Age Good Food Guide since 2013.
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T'Gallant
The Spirits
A true celebration of local distilleries and food talent, The Peninsula Picnic, seamlessly blends a foodie festival with spirit tastings, a farmers’ market and the sweet sounds of some of Australia’s best songwriters.
Bass & Flinders Distillery
Bass and Flinders Distillery
Bass and Flinders Distillery was founded in 2009 on the Mornington Peninsula with a passion for adventure and a desire to create a range of high quality, artisanal gins brandies and liqueurs, that truly reflect our home and heritage. Proudly the first distillery on the Mornington Peninsula, our original inspiration was drawn from a love of classic brandies produced in France.
Using many of the same traditional production techniques, we set out to produce a premium aged spirit, our Ochre brandy, that proves just how good Australian brandy can be. Our location in the wine growing region of the Mornington Peninsula provided the perfect setting to pursue our dream. Following in the footsteps of her founder father Wayne, Holly took over as Head Distiller and Managing director of the distillery in 2016, becoming one of a very select group of second-generation distillers in Australia.
As a family-owned distillery, we focus on quality above all else, distilling in small batches and sourcing fresh, local ingredients wherever possible to produce unique, genuine Australian craft spirits. Drawing inspiration from our coastal home where the sea meets the wine-growing hinterland, we handcraft our grape-based eau de vie spirit right here at the distillery, using traditional methods from the Charente region of France. Victorian wine specially crafted to our desired flavour profile is double distilled in small batches using a gas-fired alembic pot still - a method designed to celebrate the flavour and viscosity provided by the grapes.
This is our definition of quality. We are on a constant journey of discovery, developing new styles of gins, brandies and liqueurs. We are always scouting for unique, native botanicals that capture the essence of our local flora and define our true sense of place. We are the ‘Spirit of the Mornington Peninsula’.
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JimmyRum
JimmyRum
JimmyRum has fast become the go-to cocktail bar on the Mornington Peninsula. But it’s much more than a bar, it’s Victoria’s first dedicated craft rum distillery and Jimmy is on a mission to show you what rum can be, with his Australian crafted distinctive and delicious rums.
JimmyRum has an audacious goal to change the way Australians think about rum. Enjoy some of the beautifully hand-crafted spirits produced on site by Matilda, JimmyRum’s stunning 1500-litre Italian copper still, or indulge in one of JimmyRum’s selectively blended premium import rums. Tours and tastings will have you seduced by the beauty and distinctiveness of rum, and you’ll hear, taste and see for yourself why locally crafted spirits are making such an impact in Australia.
Sit in the cosy bar atmosphere with the barrel wall backdrop and Matilda only metres away, or relax in the Rum Garden with good company, share plates and cocktails or local beers and wines. Check the Jimmy Rum social media for weekly events, live music, special collaborations and new bottle launches @jimmyrumdistillery. Jimmy Rum lives by three words: Rum, Respect and Rambunctiousness.
Opening hours: Bar open for cocktails and food Thursday to Saturday 12 noon – 9pm & Sunday 12 noon – 7pm. Distillery open for tasting, tours and bottle sales daily 10am - 5pm.
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