Subscribe 
The Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands for Foodies
Our edit of the best restaurants in the Southern Highlands to add to your foodie hitlist.
The Southern Highlands is the definition of destination dining, with the acclaimed garden-to-table Eschalot Restaurant in Berrima leading the pack. You’ll also find the hatted Thai restaurant Paste in Mittagong, the sleek French bistro Lucette, Bundanoon’s Fire Kitchen and the winery restaurant Bendooley Estate in this gorgeously green region.
Whether you’re passing through or making a weekend of it, when hunger calls, these are the best restaurants in the Southern Highlands to add to your hit list.
Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands for a Special Occasion
Lucette
The perfect place to while away a Saturday afternoon in the country, Lucette is Bowral’s very own French bistro and bar serving elegance on tap. Headed up by Executive Chef Guillaume Dubois, the restaurant’s menu is a fusion of classic French technique and seasonal Australian produce. Think twice-baked three-cheese soufflé, beef tartare and boeuf bourguignon.
They’ve also introduced a handful of rituals to look forward to on a weekly basis, from Lucette at Five’s $49 menu to steak frites Sunday.
Suburb: Bowral
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers, Special occasion
Hordens Restaurant
Reimagined under Executive Chef Mark Holland (ex-Nomad, Paddington Inn), Hordens centres around refined pan-European cuisine rooted in the Southern Highlands’ rich bounty. The dining room features sweeping garden views, a chef’s pass for tableside theatre and a menu designed for shared, seasonal dining.
Next door, The Polo Bar has been transformed into an elegant all-day destination, serving small plates, hand-cut charcuterie, and classic cocktails (complete with its own charcuterie room showcasing local and artisanal producers).
Suburb: Bowral
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: European
Best For: Special occasion, Long lunch, Weekend plans
Eschalot Restaurant
Set in one of the Southern Highlands’ most picturesque and historically significant buildings, Eschalot brings intimate dining and delicious Australian-French fare together.
Settle in at a table in front of the fire or overlooking the gardens while tucking into a menu that’s made mostly from ingredients grown on-site.
The menus change with the season, delighting at all times of the day.
Suburb: Berrima
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Wine lovers, Outdoor dining, Special occasion
Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands for a Long Lunch
Fire Kitchen
Fire Kitchen is an extension of the hugely popular and sell-out Fire Feast events Osborn House has hosted throughout the years. Diners can select from prime cuts of meat, whole fish and fire-cooked vegetable sides designed to be eaten family-style. Live open-fire cooking adds a theatrical element to the meal, whilst Latin American music, wine and cocktails add to the ambience. The menu also incorporates hyper-local produce at every turn, with the likes of Robertson potatoes and Musset Holdings Farm honey.
Suburb: Bundanoon
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Argentinian
Best For: Weekend plans, Outdoor dining, Long lunch
Loving This Edit of the Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands? You Might Also Like…
Luxurious Southern Highlands Escapes to Book Today
Bistro Sociale
Bistro Sociale, situated within Bowral’s historic Berida Hotel, is a dining destination that transports you to a bygone era. Divided into three charming dining spaces, it exudes classic sophistication.
Period-style chandeliers and pristine white tablecloths complete the high society ambience.
The menu features seasonal, French-inspired cuisine crafted from locally sourced produce. Your dining experience won’t be complete unless you cosy up by the fireplace with a gin or cognac in hand.
Suburb: Bowral
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Outdoor dining, Long lunch, Wine lovers
Bendooley Estate
Sitting on 200 acres, Bendooley Estate has built its reputation on dishing up fresh produce sourced from local suppliers. The restaurant is housed inside the iconic Berkelouw Book Barn, renowned for its collection of new, second-hand, rare and antiquarian books.
They offer a lunch and dinner menu with a garden-to-plate ethos, while the Cellar Door offers wine-centred casual dining, ranging from finger food to something more substantial.
Suburb: Berrima
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Wine lovers, Weekend plans, Outdoor dining
Best Casual Restaurants in the Southern Highlands
Franquette Creperie
This charming slice of Brittany offers an indulgent dish for every meal of the day. Swing by mid-shop for a coffee and crepe or revel in a long lunch of shared galettes, cocktails and authentic French cider paddles. Every single item on the menu has been thoughtfully considered, from the largely gluten-free offering to the dedicated vegan menu. The drinks list is impeccable, so you might need to plan a second visit to sample the best that France has to offer.
Suburb: Bowral
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Brunch, Wine lovers, Weekend plans
Onesta Cucina
Onesta Cucina is a family-owned Southern Highlands restaurant that shines a spotlight on traditional Italian cooking whilst using the region’s freshest ingredients. The menu is known to change daily but you can expect a delicious seasonal curation of primi, secondi and pasta.
Suburb: Bowral
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Best For: Date night, Families, Wine lovers
Paste Australia
Trust us when we say you’ve never had Thai food quite like this. With a Chef’s Hat to their name, Paste fuses the region’s freshest produce with innovative techniques and ancient recipes and the result is nothing short of spectacular.
You can expect everything from delicate canapes to curries, charred meats, braised and roasted dishes to noodles, stir-fries and fish, all plated to perfection.
Suburb: Mittagong
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Thai
Best For: Locals, Date night, Weekend plans
FAQs About the Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands
The best restaurants in the Southern Highlands include Eschalot in Berrima, Paste in Mittagong, Lucette and Hordens in Bowral, and Fire Kitchen in Bundanoon. Eschalot leads the region’s dining scene with Australian-French fare made largely from ingredients grown on-site, while Paste holds a Chef’s Hat for its inventive Thai cooking. Lucette brings French bistro elegance to Bowral, and Fire Kitchen serves family-style, open-fire cooking. For wine-focused dining, Bendooley Estate in Berrima pairs a garden-to-plate menu with a Cellar Door, and its restaurant sits inside the Berkelouw Book Barn.
Yes. Paste Australia in Mittagong is a hatted Thai restaurant and one of the standout dining experiences in the Southern Highlands. The kitchen fuses the region’s freshest produce with innovative techniques and ancient Thai recipes, resulting in a menu that spans delicate canapés, curries, charred meats, braised and roasted dishes, noodles, stir-fries and fish. Expect beautifully plated food and a $$$ price guide. Paste is a strong pick for date nights and weekend plans, and it’s a favourite with locals too.
Bowral is home to many of the Southern Highlands’ best restaurants, spanning fine dining to casual meals. For a special occasion, book Lucette, a French bistro with weekly rituals like a $49 Lucette at Five menu and steak frites Sunday, or Hordens for pan-European fare with garden views. Bistro Sociale suits a long, fireside lunch inside the historic Berida Hotel, while Franquette Creperie and Onesta Cucina cover relaxed French and Italian meals. Next door to Hordens, The Polo Bar serves small plates, charcuterie and classic cocktails all day.
Fire Kitchen in Bundanoon, Bistro Sociale in Bowral and Bendooley Estate in Berrima are top picks for a long lunch in the Southern Highlands. Fire Kitchen grew out of Osborn House’s sell-out Fire Feast events, serving prime cuts, whole fish and fire-cooked vegetables to share, with live open-fire cooking and Latin American music. Bistro Sociale, inside Bowral’s historic Berida Hotel, serves seasonal French-inspired dishes amid chandeliers and white tablecloths. Bendooley Estate, set on 200 acres, offers a garden-to-plate lunch menu plus casual, wine-centred dining at its Cellar Door.
Eschalot in Berrima, Paste Australia in Mittagong, and Hordens and Lucette in Bowral are the best fine dining restaurants in the Southern Highlands. Eschalot serves intimate Australian-French fare in a historic building, with seasonal menus built mostly from produce grown on-site. Paste holds a Chef’s Hat for its refined Thai cooking, pairing local produce with ancient recipes. Hordens offers pan-European shared dining with tableside theatre from a chef’s pass, while Lucette brings classic French technique to dishes like boeuf bourguignon.
Finished feasting your way around the best restaurants in the Southern Highlands and after more travel inspiration? Check out our full Southern Highlands road trip itinerary. Then, take a look at our definitive guide to the most romantic getaways in NSW for two.
