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The Best Restaurants in Geelong to Wine & Dine In
From acclaimed restaurants to rustic eateries, these are Geelong's best restaurants to make a booking in.
There’s no denying that Melbourne has the best dining scene by far. With so many restaurants, cafés and eateries, it’s absolutely impossible to eat your way through the city. Even if you dine out in a new place every single night, there’ll always be somewhere new popping up. However, Melbourne now has some competition: Victoria’s second largest city, Geeling.
How many restaurants can you fit in a weekend away? From acclaimed fine diners to rustic French brasseries, there are a wide range of Geelong restaurants that are all worht your attention. The central hub of Little Malop Street is your epicentre for drinking and dining, but neighbouring streets (and suburbs) are increasingly home to drawcard venues too.
If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Geelong, low and behold. Here are some of our favourites that we think you can’t pass up on during your next trip (or stopover) in Geelong.
Maestro
Culinary royalty has arrived in Geelong, with the true master of meat, Adrian Richardson, landing in at Maestro. Get set to experience refined flavours and wealth of local produce at Geelong Quarter’s newest dining destination. The menu is the ultimate blend of land and sea – which is oh-so-well suited to the location, don’t you think?
Maestro is a celebration of top-tier ingredients skillfully handled by expert chefs. The name reflects the beautiful collaboration in the kitchen between Richardson and executive chef Migo Razon.
So naturally, local produce from Golden Plains, Otway’s, Moorabool Valley, and the Bellarine Peninsula get the maestro treatment here. Expect to delight in house-made seafood pastas to in-house dry-aged meats – all paired perfectly with the best local drops.
Located within the Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong, Maestro invites you in to a warm and welcoming space, and does so with aplomb. A sense of intimacy, charisma, and familiarity awaits.
We can’t wait to check this new restaurant in Geelong out in 2024.
40 Ryrie Street, Geelong
Two Noble
Royal by name, royal by nature. Welcome to Two Noble, Geelong’s newest fine dining destination. Here, the flavours of South East Asian cuisine fuse with modern Australian flair. It’s all about celebrating local food producers, with an emphasis on shared dining – and stellar cocktails thrown in for good measure!
Led by Executive Chef Mario Tambajong, the menu at Two Noble is a culinary journey through South East Asia. Think lamb ribs with peanuts, prawn betel leaf and wild ginger, Appellation oysters with green chilli granita and beef short rib rendang. We’re partial to the venison tartare, served with shallot, chilli, and a wonton puff.
Dietary issues? Don’t fret – many of the dishes can be adapted to cater to vegetarian, vegan, and allergy requirements.
Nestled upstairs in the historic Sawyers Arms Tavern opposite Kardinia Park, Two Noble offers a unique fine dining experience that you need to add to your culinary calendar.
One of the best new restaurants in Geelong,
2 Noble Street, Newtown
Barwon Edge
For a captivating journey down the Silk Road, where the flavours and aromas of the Middle East come to life, head to contemporary diner Barwon Edge, one of the best restaurants in Geelong.
Make your way to the edge of the Barwon River – and bring the whole family along, for an inventive take on Middle Eastern cuisine. Combining traditional ingredients with share-style plates, it’s best suited to groups of four or more.
Highlights on the menu include a spiced beef with blackened tomatoes dish, served with preserved lemon and hung yoghurt, and a yellow fin tuna with tahini, buttermilk and mint. There are delicious cocktails and the super friendly and informative service to delight in as well.
Anco Park Drive, Newtown
Petrel Hotel
The Petty is back – and we couldn’t be more here for it!
Geelong’s oldest hotel has just received a magical refurbish – and it now stands out tall among the rest, serving up some of the best food in this beloved port city.
Cosy and super friendly vibes abound – with warm wood interiors and plenty of local ales and vino to order at the bar. But you’re here to take a seat – and sample elevated pub food, done right.
Start with a round of potato, leek and parmesan croquettes and Sydney rock oysters, before ordering up a T-bone steak with potato pave and creamy peppercorn sauce, or refined classics like chicken schnitzel and slaw or marinated lamb rump with heirloom tomatoes and black olive salad.
A kid’s menu and vegetarian options are also on offer – making this a trusted local you need to check out on your next visit to Geelong.
81 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Tempo
Located in the heart of Geelong, Tempo Kitchen & Bar focuses on providing a unique dining experience that celebrates the rich tapestry of Victoria’s local produce and flavours. This is one of the best new restaurants in Geelong. It’s brilliance lies in its passion for using the freshest seasonal ingredients, sourced directly from farmers, fishermen and producers of the region.
Seafood is king here, although the zucchini flowers and Bannockburn roast chicken with black truffle butter, jus and charred lemon deserve equal footing.
It also plays host to an excellent bar, offering an extensive collection of wines and craft beers as well as rare spirits and liqueurs. There’s something to delight every connoisseur.
The best part? It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buffet breakfast, to be exact.
10/14 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong
Igni
Named after the Latin word for fire, at Igni they cook everything over a woodfired grill at the centre of their open kitchen. Doing so requires extreme care and skill, but the payoff is intense, resulting in flame-licked flavours on everything from delicate vegetables and seafood to hearty meats. All diners are served a set menu based on the finest produce available that day, so prepare yourself for a surprising and eye-opening visit.
The bar is also running a thrilling drinks program, including delicious no and low-alcohol cocktails that make teetotalling fun. One of the finest restaurants in Geelong to take a seat in.
2 Ryan Place, Geelong
La Cachette
With experience working in renowned restaurants spanning Lyon to London, chef/owner Matt Podbury has the chops to create world class cuisine. At La Cachette, he’s modernising the French bistro to great effect, reimagining classic dishes with new flavours and local ingredients. The charmingly petite restaurant serves an often changing prix fixe menu that could include turbot fillet with young leeks and smoked roe sauce, boudin noir with sweet hispi cabbage or cascara ice cream with toasted meringue and cacao. La Cachette translates to ‘hiding place’ in French, and this is a place where we’d happily stow away anytime.
Steampacket Place, Geelong
Felix
Tucked up Downes Lane (off Little Malop Street), Felix serves up a modern interpretation of French classics, celebrating local produce and fine beverages within a warm, relaxed and elegant setting. Indulge in small plates like spanner crab profiteroles, kingfish and fried potato beignets with gruyere, mains like market fish with leek and beurre blanc and eye fillet with braised short rib and celeriac, before finishing off with chocolate sorbet and mandarin. Take it up notch with a glass of chenin blanc bubbles from Val de Loire in France, a rich and rounded chardonnay from Macedon, or a light and perfumed pinot from the Otways.
Affable service and decadent dining, Felix is an experience not to be missed.
9 Downes Lane, Geelong
Caledonia Shores at Geelong Pavilion
Caledonia Shores is a glorious showcase of playful Asian-inspired dining and perfect Geelong waterfront views, with flavour-filled share plates incorporating local seafood, fresh herbs and spices, and outdoor and balcony seating made for unwinding with a cocktail as the sun begins to set. Perched on Geelong’s waterfront with everlasting views of Port Phillip Bay, this venue is sure to impress, no matter the occasion.
95 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong
frankie. Bar & Eatery
If you’re in the mood for a tasty morsel while enjoying some trendy vibes, frankie. Bar & Eatery may just become your new go-to. Here, welcoming staff are serving up delicious cocktails and pan-Asian-fusion dishes, If you’re not sure what type of Asian cuisine you’re in the mood for, this is the restaurant for you. Get a group of friends together and enjoy the large number of share plates including wagyu beef meatballs, glazed pork belly bao, Korean fried cauliflower and Japanese style popcorn chicken, amongst other dishes. And with over 30 cocktails on their menu, trust us when we say the drinks will be flowing and the vibes will be high.
26 Malop Street, Geelong
Caruggi
Caruggi may just be the closest thing you’ll get to an Italian holiday if you’re in dire need of a Euro summer, but don’t have plans to head there any time soon. This restaurant is dishing up traditional Northern Italian meals that have a special, homely feel to them. Caruggi translates to ‘little alleyway’ in Genovese dialect, and it is the medieval centre of Genoa in Italy. And while their menu consists of traditional dishes, you can always expect a new chef’s special to shake things up.
66 Little Malop Street, Geelong
Tulip
Small in size but big in impact, this hole-in-the-wall eatery serves gorgeous contemporary Australian for lunch and dinner. In dishes like kangaroo tartare with cultured cream and saltbush, Tulip spotlights sustainable, local produce that turns each meal into a lesson in thoughtful eating. The light, country-inspired décor provides a gentle environment for intimate catchups and long lunches, aided by an impressive wine list.
9/111 Pakington Street, Geelong
The Arborist
This stylish all day diner is open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, making it a go-to for late night feeds. Located in the thriving hub of Little Malop Street, their architect-designed space is built around a grand ash tree with green marble bar tops and olive benches to match. The offering is modern Australian with a Middle Eastern bent, exemplified in dishes like warm carrot salad with labne and harissa, or spiced roast chicken with white bean hummus. Can’t decide? Their $55 ‘Feed Me’ menu will bring you all the hits.
75 Little Malop St, Geelong
BAAH LAH! Dining
A modern Asian restaurant in the heart of Geelong, BAAH LAH! Dining is a dynamic yet intimate setting for dishes fused with flavours and ingredients that effortlessly connect you to the vibrant food culture of Asia. Merging both modern and time-honoured techniques, the produce-driven menu is predominantly Singaporean in style, channelling Head Chef Brian Anderson’s heritage, but with a hearty dose of Australiana inspiration. Sip on a kiwi vodka martini, and enjoy plates of fried eggplant with chilli and sour cream, crab meat doughnuts with Singaporean chilli sauce, hoisin caramel roasted duck breast with pickled fennel, and fried half chicken in a yellow Malaysian curry sauce. It’s one of the best Geelong restaurants to book into, pronto.
1/100 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Bistrot Plume
Some things are simply timeless, like perfectly cooked steak frites or a slice of tarte tatin. Bistrot Plume delivers classic French cuisine with a Victorian touch, using stunning local ingredients such as greens grown right by the restaurant. You won’t find any unnecessary frills here, just a snappy menu of bistro dishes, a plat du jour and lovely French wines served in a rustic dining room.
56A Mt Pleasant Road, Belmont
Alma
You’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant as impressive as Alma, a contemporary diner built on the flavours of South America. They’re all about sourcing the best ingredients possible and simply accentuating them, with menu highlights including spicy eggplant ceviche, addictive jamon arepas and grilled morcilla sausage. Spacious and vibey, they’re well-suited to large groups and festive occasions.
93-95 Ryrie Street, Geelong
Bistrot St Jean
Imagine walking through the streets of Geelong on a chilly winter’s night, when the warm glow of this cosy bistro catches your eye. At Bistrot St Jean they’ll fill you up with hearty, honest dishes like onion soup and beef bourguignon without fuss or fanfare. Quintessentially French cuisine is served in an environment to match – think hanging lights and chequered tile floors – while flowing carafés of wine lift the spirits.
239 Moorabool Street, Geelong
Sumi
This sleek robata grill restaurant in central Geelong is one of the city’s most exciting dining destinations. Juicy skewers of yakitori chicken, cumin-spiced lamb and chilli squid are given the flavour boost of charcoal cooking, paired with satisfying kitchen snacks from lobster rolls to crab san choi bao. The bar is also worth raiding at Sumi, with an extensive range of Japanese sakés, interesting wines and cocktails to pep up your meal.
47 Gheringhap Street, Geelong
Recess Bar and Eats
Everything at Recess is completely gluten free, but to pigeonhole this stylish restaurant as simply a gut-friendly dinner spot would do it a disservice. Their globetrotting share menu is as thrilling as you’d find anywhere, spanning everything from oozy baked brie spiked with white wine and thyme leaves to fall-apart braised beef cheeks served with parsnip purée. Order freely and widely, because everything here is guaranteed gold’.
247 Moorabool Street, Geelong
Sober Ramen
Sumi’s ramen-focused little sibling, Sober Ramen offers up delicious bowls of this steaming, soul-warming favourite, alongside dumplings and drinks including natural wines and sake. Order up favourites like the beef rib ramen, crayfish ramen, prawn and chicken dumplings in chilli vinegar sauce, charred miso and Japanese seven spice cauliflower bites, and tempura tofu. If it’s on the menu, don’t sleep on the incredible seafood ramen. A taste sensation, this Geelong restaurant is not to be missed.
85 Little Malop Street, Geelong
Wah Wah Gee
Perched on the tip of Cunningham Pier, you’ll enjoy endless ocean views as you tuck into share-friendly Asian fusion dishes at Wah Wah Gee. Roll up with a crowd and order rounds of flavourful dumplings, fluffy bao, zingy curries and addictive snacks – but make sure you leave space for their signature fried ice cream and choc sauce. You can even kick on at Wah Bah upstairs for cocktails and music.
Cunningham Pier 10 Western Beach, Foreshore Road, Geelong
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