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Subscribe The Best Restaurants in Mornington Peninsula Right Now
From fine dining decadence to good, wholesome eats, these are the Mornington Peninsula’s best restaurants to dine at.
The Mornington Peninsula has mastered the long lunch. It’s a place where salt hangs in the air, vineyards roll towards the horizon, and reservations are secured weeks in advance. Mornington’s Main Street buzzes from morning espresso through to late-night negronis, but the real magic spills into Red Hill, Flinders, Mount Eliza and beyond, where paddock-to-plate menus and vineyard tables set the pace.
Whether you’re chasing pizza and spritzes or a hatted dégustation among the vines, these are the Peninsula restaurants worth planning your weekend around.
Ember
Fire takes centre stage as The Continental Sorrento steps boldly into its next era. Led by Scott Pickett alongside protégé Jake Furst, Ember is a flame-driven dining room built for long, heat-soaked nights. Expect dry-aged Australian steaks grilled hard over open fire, ocean-fresh seafood finished with smoke and salt, and a sense of theatre that suits its seaside setting. A confident new chapter for the Mornington Peninsula, dialled for summer.
1 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento
Barragunda Dining
Barragunda Dining is a farm-garden reverie on the edge of Cape Schanck on the Peninsula: a glass pavilion reached via a 1.5km stroll through coastal scrub, set beside the market garden that feeds it. Chef-farmer Simone Watts builds a tightly seasonal set menu that leans vegetable-first, then lands with estate-reared meat and local seafood, lifted by ferments and bright, clean flavours. Bookings drop fast, so plan ahead to experience one of the best new restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula.
113 Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck
Pompette
Portsea has a new favourite, and it speaks fluent French. Pompette is a bar à vin built for plates passed across linen tables and glasses topped up without asking. Start with oysters and escargot slicked in garlic butter, add steak frites or duck with a bottle from the Burgundy-heavy list, then linger over crème brûlée or a Kir Royale. It’s chic, a little playful, and exactly where summer nights stretch long.
Unit 2/3760 Point Nepean Road, Portsea
Crittenden Estate
Crittenden Restaurant has returned — not as a revival, but as a confident new chapter for one of the Peninsula’s most storied families. After two decades, the Crittendens have reclaimed the keys and reimagined the experience: a design-led dining room centred around a fireplace, a sunlit deck overlooking the vines, and a lakeside terrace built for long afternoons.
Head Chef Brunno Melo brings coastal produce and Mediterranean clarity, with Josper-fired signatures — dry-aged tomahawk pork chop and half-barrel swordfish — giving the menu its heartbeat.
25 Harrisons Road, Dromana
Laura at Pt Leo Estate
Laura sets the standard for winery dining in Victoria. The most refined of Pt. Leo Estate’s three venues are built for long, considered lunches, with a choice of Table d’Hôte, Seasonal or Signature menus showcasing precise technique and exceptional produce. An added bonus: complimentary access to the estate’s Sculpture Park, where art sits in spectacular fashion across rolling vineyards post-lunch.
3649 Frankston – Flinders Road, Merricks
Bau Bau Dining
Nestled in Mount Eliza village, Bau Bau is a standout Italian destination on the Mornington Peninsula with a menu that changes almost daily to reflect whatever’s freshest, most local and most inspiring. Diners rave about handmade pasta, seasonal produce, and elegant antipasti, all paired with a well-curated Italian-leaning wine list. The intimate room and attentive service make it ideal for long lunches or special dinners — worth booking ahead to savour every course.
1/18 Ranelagh Drive, Mount Eliza
Cptn Jack’s
Cptn Jack’s leans into coastal ease, all woodfire, seafood and long-table energy. Scallops and tiger prawns hit the grill alongside Mediterranean-leaning plates, with agnolotti del plin, sirloin with peppercorn sauce and woodfired chicken anchoring the menu. Wednesdays bring the $49pp Wood Fired Summer Series, built around flame-led dishes and sharp cocktails. Order the Ginger Sour or a crisp spritz and settle in — it’s relaxed, generous and made for warm nights.
1 Lumeah Road, Somerville
Nora’s
Nora’s brings a shot of city energy to the Peninsula, all dim light, olive-green walls and terracotta underfoot. Spritz in hand, settle into spicy rigatoni in vodka sauce or the Ode to Roberta’s pizza with soppressata, honey and stracciatella. The Morno Greens white-base, with fior di latte, sautéed greens and nduja, is already a favourite. It’s playful Italian done well — tiramisu mandatory.
2113 Point Nepean Road, Rye
JimmyRum
Yes, it’s a rum distillery — but JimmyRum is also one of the Peninsula’s more unexpected dinner spots. Start with a tasting (Jimmy’s passion is infectious), then claim a table and lean into the menu. Oysters are a smart opener, followed by Japanese pork belly with miso mayo and pickled ginger or hanger steak with cauliflower purée and chimichurri. Add a rum cocktail and call it a very good night.
6 Brasser Avenue, Dromana
Moke Dining
Moke Dining is the Peninsula’s quiet flex. There’s no menu to pore over, just a seasonal set offering that shifts weekly, sometimes daily, shaped entirely by what local growers deliver at their peak. You arrive, you trust, and the kitchen takes it from there. Expect precise, produce-led plates, thoughtful wine pairings and service that feels warm rather than performative. It’s refined without stiffness — the kind of dinner you plan a weekend around.
60 Cook Street, Flinders
Mr Vincenzo’s
Mr Vincenzo’s brings retro Italian energy to the Peninsula, part wine bar, part neighbourhood bistro. Bottle-green floors, cork details and waffle-yellow walls set the tone, nostalgic without feeling staged. The menu keeps things seasonal and generous, from beautifully presented share plates to hearty pastas and proper mains. Order the garlic bread-inspired flatbread early. It’s the move.
784 Esplanade, Mornington
Tedesca Osteria
Tedesca Osteria has earned its place among Australia’s most compelling dining experiences, though it never feels showy. Lunch here unfolds like a generous invitation into Brigitte Hafner’s world: a fixed menu shaped by her biodynamic farm and a kitchen ruled by flame. Antipasto gives way to handmade pasta, then wood-fired seafood or meat, before a beautiful dessert. Open Friday to Monday only, and worth planning well ahead.
1175 Mornington Flinders Road, Red Hill
Shi Hui Shi
Hotel Sorrento’s modern Cantonese dining room, Shi Hui Shi, has given the beachside icon a new appetite. Cantonese classics arrive with a contemporary edge, threaded with local produce and plenty of energy. Inside, it’s intimate and atmospheric, a cinematic nod to 1960s Hong Kong with references to Wong Kar-wai and Fan Ho. One of the most compelling restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula.
5/15 Hotham Road, Sorrento
Trofeo Estate
Trofeo Estate is a vineyard lunch with a story: the dining room sits inside a restored 1930s passionfruit cannery, opening to a deck and wine garden overlooking the vines. Head chef Andy Doughton keeps things seasonal and produce-led, designed to match the estate’s terracotta-aged wines. Vegetarian and vegan options are available with notice, and groups of 12+ can book the Chef’s Selection Menu ($114pp).
85 Harrisons Road, Dromana
T’Gallant Vineyard
T’Gallant Vineyard is your Peninsula shortcut to Italy: vines outside, woodfired pizza inside, and a cellar door that made Pinot Gris and Grigio its calling card. After its Tuscan-leaning revamp, the place feels brighter, breezier and built for long lunches, with antipasti, pasta, and those famous rectangular pizzas still doing the most. Families are well looked after too, with kid-friendly options that keep everyone happy while you work through a tasting paddle.
1385 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge
Many Little Bar & Dining
Many Little Bar & Dining in Red Hill South is spice-driven Sri Lankan soul with a modern edge. Executive chef Gayan Pieris cooks with origin spices and Peninsula produce, much of it from Polperro Organic Farm. Come for cocktails and a glass of Polperro or Even Keel, stay for the set menu that builds from bright, punchy bites to deeper, slow-cooked comfort.
2-5/159 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South
The Bay Hotel
Mornington’s newly restored The Bay Hotel is an absolute beauty and a true all-rounder for pints, pub grub, and live music. Set in the former Commercial Bank building on the main street, the interiors have been fitted out with a nod to the Aussie pubs of yesteryear, complemented by an added dose of Irish charm and a winning mix of both homeland and American flavours.
Sitchu Tip: Sundays bring a rotating weekend roast special to the table.
62 Main Street, Mornington
Rare Hare
Rare Hare is Jackalope Hotel’s laid-back winery restaurant, built for long afternoons and very good wine. Start with the Wine Immersion Experience for a wander through the vines and a guided tasting with a cheese board, then move straight into the new graze-ready menu: potato bread with 515 olive oil, native oysters with pink peppercorn, sardines on toast and chive waffles crowned with salmon roe. The woodfire takes over from there, miso-furikake eggplant, squid with green romesco, plus barramundi or beef oyster blade. Finish with the woodfired choc-chip cookie or peach frangipane, or commit to the Hare Share.
166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North
Wildgrain
One of Mornington’s most dependable dining addresses, Wildgrain balances a matte-black facade with a bright, plant-filled room that always feels upbeat. The menu is contemporary Australian with a confident hand: start with a few clever share plates (half-shell scallops with nduja butter, kingfish ceviche, and stracciatella with heirloom tomatoes), then move on to mains that feel properly considered: slow-cooked lamb shoulder with spiced yoghurt, broad beans, pickled cucumbers and smoked almonds being the standout. It’s polished without pomp, and locals return for good reason.
1 Blamey Place, Mornington
Ten Minutes By Tractor
Ten Minutes By Tractor, the experience now unfolds in layers. The two-Chef Hat restaurant feels assured rather than theatrical, with Craig Lunn’s seasonal tasting menu built to move in step with the estate’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Plates are precise, produce-led and quietly expressive — a sommelier’s dream without the ego. Beyond the dining room, Allis Wine Bar and Petit Tracteur Bistro bring a looser energy to the cellar door, making this Main Ridge address feel more expansive and more inviting than ever.
1333 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge
Assaggini
Assaggini brings smart comfort food and contemporary wines to the Peninsula. The room has an easy European feel, equally suited to a quick aperitivo or a long evening over plates. The wine list travels well — local Pinot Gris from Paringa Estate sits comfortably alongside Beaujolais from Domaine de la Tour du Bief. In the kitchen, Italian classics lead the way: cavatelli with oxtail ragu, seafood fritto misto, and generous salumi boards.
1C Albert St, Mornington
Red Gum BBQ
Red Gum BBQ takes you on a journey to the Deep South, a sprawling barbecue joint on the Mornington Peninsula serving local meats cooked low-and-slow over local wood. With rustic country vibes, fine local wines, exceptional craft beer on tap and some of the best Aussie-smoked, American-style BBQ on offer, get ready to roll up your sleeves for some finger-licking good times… with a side of traditional, Southern-style music sure to get your toes-tapping too!
87 Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill
Doot Doot Doot
Did you know that Doot Doot Doot, the striking restaurant at Jackalope Hotel, is one of the Peninsula’s most talked-about fine-dining experiences? Beneath an arresting canopy of sculptural lighting, the seasonal multi-course menu showcases local produce with thoughtful technique and bold flavour play. Paired with a curated wine list that spans local gems and global classics, each dish reflects its connection to the land. It’s destination dining that elevates a vineyard escape into something truly memorable.
166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North
Paringa Estate
Founded in 1985 by schoolteacher-turned-winemaker Lindsey McCall, Paringa Estate has become one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most respected producers, known for benchmark Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and cool-climate Shiraz. Weekends are best spent tasting single-vineyard releases before settling in for lunch overlooking the valley. Since 2014, the restaurant has held a Chef Hat in The Age Good Food Guide, with a menu shaped by regional produce — Gippsland beef, Western Plains pork and impeccably fresh seafood — all handled with restraint and precision.
Paringa Road, Red Hill South
Loosie’s Diner & Bar
Hidden among the shops of Beleura Hill, Loosie’s Diner & Bar is where the Peninsula goes when it wants things loud, fried and unapologetically fun. The Buffalo Burger and mac ’n’ cheese patty burger are cult orders, while buttermilk chicken tenders and jalapeño poppers arrive golden and glorious. Cocktails come with names like Wowee Zowee Whiskey Sour, the tunes lean rock ’n’ roll, and the whole room hums with 70s LA diner energy. Bonus: it’s genuinely kid-friendly.
97 Beleura Hill Road, Mornington
DOC Mornington
DOC Mornington is a favourite for both locals and visitors, thanks to its feather-light and stylish pizzas, set in a large and lively dining hall with alfresco tables. The bases are thin and crispy just like a Neapolitan Nonna would make, and ingredients are imported (complete with a menu map) to ensure the utmost quality. Flavour combinations are simple, yet-oh-so effective. Visit for lunch or dinner and don’t forget to stock up on their take-home pasta and sauces before you leave.
22 Main Street, Mornington
Stringers Sorrento
Over 126 years, Stringers has worn many hats — corner store, cafe, and now a polished all-day restaurant and bar. Mornings lean indulgent with the likes of ricotta hotcakes, baked cherry croissant pudding and smoked salmon and eggs on toast. From midday, the woodfire takes over, turning out Neapolitan pizza with 72-hour-fermented dough, house-made pasta, and charred meats. Oh, and delicious fish and chips.
The light-filled space invites long afternoons, and the attached providore means you can leave with something delicious tucked under your arm.
2-8 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento
Portsea Hotel
Portsea Hotel is a Tudor-style bayside icon where summer feels permanent. Oysters arrive briny and cold, local Chardonnay flows easily, and blue-and-white umbrellas frame uninterrupted water views. The kitchen moves confidently between kingfish crudo, vongole, and proper pub classics. Inside, the Longshore Room pairs wicker, greenery and wide French doors that swing open to sea air. It’s sun-drenched, nostalgic, and a Peninsula icon you book before the weekend even begins.
3746 Point Nepean Road, Portsea
Bistro Elba
Travel to the French Riviera without leaving Sorrento at this light-drenched Ocean Beach Road restaurant. The menu leans into the South of France with house-baked fougasse, blue swimmer crab soufflé and Provençal spring vegetables, all backed by a considered, cellar-deep wine list. Tall windows and skylights flood the room with coastal light, while a tucked courtyard and eclectic art-lined walls set the scene. Finish with chocolate éclairs and imported French cheeses — it’s a non-negotiable.
100-102 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento
Worked your way through the best restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula and looking for more? Why not extend your culinary travels and check out our top picks for dining in Geelong, Daylesford and Albury Wodonga on your travels as well.
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