The Dining Spots in Melbourne & Surrounds That Feel Like a Scene Straight Out of The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Cousins Beach era may have wrapped on screen, but the mood is far from over. With a film now on the horizon, we’re still craving sun-bleached afternoons, golden-hour dinners and nights that demand a Taylor Swift soundtrack. Melbourne might be half a world away from North Carolina, yet it serves plenty of The Summer I Turned Pretty energy — seaside terraces, string-lit courtyard feasts and beach bars where time slows and everything feels cinematic. These are the places to channel your inner Belly, Conrad or Jeremiah… no plane ticket required.

Melbourne

Henrys, Brighton

A sunlit terrace by the bay, seafood towers glistening, and Aperol spritzes catching the light — Henrys is Hamptons polish meets Belly’s birthday dinner vibes. The interiors are breezy, whitewashed, and built for golden-hour glamour, while oysters and crudo anchor the menu in seaside decadence. It’s the place you fall a little too hard for, plotting your return before dessert arrives. Older-brother coded and endlessly magnetic, Henrys is a sequel-worthy romance in restaurant form.

3 Well Street, Brighton

Sebastian, Williamstown

With its white arches, Spanish menu, and panoramic water views, Sebastian feels like a beach scene scripted for summer nostalgia. Tapas, paella, and rosé flow easily here, best shared with a group that laughs too loudly and lingers too long. The soundtrack? Waves crashing outside, glasses clinking inside. It’s warm, open, and social — a Jeremiah-coded hangout that makes every meal feel like a sun-drenched montage you’ll replay in your head.

26 Esplanade, Williamstown 

Donovans, St Kilda

If Cousins Beach had a cosy aunt’s house, it would be Donovans. A Melbourne classic that feels as comfortable as it does stylish, with fireplaces for the cooler nights and bay windows that frame sunsets like film stills. The seafood is timeless, the Bombe Alaska iconic — and yes, it’s giving Conrad: broody, a little dramatic, but impossible not to love.

St Kilda Marina & Surrounding Foreshore, 40 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda

Stokehouse Precinct, St Kilda

Standing tall on St Kilda’s sand, Stokehouse feels like the show’s central set piece. Upstairs is Champagne, caviar, and linen shirts billowing by the window; downstairs, cocktails and handmade pasta with sandy feet tucked under the table. The dual personality is its charm — a love triangle in restaurant form, and the only right choice is both. It’s bold, beautiful, and staged for golden-hour perfection.

30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda

Elwood Bathers, Elwood

Golden sands, crisp interiors, and an open terrace made for summer nights that never end. Elwood Bathers has a sun-soaked atmosphere that turns lunch into dinner, and dinner into after-dark cocktails. Order the seafood linguine and watch as the bay blushes pink — pure finale-scene material. You’ll swear you just spotted Belly and the boys at the next table.

Elwood Park & Elwood Foreshore Reserve, 15, Elwood

Pipis Kiosk, Middle Park

Minimalist and effortlessly cool, Pipis Kiosk feels like a soft boy in restaurant form. A kiosk by name but no simple beach shack, it’s a shrine to Victoria’s seafood with a natural-wine list that reads like a love letter. It’s breezy, salt-licked, endlessly Instagrammable, and will leave you in that Jeremiah headspace: carefree, a little messy, and perfect for summer nights.

129a Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park

Mornington Peninsula

Cptn Jack’s, Somerville

Perched on a marina, Cptn Jack’s is the restaurant you stumble upon and never forget. Boats bob in the harbour, seafood arrives shimmering with freshness, and cocktails taste better with the salt air on your skin. It’s nautical romance turned up loud, and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a scene where everyone’s laughing a little too hard… and you’re falling for the wrong brother again.

Yaringa Boat Harbour, 1 Lumeah Road, Somerville

The Rocks, Mornington

Right on the water’s edge, The Rocks has North Carolina coastline energy baked into every detail: timber finishes, harbour views, and seafood that comes straight off the boats in front of you. Mussels, oysters, frutti di mare pasta: it’s all there, and it’s all begging to be shared. If this were Cousins Beach, this would be where Belly has her big realisation scene.

1 Schnapper Point Drive, Mornington

Hawkes Farm, Boneo

Not coastal fine dining, but hear us out: Hawkes Farm’s legendary hot chips carry serious Isabel “Belly” Conklin energy. Triple-cooked, perfectly golden, and famous across the Peninsula, they’re absolutely worth the detour. Grab a serve, find a sunny table outside, and tell us it doesn’t feel like a peach-stand moment — casual, crunchy, unforgettable. Sometimes the simplest snack ends up stealing the whole scene.

661 Boneo Road, Boneo

Portsea Hotel, Portsea

Striped umbrellas, Hamptons interiors, a terrace that stretches out over Port Phillip Bay — Portsea Hotel is one long tracking shot of coastal glamour. Order fish tacos, sip a spritz, and watch the sun dip low. This is the balcony party you dreamed of crashing, the one where summer could go on forever.

3746 Point Nepean Road, Portsea

Martha’s Table, Safety Beach

Martha’s Table is Victoria’s underrated scene-stealer. Nautical interiors, yachts drifting beyond the windows, oysters and lobster served with low-lit glamour. Every dish feels made for long summers by the sea: burrata, crudo, flatbread still warm from the oven. Polished, romantic and effortlessly coastal, it’s the place for long lunches that stretch deep into golden hour.

5 Waterfront Place, Safety Beach

St Paul’s General Store, Sorrento

Smoothies, flaky croissants, good coffee — St Paul’s General Store has The Summer I Turned Pretty energy written all over it. Laidback, beachy, and perfect for a post-swim snack, it’s a scene you’ll replay in your head long after. Sometimes it’s not the fancy dinners, but the cafe mornings, that capture the vibe of a summer you never want to end.

69 St Pauls Road, Sorrento

Great Ocean Road

The Kyn, Torquay

The Kyn is where sleek design meets salty air. Warm timber, toffee-hued walls and rattan booths set the stage for oysters on ice, prawns with chilli salt, and natural wines that sparkle in the late-afternoon sun. It feels like the dinner party scene where all the siblings finally sit down, every glance carrying subtext. Chic and entirely magnetic — this is your Conrad-coded restaurant, where the drama is plated as beautifully as the food.

41 The Esplanade, Torquay

Fishos, Torquay

This is your clam-shack fantasy come true. Barefoot diners fresh from the surf, sandy-haired kids in the sandpit, baskets of golden fish and chips disappearing faster than Jeremiah’s grin. A cold beer in hand, the bay turning pink, laughter drifting as someone strums a guitar. Fishos is carefree, sandy-toed, and the definition of summer serotonin — Jeremiah-coded through and through.

36 The Esplanade, Torquay 

Fish by Moonlite, Anglesea

Fish by Moonlite is where you’d sneak off with the brother you know you shouldn’t root for. Run by the crew behind Captain Moonlite, this tiny seafood haven delivers crisp fried fish, gourmet potato cakes, and raw catch so fresh it practically glows. It’s not fancy, but it’s charged — like a dockside conversation that changes everything.

Shop 4, Anglesea Shopping Village, 87/89 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea 

a la grecque, Aireys Inlet

Aireys Inlet meets the Aegean at a la grecque, where Mediterranean soul collides with surf-town ease. Grilled octopus, crisp salads, chargrilled lamb — dishes arrive in a flurry of clinking glasses and loud laughter. Kids run barefoot on the lawn, the veranda dapples with golden light, and you’re suddenly in a seaside dinner party where you fall a little bit in love with everyone at the table.

60 Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet

Bellarine Peninsula

TARRA, Queenscliff

Sophisticated and modern with its gaze firmly on the sea, TARRA is for those who want every detail just right. The menu is refined, the interiors polished, and the mood set for long, wine-soaked evenings. This is where an intimate dinner scene might take place between Conrad and Belly: serious, magnetic, unforgettable.

1 Wharf Street East, Queenscliff 

Arlo Wine Bar, Port Arlington

Laidback and charming, Arlo Wine Bar is built for good pours and even better nights. Local wines flow freely, paired with charcuterie, cheese and small plates made for passing around the table. It’s the “everyone’s getting along” energy of a Cousins Beach evening — easy, warm and a little chaotic in the best way. Glasses keep refilling, conversations stretch past sunset, and before you know it, the night has slipped somewhere deliciously late.

1A Harding Street, Portarlington

At The Heads, Barwon Heads

On the jetty, wrapped in ocean on three sides, At The Heads feels like the big kiss scene waiting to happen. By day, sunlight spills across seafood platters; by night, fairy lights glow above the waves. Casual, romantic, and dripping with seaside nostalgia, it’s summer magic in widescreen.

1A Jetty Road, Barwon Heads 

The Dunes, Ocean Grove

Beachfront, breezy, and buzzing with energy, The Dunes is a seaside crush made permanent. Big decks overlook the sand, cocktails sparkle in the sun, and plates of fresh seafood and shareable bites keep the good times rolling. It’s stylish without trying too hard — rattan chairs, sun-bleached wood, and views that do most of the talking. Here, summer feels endless, conversations are easy, and the vibe is pure Taylor and Belly-coded fun.

Surf Beach Road, Ocean Grove

Gippsland Lakes

Sodafish

Floating right on the water, Sodafish feels like a carnival scene spliced into a restaurant. Bright, casual, and lively, it serves everything from fish and chips to share plates of prawns, calamari, and oysters, all as fresh as the sea breeze blowing across the deck. Drinks are easy — frosty pints, crisp ciders, spritzes — and the vibe is pure Jeremiah: carefree, fun, a little chaotic.

Middle Boat Harbour, The Esplanade, Lakes Entrance

The final episode may have aired, but the Cousins Beach mood isn’t going anywhere. With a film on the horizon, the summer energy lives on in golden-hour dinners, beachside catch-ups and long, laughter-filled nights that feel straight out of a montage. From Jeremiah-coded chaos to Conrad-level romance, Melbourne and its coastlines still understand the assignment. All that’s missing is the Taylor Swift soundtrack.

For more Melbourne moments worthy of the big screen, explore these dreamy cinemas and romantic restaurants.

Writer

Kelsey Harrington

6 March 2026

Kelsey Harrington is a Melbourne-based writer with a sharp eye for the city's ever-evolving food, wine, arts, and culture scene. Her journey into the creative industry took the scenic route—what started as a passion for capturing Melbourne’s energy through a camera lens led her to Sitchu, where she worked her way up to Melbourne Editor. With over four years in the industry, she’s all about uncovering the best places to eat, drink, and explore. Off the clock? You’ll find her diving into a platter of fresh oysters and crudo, gallery-hopping, or sipping an extra dirty martini while plotting her next adventure.