The Best Restaurants in Mornington Peninsula Right Now

Locals and weekenders are spoiled for choice when it comes to dining in the Mornington Peninsula, as an ever-growing list of trendy new eateries swing open their doors across this magnificent region.

The central hub of Main Street Mornington is your epicentre for drinking and dining, but neighbouring streets (and suburbs) are increasingly home to drawcard venues too. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick bite or dinner spent amongst the vines, we’ve whittled down the best restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula that are guaranteed to impress. 

Bau Bau

For an elevated Italian dining experience, make a beeline for Bau Bau in Mount Eliza. This beautiful spot focuses heavily on local and ethical produce, as well as what's in season, so expect daily changes to the menu - it always keeps things fresh and interesting! Come for the delicious antipasti and mains, but be sure to stay for dessert. The tiramisu is to die for!

1/18 Ranelagh Drive, Mount Eliza

Cptn Jack's 

Cptn Jack’s brings the spirit of the sea to life with its laid-back nautical charm. This spot is perfect for a summer escape, where the freshest local seafood, like woodfired scallops and tiger prawns, meet hearty Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The menu, expertly crafted by Chef Matt Knoops, offers crowd-pleasers like woodfired chicken, flatbreads, agnolotti del plin, and tender sirloin bathed in peppercorn sauce. 

On Thursdays, the Wood Fired Summer Series (at just $49pp) brings even more excitement with woodfired flavours and great cocktails. Sip on a refreshing Ginger Sour or a crisp spritz while enjoying the friendly, relaxed atmosphere. With every bite, drink, and moment, Cptn Jack’s is a must-visit to sink into the season. 

1 Lumeah Road, Somerville 

Nora's 

Nora’s is where city vibes meet Mornington Peninsula charm—think dim lighting, olive-green walls, and terracotta tiles instead of surfboards. Here, you can sip spritzes (Campari or Aperol, your choice) while indulging in spicy rigatoni in vodka sauce or a cheeky Ode to Roberta’s pizza—topped with soppressata, honey, and stracciatella, no less. Another crowd-pleaser in the making is the Morno Greens white-base pizza, topped with fior di latte, sautéed greens, garlic oil, and nduja.

The menu is a playful tribute to Italy, with fresh, seasonal twists. For dessert? A decadent tiramisu. A perfect spot for locals and wanderers alike, this pizza joint is exactly what the Peninsula didn’t know it needed—casual, fun, and downright delicious!

2113 Point Nepean Road, Rye

Jimmy Rum

While this may be a rum distillery, don't pass up an opportunity to dine at Jimmy Rum. After indulging in the rum tasting experience with Jimmy, who is seriously passionate about his rum, sit down at one of the tables and order up a storm. The oysters are some of the best you'll find in the Mornington Peninsula, so be sure to start off with those. Afterwards, you can't go wrong with the Japanese Pork Belly served with miso mayo and pickled ginger, or the Hanger Steak with cauliflower puree, broccolini and chimichurri. Paired with one of the delicious rum cocktails from their menu, you'll be set for the night.

6 Brasser Avenue, Dromana

Moke Dining

If you want to experience one of the best restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula showcasing local produce and fresh dishes, head to Moke. This relaxed yet elevated fine diner captures the seasons on a plate, with a menu that ebbs with the weather's flow. Come with family and friends to share the stunning dishes that grace Moke's menu, and leave with both a full heart and full belly.

60 Cook Street, Flinders

Mr Vincenzo's

Step into this retro-style Italian restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula, where a quirky bistro meets wine bar. With bottle-green floors, cork accents, and sunny waffle-yellow walls, Mr Vincenzo's is an inviting space that wraps you in a nostalgic embrace the moment you walk in. The seasonal menu celebrates the freshest produce, offering shareable plates, hearty pastas, and generous mains. Don’t miss their legendary garlic bread-inspired flatbread! 

784 Esplanade, Mornington

Tedesca Osteria

Tedesca Osteria has rightfully earned its place as one of Australia's most exceptional dining destinations. Here, the menu is a delightful surprise, with chef Brigitte Hafner crafting a feast based on the day’s finest and most inspiring produce. The experience unfolds leisurely, beginning with tantalising antipasto, followed by handmade pasta, then wood-fired seafood or meat, and culminating in a rustic yet refined dessert. The warm, inviting dining room is centred around an open-plan kitchen and a magnificent brick hearth, creating an atmosphere that’s both intimate and welcoming. It's a meal, not just to savour, but to remember.

1175 Mornington Flinders Road, Red Hill

Shi-hui-shi

Hotel Sorrento's modern Cantonese restaurant, Shi-hui-shi, has transformed the beachside hotel's dining offerings into something to marvel at. It serves an innovative and flavorful menu that puts a contemporary twist on traditional Cantonese cuisine, incorporating local ingredients.

An intimate, sensory experience, the artwork and decor pay homage to the eateries of 1960s Hong Kong, as well as the cinematic and photographic works of Wong Kar-wai and Fan Ho. It's one of the best new restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula to indulge your inner foodie.

5/15 Hotham Road, Sorrento 

Trofeo Estate

Trofeo Estate, a boutique restaurant with lush vineyard views, serves an award-winning lunch you won’t want to miss. Housed in a 1930s passionfruit cannery, the main dining space opens onto a stunning deck and wine garden, overlooking 50 acres of vineyard. Led by Executive Chef Steve Davidson, the menu highlights local, seasonal produce paired with Trofeo's award-winning terracotta wines. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. On weekends, enjoy a two-course ($67) or three-course ($79) menu, or opt for a sharing menu ($86) for larger groups.

85 Harrisons Road, Dromana 

T'Gallant Vineyard

Experience the flavours of Italy amidst the picturesque vineyards of T'Gallant Vineyard. Indulge in the finest wines, handcrafted with expertise, as you settle in to savour authentic Italian cuisine made from the freshest local ingredients. This recently reopened vineyard and restaurant offers a delightful blend of rustic charm and contemporary elegance, creating the perfect setting for a memorable dining experience. 

It also has a little something for everyone (kid-friendly pizza alert). 

1385 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge

Laura at Pt Leo Estate 

The Peninsula's Pt. Leo Estate is home to Australia's most comprehensive sculpture collection, but did you know that there's a two-hatted restaurant onsite that's made for long, lazy lunches? Laura is a gourmet hideaway promising an ultra-luxe dining experience in a gloriously intimate setting. With a choice of four, five, or six courses, alongside a beautifully paired wine list, diners will take a gastronomic tour of the region through every plate consumed. 

3649 Frankston - Flinders Road, Merricks 

HABA 

We love the cool, laid-back vibes at HABA, one of Rye's best-kept secrets. From the brilliant mind of Jerome Borazio (who kick-started the Laneway Festival), it’s a perfect blend of beach club attitude, live music, great cocktails, and tasty bar bites. An all-in-one watering hole made for your next weekend evening out with friends, it’s one of our favourite new venues on the Peninsula to kick back and sip margaritas over prawn skewers and parmas.

2201-2209 Point Nepean Road, Rye

Many Little Bar & Dining

Red Hill's Many Little Bar & Dining is a local bar and modern Asian inspired restaurant that offers an elevated modern Sri Lankan menu.

Many little elements have gone into making this one of the best restaurants in Mornington Peninsula, from the use of sustainably-grown local produce and intimate interiors, to the taste of exceptional Australian and international wine. They've all combined to ensure this is a dining experience you won't soon forget. 

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 the fun winery and restaurant at the renowned Jackalope Hotel. Start with the Wine Immersion Experience, exploring the vineyard and tasting stellar single-vineyard wines, paired with a curated cheese board. Then, indulge in seasonal staples, with oysters sparkling alongside a cucumber mignonette, and dishes like fried barramundi wings with almond skordalia, nduja butter, spatchcock chicken with potato and artichoke, and slow-cooked beef with cime di rapa and pumpkin. A true culinary celebration, it’s the kind of place that makes you immediately want to return for more.

166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North

Wildgrain

One of the shining stars on Mornington’s foodie scene, Wildgrain is the perfect place to settle in for the afternoon or evening. With its iconic matte black facade juxtaposed with bright interiors brimming with greenery, the restaurant has a chic European vibe that keeps the locals coming back for more. Serving contemporary Australian with a commitment to fresh ingredients, tuck into a handful of share plates like miso cured yellowfin tuna and smoked lamb & saganaki croquettes before moving on to heartier main dishes like dry-aged confit duck leg with buttered brussels sprouts and poached quince.

1 Blamey Place, Mornington

Ten Minutes By Tractor

Ten Minutes By Tractor is a must-visit for those passionate about food and wine. Named after the convergence of three family-owned Mornington Peninsula wineries (each ten minutes by tractor apart), the estate offers some of the truest expressions of the region's varieties as well as inspired dining. Having received two hats as recently as 2018, Chef Adam Sanderson’s tasting menu celebrates the incredible local produce taken from neighbouring farms, the kitchen garden and ingredients foraged from around the region.  

1333 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge

Assaggini

For chic, comfort food and contemporary wines, Assaggini is the place to be. The quintessential neighbourhood wine bar, there’s a distinctly Euro feel in both the ambience and offering that makes it a charmed spot for both an aperitivo and tasty bite.

To browse through their thoughtfully curated wine list is to take a trip to every winemaking corner of the world, starting with a local Pinot Gris from Paringa Estate and ending with a drop-dead gorgeous Domaine de la Tour du Bief Beaujolais.

Leaning into its Italian allure, you’ll find everything from cavatelli with oxtail ragu to seafood fritto misto and salumi platters coming out of the kitchen.

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 the striking Jackalope Hotel is home to one of the best restaurants in regional Victoria? Doot Doot Doot, an acclaimed fine diner, elevates local produce with a menu inspired by the surrounding land. Each dish is a delicate balance of fresh ingredients from their garden, classic techniques, and bold exploration of flavour. Paired with a curated wine list, from local gems to global classics, it’s destination dining at its finest, perfect for indulging your inner foodie. 

166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North

Paringa Estate

Established by schoolteacher turned winemaker Lindsey McCall in 1985, Paringa Estate has consistently turned out some of Australia’s top Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and cool-climate Shiraz. Arrive on the weekend to indulge in Paringa Estate’s iconic single-vineyard wines, and stay for an unforgettable dining experience overlooking the sweeping valley.

Since 2014, this spot has earned its stripes as one of the Mornington Peninsula's finest winery restaurants, holding a coveted Chef Hat in The Age Good Food Guide each year. The menu is a celebration of the region’s best, featuring seasonal, locally sourced produce—from Gippsland beef to Western Plains pork, and the freshest seafood. With a team that delights in foraging for local ingredients, it’s the ultimate food and wine dream come to life.

Paringa Road, Red Hill South

Audrey’s

This sweeping fine diner by the sea is prolific restaurateur Scott Pickett’s first regional venture, and my-oh-my is she a beauty. The anchor restaurant of the revamped Hotel Continental, Audrey's is a homage to the grandmother who inspired Pickett’s cooking. Diners are taken on a journey of premium local seafood reimagined – think Mornington Peninsula squid with shiitake XO, or Shark Bay scallop with kampot (a Cambodian pepper) escabèche – paired with thought-provoking wines. The dining room is a vision of old-world elegance awash in sea green velvet, marble and priceless bay views everywhere you look.

1 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento

Loosie's Diner & Bar

Tucked away in the unassuming pocket of shops on Beleura Hill, Loosie's Diner & Bar is a go-to for fried chicken and burgers, chill vibes, lush cocktails, cold beer, great wine, and excellent tunes. A place to unleash your cravings, we love their Buffalo Burger, mac n cheese patty burger and Reuben Roll; plus the buttermilk chicken tenders and jalapeno poppers are notoriously good for hitting the spot. Wash it all down with one of their fun named cocktails (the Wowee Zowee Whiskey Sour, anyone?) and finish with the popular and oh-so-comforting apple pie. The rock 'n' roll, boozy, 70's LA diner vibes only add to the many reasons why this is one of the best restaurants in the Mornington Peninsula... but did you know that it's also kid-friendly? Winner! 

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 lived many lives – corner store, cafe and now a stylish all-day restaurant and bar. Pop by for fancy breakfasts à la ricotta hotcakes, baked cherry croissant pudding and truffled mushrooms on toast, while from midday they fire up the oven for woodfired Neapolitan pizza made with 72 hour fermented dough, pasta and grilled meats. The sleek and sun filled space is a delight to spend the afternoon in, and you can even pick up some gourmet groceries at the attached provedore on your way out. 

2-8 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento 

Portsea Hotel

Portsea Hotel is a Tudor-style bayside gem where every moment feels like a summer postcard. Picture yourself slurping fresh oysters, sipping local Chardonnay, and soaking up beach views under blue-and-white umbrellas. The menu? A playful mix of regional delights—kingfish crudo, vongole pasta, and all the pub classics you crave. Inside, the Longshore Room oozes coastal chic with wicker chairs, lush greenery, and French doors that open to the world. It’s where great food and gorgeous scenery meet—one of the Peninsula’s most irresistible spots to linger.

3746 Point Nepean Road, Portsea

Bistro Elba

Travel to the French Riviera without leaving Sorrento at this light-drenched restaurant on Ocean Beach Road. They’re serving gorgeous cuisine from the South of France, plying guests with house baked fougasse, blue swimmer crab soufflé and Provençal style spring vegetables alongside an extensive wine list. Tall windows, skylights and a quaint courtyard bring the sunshine in, while eclectic art covers the walls – perfect for happy snaps. Whatever you do, make sure to leave space for chocolate éclairs and fine imported French cheeses at the end of your meal.

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!