Located only 90 minutes drive from Melbourne or 1 hour 15 minutes by country train, Ballarat is bursting with new restaurants making it the perfect foodie getaway for a taste of winter.
EAT
Start the day right with breakfast at Lola Restaurant at the Provincial Ballarat. With a European flavour to the menu make sure you try the Lola Breakfast with poached eggs, bacon, hash brown, bean cassoulet and sourdough toast with a Lola coffee. Lola is open for breakfast & lunch 7 days and Dinner Tuesday – Saturday featuring the best of regional produce with the European inspired dining experience throughout the day, designed by Head Chef Shaun Thomson. Shaun brings his experience from working alongside Peter Gilmore (Quay, Sydney), Neil Perry (Rockpool, Melbourne) and Peter Kuruvita (Flying Fish, Fiji).
Forge Pizzeria has been serving award winning woodfired pizzas since 2010, built with the rustic appeal of the blacksmith shop with exposed brick, concrete floors, recycled timber tables and vintage chairs.
What better way to spend an afternoon, then a wine tasting or cocktail fireside with an menu of delicious tapas at Mitchell Harris Wine Bar. Rather than have a cellar door at their vineyard, Mitchell Harris decided to open a wine bar right in the heart of the city of Ballarat on Doveton Street.
If you are planning to stay longer, Ballarat is spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out.
Yellow Espress: great coffee, breakfast and lunch
Mr Jones: contemporary European dining
The Pub with Two Names: contemporary grill
Craig’s Royal Hotel: gourmet European diningMeigas: Spanish tapas
Underbar: chef degustation menu
Boatshed Restaurant: modern Australian
STAY
A stay at the new luxury boutique hotel, The Provincial Ballarat will have you wanting to come back. The doors of one of Ballarat’s most iconic heritage buildings re-opened in late 2018 after undergoing a passionate renovation, led by Gorgi and Simon Coghlan. Each of the 23 boutique accommodation rooms and suites, 15 of which are uniquely styled with a mix of bespoke antique, modern and custom pieces.
From the moment you walk into your suite, you will feel like you are at home with beautiful fabrics, fresh, crisp walls and locally sourced products in in the mini bar (one of favourites, the Bendigo Brittle).
The Provincial Ballarat have a one night Welcome to Winter package in one of their luxurious spa suites that includes complimentary AL.K.ME bath salts, a la carte breakfast, a decadent 3 course dinner in Lola restaurant, welcome drink on arrival and late check-out. $495 per couple, with an additional night’s stay and breakfast for only $275 per couple. Packages are limited so make sure you contact our Lifestyle Managers to make your booking for the ultimate winter escape.
PLAY
Make sure you set aside time for a walk or ride around Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree and enjoy the local beauty of the ducks and swans. To walk the entire lake is roughly six kilometres and will take you about two hours. Perfect activity to work up an appetite for a lovely long lunch.
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest and largest gallery in regional Australia, presenting a range of exhibitions from cutting edge contemporary to special interest ticketed shows.
Ballarat is well known for the Gold Rush. Sovereign Hill brings to life the excitement of Australia’s great 1850s gold rushes. Named Australia’s best ‘Major Tourist Attraction’ four times, most recently in 2016, Sovereign Hill provides a unique Australian experience and a full day of entertainment. Sovereign Hill entry also includes entry to the Gold Museum which displays a beautiful exhibition of gold and Ballarat history.
Provincial Home Living opened its doors to their new store in Ballarat 9 weeks ago, bringing their homewares, furniture and cafe overlooking Sturt and Armstrong Streets.
Ballarat and the surrounding Pyrenees wine region is best known for its cool-climate wines, particularly shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and sparkling wine varietals. With 20 cellar doors to explore, you will discover some absolute gems when designing your tour and stocking your personal cellar.
Blue Pyrenees Estate was established in 1963 and was among the modern Australian wine industry’s first ventures into cool climate viticulture. Originally called Chateau Remy, Blue Pyrenees was established by the French company Remy Martin, the subsequent owners of the great champagne houses of Krug and Piper Heidsieck.
Today, Blue Pyrenees is 100 per cent independently Australian owned and is led by CEO and Chief Winemaker Andrew Koerner. The cellar door is open from 11 am – 5 pm daily for a tasting of their award winning range of sparkling, red and white wines or enjoy share plates of the best of seasonal local produce from midday.
Build your winery Tour!
Eastern Peake Winery: pinot nor, chardonny & syrah
Mount Buninyong Winery: fortified wines
Captains Creek Organic Wines: sparkling, chardonnay, rose, pinot noir
Amherst Winery: cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, shiraz, chardonnay
Bigibila: shiraz, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon,
Dalwhinnie: chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet
Dogrock Winery: riesling, chardonnay, shiraz, grenache, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon
Equus @ Moonambel: shiraz, rose, cabernet, syrah, sangiovese
Forest Gate Estate Winery: cabernet sauvignon, shiraz
Mount Avoca: sparkling, chardonnay, fume blanc, merlot, shiraz, viognier, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon
Taltarni Vineyard: sparkling, blanc de niors, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, fume blanc, pinot gris, rose, shiraz, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, cabernet
Our casual memberships are the ideal solution for planning your next Escape. Our packages provide you with the ‘gift of time‘ to plan your weekend, week or that special celebration. You will have your own dedicated Lifestyle Manager to take care of every detail from booking your accommodation, making dinner reservations and designing a personalised tailored itinerary to include what’s on and give you all the tips to make your getaway wonderful.
