Farm Gates & Providores
Buy direct from the people who grew it, cured it, smoked it, or pressed it. Farm-gate stalls, regional providores, and the independent food producers worth driving for.
Wellington Point Farmhouse Restaurant and Cafe
625 Main Road, Wellington Point
Mon–Tue 7am–2:30pm · Wed–Sun 7am–3:30pm
One of the last working farms on the Redlands Coast, this cafe and restaurant keeps the distance between paddock and plate to metres. Breakfast and lunch run Wednesday to Sunday; the menu is made from scratch using the farm's own produce, the kitchen garden, and neighbouring market hall. Takeaway on the lawn is an option worth knowing about.
Central Coast Distilling Co
Unit 21/14 Kam Cl, Morisset NSW 2264, Australia
Wed–Thu 11am–3pm · Fri 12pm–7pm · Sat 12pm–6pm · Sun 12pm–5pm
From a unit in Morisset's industrial fringe, Central Coast Distilling runs grain-to-glass: base spirits mashed and fermented on-site from Australian-grown ingredients before the stills do their work. The range spans a Classic Dry Gin and a Chilli and Fingerlime variant through to Lemon Myrtle Liqueur and, for those paying attention, a Bourbon Project quietly underway. Distillery door open Wednesday to Sunday.
Stilts Dining
147E Alice Street
Mon–Thu 11am–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 11am–10pm · Sun 11am–9:30pm
Sitting on the Kangaroo Point Bridge above the Brisbane River, Stilts does steak-and-seafood with an unobstructed view few city restaurants can match. The menu runs Wagyu, Angus and live lobster, all Queensland-sourced. The name references the timber stilts of the classic Queenslander house — a local architectural logic that earns its metaphor here.
Pieces of Eight
Level 1, 37 Swanston Street
Mon–Sat 11am–5pm
On Swanston Street, this boutique stocks contemporary jewellery from a tight roster of Australian makers — William Llewellyn Griffiths' gothic cathedral rings, Emma Jane Donald's diamond solitaires, Shimara Carlow's petal studs. Ethically sourced materials, handmade pieces, open Tuesday to Saturday. The range runs from $235 earrings to $15,000-plus engagement rings, which covers a lot of life's occasions.
Cutler
55-57 Gertrude St
Wed–Sat 5:30pm– · Sun 12pm–
A refined and hospitable dining destination housed in a former metal works factory, Cutler offers an evolved approach to contemporary cuisine that reflects its Fitzroy neighbourhood. Open for dinner service Wednesday to Saturday, and all-day dining on Sunday, the venue welcomes both walk-in guests at the bar and reservations for the dining room.
Chateau Dore Winery & Receptions
303 Mandurang Rd, Mandurang VIC 3551, Australia
Stone walls from 1866, acres of established gardens, and a Mandurang Valley setting ten minutes from Bendigo CBD. Hosts Nicole and Glenn Walker run weddings, private functions, and summer live music sessions here — a working winery that has quietly become Central Victoria's go-to garden reception venue.
Peninsula Farm Cafe
2c Johnson Road, Maylands WA 6051
Tue–Sun 8am–3pm
Gum trees, riverfront lawn, a National Trust homestead built on Wadjuk Noongar country — Peninsula Farm Cafe earns its setting. The menu leans organic and seasonal, the coffee is taken seriously, and on a good day half of Maylands seems to be eating outside on picnic blankets. Bookings advised; dogs welcome on the terrace.
Deep South Brewing Co.
220 Argyle St, North Hobart TAS 7000, Australia
Tue–Thu 4pm– · Fri–Sat 12pm–
Coordinates 42°52'30.5"S mark Deep South's position at the bottom of the world, which explains the brewery's self-mythology. Downstairs: concrete floors, pool table, sightlines into the brew space. Upstairs mezzanine runs warmer — festoon lights, long share tables. The tap list earns its confidence: Sharksjaw IPA (7.2%, Simcoe and Mosaic), copper-hued Pedra Pale, and a rotating "Uncharted" keg for whatever they're working through.
