GLENLYON ESTATE (previously Ellender Estate)…read more Situated in the beautiful Australian countryside this winery had long been our favorite place to spend an afternoon while savoring their delicious thin crust pizzas and sipping on quality local wines... but now it's even better! The new owners Simon & Lee have managed to keep everything that was great (local produce, beautiful setting) and make it better than ever. With a wonderful energy and zeal for outstanding customer service they make you feel like a close friend who's been invited to their estate to share good times and great food (did I mention the pizza is our all time favorite). Bookings aren't essential but highly recommended to ensure you don't miss out and I would be sure to allow a few hours to really relax and let the beauty of the place sink in... can't recommend this place highly enough. Visited February 2017

What a gem of a bakery. My husband did a motorbike trip with his mate and stumbled upon this place…read more He's been here 3 times since and only now he has taken me! Sausage rolls, pizza, veggie pie, sweet treats and everything sourdough! Staff were ever so friendly and were able to help with taste profiles so that it would pair well with making a Camembert toastie! The ambiance is very quaint and I loved reading about the history of the bakery. If you're around Daylesford, make a trip here for lunch and have a walk around town!

WOW. What a gem. I…read moreread about an amazing sourdough bakery in Trentham, so decided to try Red Beard on the way home from Daylesford (about a 20 min drive). What a great decision. The sourdough is fantastic - certified organic and baked in a wood fired oven - tasted unlike any I had tried before. I went home with the Blonde (described as a 'crusty Vienna load who'll go home with anyone') and the most perfect fruit bun. Next time, I'll be the Redhead (the traditional tin loaf) and the pumpkin thatch (and maybe more fruit buns). Loaves are around $6 to $8. Breakfast at Red Beard is delicious. We had the best Eggs Benedict that we've ever had - beautifully buttered sourdough topped with amazing ham, perfectly poached eggs and a thin but creamy hollandaise. Bliss. Nice coffee too. Beautiful courtyard outside for a relaxing summer's day. Oh, and the cakes looked divine (e.g. rich vanilla slice, beesting, dense & rich carrot cake). If you're keen, you can also book in for a guided tour or baking workshop (the latter comes with a bottomless coffee, food, a bag of organic flour and your own creations). I'm adding this to my list for next time, for sure.

Going out for a bite with my extended family is like flash mobbing a coffee shop. All of a sudden…read moreit's full of people and the staff don't know what's going on. We were down in Daylesford - spa town and lesbian capital of Australia, in your face Broken Hill - for a wedding this weekend last and it was late in the arvo and we just piled into the Himalaya, cousins and aunts and drunk uncles, sisters and nephews and brothers, pouring into the place like a a bunch of clowns pour out of a tiny car that couldn't possibly hold the number of clowns that come out of it. We got in just before the kitchen closed, and the food and drinks were all kinds of great. It's simple fare but done exceptionally well, with a vegetarian and vegan kind of twist - no meat, organic ingredients. My fetta-filled bruschetta was colossal, a real giant-killer both in size and taste, I also helped people finish off their burnt caramel shakes, marinated tofu salads, and eggplant and ricotta toasties. Delicious, all of it. And healthy, which is important considering the amount of drinking we were about to do.

This place is cured meat heaven…read more Located off a beaten track, just outside of Daylesford, you will find Istra - a non-descript building with a gravel carpark out the front. Sounds a bit creepy, no? But inside you will find the stuff Sunday afternoon dreams are made of. Prosciutto, Pancetta, Cappocollo, Pecenica and Salamis - all of the absolute best quality. Like, melt-in-your-mouth, groan-worthy, praise the Lord levels of good. But the real star? BACON. You know when you go in to those fancy supermarkets or grocers and there's bacon in their chilled section that will cost the Earth but you just KNOW it's going to be amazing? I pretty much guarantee you it's Istra bacon. But when you buy it from here, it's cheap as chips. On top of this they have shelves of pickles, jams, weird German chocolate and the like. If you're planning a trip to Daylesford you would be utterly foolish to not include Istra in your stop. FOOLISH.

Stopped in for a quick snack on our way to Adelaide and was blown away by this cute little old…read morefashioned diner! Historical ads and pages from the Woman's Weekly Magazine paper the walls (think 1950s and earlier) and you must make a quick trip to the restroom to check out the decor! Lamb, feta and spinach sausage roll was absolutely delicious - big enough for a decent snack for two and perfectly balanced with the gaminess of the lamb and the saltiness of the feta! Tempted by the HUGE biscuits but needed to get back on the road and not in a food coma!! Stop by.. The food and the atmosphere is awesome!!

This local favourite is so much better than it looks. A wide variety of rolls and quiches and cakes…read moreplus some creative extras eg fruit salad ( pineapple and berries) with chia yoghurt Watch out for homemade iced tea on hot days.

Easily one of the best Chocolateries in Victoria and possibly even all of Australia. Amazing…read moreservice, super friendly staff, and a very chill location! They weren't lying when they said this place is for the Chocoholics. Looking at how the Chocolate is made and where it comes from was really interesting! I also loved the atmosphere, super comfortable and not too big and not too small. As for the Chocolate, it was amazing. My favourite was the Chocolate Fudge, super nice, beautiful texture, and melts in your mouth. Overall an amazing experience, 5 stars.

The Chocolate Mill is the place "For the Serious Chocoholic." Seriously, it's on the signs. You…read moredrive by a big welcoming one, and it feels like you've reached this secret chocolate haven just off the beaten track. Come in and enjoy some hot cocoa. It's not what you'd find in any café or chocolatier. This bad boy is a traditional Belgian style hot chocolate. Sitting at the bottom of your huggable mug is pure smooth melted chocolate. It's different to try, but once you master the stir, then drink method, you'll find it to be the chocolatiest hot chocolate you've ever had. Reaching the bottom, you will want to finish every drop of this melted chocolate. They come in different chocolates, milk, white, dark or chili dark chocolate. That chili dark hot chocolate gets me every time. Besides the café portion, of course there are two gorgeous display windows holding all of the truffles. Both windows are the same, so pick one and start choosing. It's sold by weight, so go all out, who knows when you'll be back? Staff here are amazing with suggestions, if you have food allergies or prefer something specific (fruit/nut/crème) and they'll point you in the right direction. Besides truffles, they do have take home hot chocolate mix, and bars and giftables. You'll feel good knowing everything is made on-site and it's all fair trade. They do have a glass window that let's you see their kitchen operation. The demo video is good to watch as well, it doesn't go for long but gives you insight into how much effort goes into a single truffle. Plus who wouldn't want to watch melting chocolate become these gorgeous fragile creations? Some of their truffles take 2 days to make and can have different layers of awesome. If you are making your way to Daylesford, you should definitely go and check out the Chocolate Mill.

Some days you just have to follow the sunshine, get off the beaten track and see where you land…read more Hopefully you find yourself here at The Daylesford Cidery's The Tavern. What started off as "we'll stop for 1 drink and then go climb a mountain' turned into a lazy 3hr Sunday session. Which only ended because we really had to get home. The staff here are amazingly friendly and helpful. They really know their cider and have a delicious range of locally sourced produce available. Start off with a tasting before you buy a bottle or two. With four distinct varieties it's best to try before you buy. The Tavern area itself is a quaint barn/church hall style building. Big comfy couches, warming rugs and a lot of blue stone. The outdoor area has half a dozen tables and a pizza oven. As well as two very friendly dogs. We'll be back again in winter to sit by the wood fire and drink our cares away.

Perfect spot for a chilled out cider by the fire. Met the new owners, British Claire and her Aussie…read moreboyfriend Macky who makes the cider. The surrounds remind me of many English pubs I've visited in the Cotswolds. Claire served us simple but fresh, tasty and local soups she made (spiced pumpkin and chicken&leek), coupled with handmade soughdough bread. Macky built us a fire and chatted about the 18 different varieties of apples used in the 4 different ciders they produce on site. Just brilliant - go!!!

Such a cute little spot! If you are visiting in the area this is the perfect spot to have a coffee…read more(Plunger coffee recommended!) The service was so nice and it was the kind of place I could imagine coming everyday (: I fell in love with this place and the food looked beautiful! Clearly made with love.

Lovely courtyard out the back and a good old fashioned menuread more