Steamed custard with peas,broad beans and tempura zucchini at Babae.
Good Food hat15/20

Babae

Serene salon worshipping the seasons.

Underbar.
Good Food hat15/20

Underbar

Communal fine dining that subverts expectations.

Brazilian prawn curry.
14.5/20

Pancho

Sophisticated yet soulful country cafe.

Steamed pea custard with broad beans and zucchini at fine-diner Babae.

Victoria’s newest destination diner is not where you might expect it

There’s another reason to visit a former gold rush town – and you don’t even have to leave your hotel to enjoy it.

  • Emma Breheny
Fine-dining restaurant Underbar is about to make its second move in 12 months after a business partnership dissolved.

Underbar moves back to original Ballarat location after brief stay at Hotel Vera

A plush partnership between two luxury destinations in Ballarat has dissolved,leaving a hotel without a restaurant and a restaurant without a home.

  • Emma Breheny
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Ten reasons to visit Ballarat for Good Food,May,2023.

Pure gold:Ten of the best places to eat,drink and stay in Ballarat

A hotbed of activity during the 1850s gold rush,the central Victorian town now offers a rich vein of food and drink experiences.

  • Emma Breheny and Gemima Cody

The Forge Pizzeria

This new kid on the block is already miles ahead of the ’Rat pack with its

Phoenix Brewery

Named after a historic Ballarat brewery,this restaurant in the historic arts precinct offers a good range of beers and wines and a welcoming environment,with polished concrete floors,timber and brick features and suede banquettes,plus a bluestone bar in the cellar.

Mitchell Harris Cellar Door

This ‘cellar door’ sells wines made off-site using grapes from the Macedon and Pyrenees ranges.

L’Espresso

This low-lit Euro-style diner has earned its stripes as a Ballarat institution.