Time Out Melbourne Food & Drink Awards 2025: Destination Venue Nominees

Babae is not at all one of those ultra-contemporary restaurants where the degustation is a flex in molecular innovation or service is stiff in its formality. Sure, there’s a dish that features foam, and you’ll see some fancy plating decisions. But for the most part, Babae’s vibe is approachable high-end dining that toes the line between creativity and comfort –  and gets it just right. 

Caught up in the demands of fast-paced urban life, many of us wish to embrace the tenets of ‘slow living’ – a lifestyle choice that encourages taking a moment to smell the roses and reconnect with the tranquil beauty of nature. Though one doesn’t necessarily need to put on a nice shirt and make the two-hour drive to Brae to join the resistance cohort, it’s hard to think of a more seductive destination to unplug and reunite with the potency of the present. Here, culinary excellence is coupled with the serenity of the Birregurra countryside in the form of a leisurely five-hour degustation lunch from powerhouse chef Dan Hunter.

Du Fermier is a charming and rustic-looking restaurant with weathered floorboards and cute little knick-knacks dotted about the dining room. Decorating the shelves alongside our table, we spy stacks of beautiful ceramics, lovely books (one of them titled Recipes for a Kinder Life) and bottles of Chablis and jars of jam we want to take home. The table is adorned with a vase of fragrant roses – a sentimental and romantic countryside touch. 

With manicured hedges, flags atop each turret and a swag of wine-making awards, you could say All Saints Estate is a little slice of grape-growing royalty in the middle of the Victorian bush. It’s also home to Kin, a modern Australian restaurant helmed by executive chef Jack Cassidy. Between the top-notch service, castle setting and culinary offerings, it's certainly hard to fault. All hail this special jewel in Victoria’s dining crown.

On a weekend stay in West Gippsland, you’re bound to hear about Messmates Dining at least a dozen times. We've booked a table at the smart new Warragul restaurant well in advance of a trip, having heard of its stellar reputation back home in Melbourne. But once we arrive in town, an array of locals – the diversity of which spans a gardener, an independent brewer and a shop owner – are each quick to direct us to Messmates just in case we've forgotten to include it in our itinerary. Clearly, this is a dining experience that’s caused a bit of a stir in the area.