A foodie getaway to Ballarat
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Gastrology enjoyed a weekend away to explore Ballarat’s wonderful food offerings, craft beers, boutique wines and a whole lot more. A 75-minute drive west from Melbourne, Ballarat is Victoria's largest and fastest growing inland city. Recently dubbed Australia's most liveable regional city by Regional Development Australia, Ballarat is a bustling regional centre attracting investment and fostering local enterprise.
The region's tourism sector is built on a rich culture of artisans, a thriving food and wine scene and award-winning attractions in reinvented goldrush buildings and locations. Bestowed as Victoria's Top Tourism Town in 2021 and recognised as a UNESCO Creative City, visitors can unearth the riches in one of Victoria's most enriching destinations.
Ballaarat, the city's original spelling, is the name derived from the Wadawurrung words 'balla' and 'arat', meaning 'resting place' and it certainly was an amazing place to unwind. Here’s what we got up to!
DAY 1
2pm - Visit Art Gallery of Ballarat
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia. Established in 1884, the building and part of its collection is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and by the National Trust of Victoria. The gallery has an ever evolving collection and current exhibitions include: Lionel Lindsay – Creswick, Trevor Smith – A Fanciful Feast, and Monochrome.
Location: 40 Lydiard St, Ballarat
Phone: (03) 5320 5858
Link: https://artgalleryofballarat.com.au/
4pm - Check into Club Wyndham Ballarat
Club Wyndham Ballarat is a wonderful setting for a family holiday or relaxing romantic escape. The heritage listed mansion built in 1878 is set on 55 acres of sprawling grounds featuring manicured lawns and picturesque gardens. We loved the accommodation at Club Wyndham Ballarat which seamlessly integrates an old-world design with modern amenities.
Location: 220 Grant St, Sebastopol
Phone: (03) 5337 5337
Link: https://clubwyndhamescapes.com.au/product/club-wyndham-ballarat/
7pm – Dinner at Ellington’s
Ellington's Wine Bar is both a bottle shop and rooftop bar in the heart of Ballarat. The knowledgeable team are incredibly welcoming and eager to assist when it comes to navigating through their stellar wine list that features a carefully curated selection of local and international wines. The seasonal menu of small and shared plates is perfect to enjoy with wine. Our top picks are the pork and chorizo meatballs served with 1816 sourdough as well as their house-made pizza.
Location: 405A Sturt St, Ballarat Central
Phone: 0433 563 503
Link: https://ellingtonswinebar.com/
DAY 2
9am - Visit Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong was long the spiritual home of the Keyeet Balug clan of the Wathaurong (or Wadawurrung) people who occupied this area for thousands of years before new waves of settlers arrived in the early 19th century. An aboriginal burial site was located in the 1860s and stone tools have been found there but no archaeological survey has yet been carried out. Visitors can enjoy scenic walks through the crater and up to the lookout tower.
11am - Visit Lal Lal Falls
Lal Lal Falls is a waterfall 20 minutes’ drive from Ballarat with an impressive drop into a large, rocky gorge. The reserve features a large grassy area, playground, picnic tables, toilets, and an undercover area containing one table, BBQs, seats and information boards. We recommend you take a short 200m walk to the viewing platform that looks down over the falls, or go a little further around the gorge on the Von Guerard View Track for a long distance view across the gorge.
1pm - Lunch at Pancho
A South American and Latin inspired restaurant located in the heart of Ballarat. Pancho offers a range of street foods with a palette of traditional American food created by chefs from all over the world. Think tacos, tortillas, guacamole, and empanadas as well as pisco sours and passionfruit caipirinhas. Everything we ordered tasted absolutely delicious!
Location: 36 Armstrong St N, Ballarat Central
Phone: (03) 5309 3070
Link: https://www.facebook.com/panchoballarat
2pm - Self guided tours around Ballarat
Ballarat also offers a great range of self guided tours that you can take at your own time and pace. The history of this great city will blow you away! Explore self-guided tours on the Visit Ballarat website.
3pm – Enjoy the facilities at Club Wyndham Ballarat
There is an abundance of excellent services and facilities available at Club Wyndham Ballarat including heated indoor pool, spa, sauna, lounge, tennis court and library facilities for those after a quiet moment. Not to be missed is the fascinating historical tour of the property. We also highly recommend making use of the available bicycles to explore the hotel’s 55 acres of sprawling grounds as well as enjoying the available paddle boats to explore the beautiful tree-lined lake which is simply ideal for fishing and boating.
7pm - Dinner at Mitchell Harris
Stepping into Mitchell Harris Wine Bar, the focus is clear – wine. Floor to ceiling wine racks showing off a vast collection behind the long wooden bar sets the tone. The wine selection has been thoughtfully curated and covers all bases, with a good mix of foreign, iconic as well as lesser known local wines on offer both by the glass and bottle.
Paired with the wine list is a selection of delicious share plates that can take you from a light bite to dinner if you are so inclined. The crispy pork belly was a standout. Having truly mastered the art of pork roasting, each pork belly slice had been succulently roasted to retain a porky juiciness, thereby achieving a healthy layer of melt-in-the-mouth fat in the process. Just yum!
Mitchell Harris Wine Bar is, quite simply, a wonderful place to enjoy wine. We cannot wait to return.
Location: 38 Doveton St N, Ballarat Central
Phone: 0478 906 927
Link: https://mitchellharris.com.au/
DAY 3
9am - Breakfast at Clothesline Café
A small family run business, where people, plants, architecture and food are celebrated. Clothesline Café was once an old weatherboard home, and now a cosy, refined, joyous and inviting café.
Expect memorable customer service where passionate chefs and warm hearted staff bring the café to life. We loved both the dishes we ordered.
The Kedgeree was a stunner – beautiful house smoked ocean trout and a poached egg encasing dripping yolk was served atop fluffy curry spiced rice alongside green chilli, bronze fennel, coconut and curry leaves. The mushroom baguette was similarly delicious. We adored the mix of sauteed mushrooms, creamy goats curd, greens, olive crumb and salt bush. As expected of any good café, the coffee is excellent.
Location: 202 Humffray St S, Bakery Hill
Phone: (03) 4444 2562
Link: https://clotheslinecafe.com.au/
11am - Visit the Ballarat Farmers Market
Every second and fourth Saturday of the month, Ballarat Farmers Market operates from 9am–1pm, featuring the same management and core stallholders. With over 60 stalls featuring hot food, fresh produce, craft, clothing and gift stall – there is something for everyone.
12pm - Walk around Lake Wendouree
Lake Wendouree has been a community destination for more than 150 years. It is a gorgeous place to get in touch with nature. Admire the local swans gliding along the glistening waters as you walk, run or ride around the six-kilometre Steve Moneghetti track.
1pm - Visit Kilderkin Distillery, the home of Larrikin Gin for a tasting
Ballarat has a long history of distilling, both illicit and licit, with the first legal distillery in the colony of Victoria. Gin and whisky were produced in Ballarat from the 1860s until the distillery closed in the mid-1930s. Kilderkin Distillery continues that proud tradition by sharing their love of the true-blue Australian larrikin spirit, offering a range of small-batch top-shelf gins and gin-based liqueurs and is soon to add a unique whisky to its range. We recommend settling in with their gin tasting paddle and a cheese board – it’s the perfect way to taste through their incredible range and laze the afternoon away.
Location: 14A Hill Street Mount Pleasant, Ballarat
Phone: 0424791790
