8 winter menus to try
One of the best things about eating your way across the region is seasonality. With so much produce grown right here, restaurants and bars love to mix things up over winter, sourcing the freshest stuff they can find. It’s also the season of cheeky winter specials. And to celebrate, we’ve tracked down a few delicious deals that are currently doing the rounds.
Here are 8 scrumptious winter menus to try in Geelong and the Bellarine right now.
Basil’s Farm
Sitting on the edge of the spectacular Swan Bay, Basil’s Farm has become a family favourite on the Bellarine, and they run a seasonal winter menu every year. This year you can tuck into hearty roast pumpkin with cauliflower rice and white sesame sauce, ox tail cottage stew, and tender lamb rump with smoked leek puree. Most of the ingredients here are grown in the garden, so don’t be surprised if you see one of the kitchen staff running off to grab some rosemary.
Black Sheep Geelong
You’ll find Black Sheep inside the National Wool Museum, on the corner of Moorabool and Corio Streets. These guys like to keep things seasonal, and this year they’ve launched a new winter food and cocktail menu. Fan favourites like the 12-hour slow-cooked pork hock are sticking around, but there’s also slow-braised beef cheek and Paris mash, gruyere and potato croquettes, and a Yuzu Gimlet that’ll knock your socks off.
360Q
One of Queenscliff’s favourites, 360Q is back this year with another great winter line-up. Their regular seasonal menu features hearty classics like dashi pumpkin soup, deep-fried whitebait curry, and Mongolian BBQ pork, but there’s also a tempting Mates Rates Winter Special: from June 3 to August 30, you can get a two-course set menu for just $49 per person. The chefs change it up every week, so there’s no excuse not to come back for more.
Claribeaux
The guys are Claribeaux have listened to the people, and this winter they’re bringing back an encore of their famous Taste of France special. That’s two delicious courses, plus a glass of wine/beer/cider, for just $45 a head. You can choose from entrée, main or dessert, and with bangers like Ocean Trout crudo, escargot with garlic foam, and herb-crusted lamb, order envy is basically guaranteed. This one runs until 31 August, so get in quick.
Flying Brick Cider Co
Flying Brick is also getting in on the action this winter. They’re running a Weekday Wonders deal, which gets you two weekday lunch courses and a drink for just $45. There are some new winter dishes on the cards, too, with beetroot and goats cheese risotto, braised beef cheek and white bean stew, and dill-crumbed flathead all making an appearance. Don’t forget to get around their hot spiced apple cider, either.
The Q Train
Fancy a meal on the move? The Q Train have a new winter set menu for 2024. With produce sourced from all over the Bellarine, you can tuck into classics like citrus gravlax with tarragon-infused bisque, chicken breast and pickled cucumber salad, lamb curry over rice pilaf, and a hearty cassoulet, stacked with ‘Dama Dama’ venison sausage and ‘Barongarook’ pork. Yum. This one runs until 9 September, when the spring menu takes over.
Two Noble
Tucked along Noble Street in Newtown (hence the name), you might not have discovered this South-East Asian gem yet. It’s actually hiding upstairs at the Sawyer’s Arms. Mario Tambajong and the Two Noble crew have re-jigged their menu for winter, offering some incredible Indonesian and Filipino flavours: pipis in a lemongrass and coconut curry, Appellation oysters with a herb-packed sambal Rajang, and a sinfully good chocolate and peanut parfait for dessert. You can check out all the tasting notes here.
BAAH LAH!
BAAH LAH! is another South-East Asian eatery making some waves in Geelong. Head Chef Brian Anderson channels Singapore’s unique mix of Malay, Korean and Chinese flavours, and this winter he’s back with some tasty new treats. Personally, we’ve got our eyes on the stuffed Korean pancake with white chocolate, red miso ice-cream, farm berries and walnut crumble.
