5 Yarra Valley Wineries for Lunch

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You can only take so much of the inner city hustle and bustle of Melbourne before the urge to scream at the woods takes over your body and mind. For us, a close-by relaxant that recharges the soul, a short visit to a handful of vineyards in the Yarra Valley.

To be more specific, we’re gonna look at the best Yarra Valley wineries for lunch. It’s a bit of a tease reading this article because, most likely, you’re cheating the clock and thinking about meadowy vineyards sitting in an office wishing you were living out these fantasies… It’s a good thing we condone this behaviour… 

One two skip a few… 5 Yarra Valley wineries for lunch.

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5 Yarra Valley wineries for lunch

Not listed in any particular order… they’re all pretty bloody good. And hey, if you’re staying a few days, find some accommodation in the Yarra?

Ezard at Levantine Hill

With a Persian, Mediterranean spin on an Australian Fusion, a night (or day) dining at Levantine Hill is more of a journey than a meal. It’s always a breath of fresh air, especially for people that eat out as much as us, to see ingredients not commonly found on your average menu.

In particular, we’d like to highlight the Paperbark smoked Ora King salmon, bush tomato pekmez, saffron butter, ancient grains, and pistachio paired delicately with the 2017 Estate Chardonnay. The word exquisite is a shortcoming in the shadow of this dish – a display of culinary delights that is hardly done justice in the format of words. 

We’d encourage you to partake in the premium wine flight which collates a fine selection of some of the world’s best and most expensive wines. Though there are many establishments in the Yarra Valley for lunch, Ezard at Levantine Hill is a formidable option at the least.

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4.1 ⭐️ Google Review from 398 reviews
4.5 ⭐️ Trip Advisor from 530 reviews

Read on for more Yarra Valley wineries for lunch.

Innocent Bystander

Across all regions of Australia, 9 out of the 10 restaurants will have a wood-fired pizza oven, a solid selection of assorted ingredients to top said pizza, and a number of small but tasty starters that captures the entirety of their menu. Now, this formula is, in some respect, abused; Pizzas are good for profit margins, but at the same time, who the hell doesn’t like pizza with wine?

Innocent Bystander is a winery following this formula and doing a fine job as well. They seem to have nailed their demographic and marketing, so the average Joe sitting there sipping on a glass of vino isn’t a wine snob or Karen, they’re there to have a good time and enjoy the serenity – Darryl Kerrigan would 100 % approve.

We’d jump on the Cacciatori Diavola-  Hot salami, kalamata olives, peppers, asiago, oregano, unless, you no like-eh tha spice. 

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Reviews:
4. ⭐️ Google Review from 398 reviews
4 ⭐️ Trip Advisor from 454 reviews

TarraWarra Estate

If you had read our article on the best wineries in the Yarra Valley, you would know that TarraWarra Estate was on our list of top wineries to visit. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but making it to both lists doesn’t happen very often.

For all that it’s worth, they are a hatted restaurant. Now, that means different things to different people, but for us, it’s a benchmark of quality that speaks for itself. For TarraWarra Estate, a silly old hat doesn’t quite do justice to this angelic like establishment.

Food aside, the architectural genius informs patrons of their attention to detail. The restaurant sits like a proud hen on a nest of eggs, the nest being the vines… and the eggs are… grapes… Whatever, the analogy was terrible, but the food is more than incredible.

Service – genuine and not pushy – check

Food – recommendations – just go with it, they’ll feed you right… unless you have an allergy, don’t go with it, let them know, and odds are they’ll be accommodating. 

… Noice.

Satisfied with our list of Yarra Valley wineries for lunch yet? Good…

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Reviews

4.5 ⭐️ TripAdvisor rating of 265
4.3 ⭐️ Google rating of 164

Yering Station

Yering Station – a culinary dive into the history of Yarra Valley. Grapes were first planted on the estate in 1838, making it the oldest wine-producing vineyard in the Victorian region – not a bad claim to fame. Yet with all that history, the restaurant decor has a touch of modernistic flare equally matched in the same nature by the dishes on their menu.

The food highlights proteins paired with resonating ingredients that complement each other in texture and flavour. Simplicity is highlighted, but sometimes less is more, especially when the chef team is working with ingredients ushered in from the back paddock right into the pans and onto plates.

You could almost sit there and just eat the view if the enticing smell weren’t wafting from the kitchen, and it wasn’t completely rude to loiter without purchasing. We’d go back to Yering… for sure.

Also, if you want to have more than one glass with lunch, check our take on the Best Wine Tours in Yarra Valley.

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Reviews:
4.1 ⭐️ Google Review from 368 reviews
4 ⭐️ Trip Advisor from 375 reviews

Oakridge

Last but not least on our list of Yarra Valley wineries for lunch…

The fundamental bottom line of quality is assembled by the wine and hospitality guru equivalent of the Avengers. Expertise across the board contributes to the almost unattainable level of perfection that Oakridge exudes.

Executive Chef Aaron Brodie has created a menu that’s vibrant and pure, with flecks of Asian ingredients scattered amongst a concoction of Australian staples and proteins. 

To contribute to the vibe, they `host live music quite frequently. Once Covid stops being an absolute D@!k, definitely stay up-to-date on their what’s on page. Check out their schedule.

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Reviews:
4.6 ⭐️ Google Review from 334 reviews
4.5 ⭐️ Trip Advisor from 515 reviews

Ready for the Best Yarra Valley Wineries Lunch?

Compiling a list of the best Yarra Valley restaurants for lunch is like listing the best wines in Bordeaux, they’re all pretty fricken good, bar a few not worth mentioning. So it seems that the deciding factor is personal experience. The memories that flavours ignite, the people you’re with, the playlist that they were pumping at the time, and even the level of banter that the sommelier was producing on the day.

Use this list as a guide but more importantly, get out there and explore. The winemakers, employees and vineyard owners need our support at the moment, so drink up, be merry and enjoy a Yarra Valley lunch in amongst the vines with rosy cheeks and a buzz that’s verging on euphoric.