This rustic, intimate 30-seater by acclaimed chef Brigitte Hafner and wine whiz James Broadway feels less like a restaurant and more like a friend’s house – if your friend had access to farm-fresh produce and a cellar full of wines from Victoria’s most interesting new producers. A prime long-lunch destination.

This stalwart winery has some of the oldest vines on the Mornington Peninsula, and some of the most impressive dining. Although the restaurant was originally built to help showcase the maturing range of wines, it's since grown an esteemed reputation of its own.

Pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked chicken are all possibilities at this rollicking American barbeque joint, located in an airy warehouse filled with picnic-style tables. Order a tray of your favourite meats, then head up to the bar for a jar of local beer.

Whether you’re passing through Crittenden Estate or staying at one of its charming villas, a visit to Zac Poulier’s seasonally-driven restaurant is a must. Do a long lunch in the breezy dining room, or jostle for the best seats in the house: the verandah overlooking the estate’s gorgeous lawn and lake.

Cod roe crumpets. Grouper with ravigote, caviar and parsley. And an entirely fancified meringue. This seafood-centric stunner, by star chef Scott Pickett, is the jewel in the crown of Sorrento’s Conti Hotel – overlooking Port Phillip Bay.

A modern, leather-clad dining room that looks out over Fingal Beach.

Point Leo Estate’s in-house fine diner is up there with the peninsula’s best culinary experiences. Chef Josep Espuga and his team are firmly committed to local produce, so the only constant on the changeable European-leaning menu is that most ingredients come from nearby, if not from Point Leo itself.

Jackalope’s in-house fine diner is just as extravagant and eccentric as the rest of the sprawling complex. But it's grounded by a steadfast commitment to local produce and seasonality. And caviar.

A quintessential Mornington Peninsula food and wine experience. The dining rooms offers panoramic views of the vines and native trees – a stunning contrast to the clean interiors. The menu, meanwhile, respectfully combines influences from around the world, with an emphasis on share dishes.

Sri Lankan flavours and techniques combine with European wine bar ambience at this unique bar and restaurant from the team behind Polperro winery, where ingredients like curry leaves, tamarind chutney and pickled lime on high rotation.

In business since 1998, this relaxed cellar door and restaurant is known for its outstanding single vineyard (and even single block) chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz and pinot gris. And the consistently excellent restaurant, a two- or three-course affair, makes Yabby Lake one of the most well-rounded winery experiences in the region.

The Mornington Peninsula is flush with outstanding eateries. But this one is among the best-looking. Between the marine-hued dining room, casual aperitivo bar and in-house provedore, this handsome all-in-one brings a touch of Mediterranean living to Martha Marina Cove.

An 1890s-built cafe has been brought into the modern era as an all-day diner serving buttermilk waffles with whipped ricotta for breakfast and truffled mushroom pizzas for lunch. There's also a wine shop and provedore selling fancy deli and grocery items.

This vibrant gastropub sits in a heritage-listed hotel and former bank. Stop by for a pint and parma in the main bar, catch a gig in the bandroom upstairs, or book a private dinner inside the building’s old vault.

The playful restaurant – with large-format pastas like spinach casarecce and beef ragu campanelle – has big 1970s vibes. Its walls are lined with photos of older Sicilian people on the beach, and Mornington’s water is just as closed.

After retiring, John Mitchell started growing and making wine as a hobby. Things quickly grew out of hand. Now, Montalto encompasses seven vineyards and more than 30 acres of vines. As a retirement project, it’s unquestionably a failure: Mitchell and his wife Wendy are busier than ever. By every other metric though, Montalto is a resounding success – it’s one of Red Hill’s must-visits.

This low-waste wine bar is the laid-back alternative to the beloved Ten Minutes By Tractor fine diner. Accompany a flight of tastings with garden harvested small plates.

Classy, versatile and coastal, The Bodega offers a spread of antipasto and tapas-style options – which might be French brie and Flinders oysters – in a Santorini-like atmosphere. Enjoy the luxe space with a local or international wine, or take a bottle cocktail home with you.