The Best Food in Beechworth:
- Best restaurant: Provenance
- Best coffee: TINY of Beechworth
- Best bar: Eldorado Road Cellar Door Cantina
- Best breakfast: Beechworth Provender
- Best lunch: Project 49
- Best brewery: Bridge Road Brewers
- Best distillery: Billson’s
- Best pub: The Empire Hotel
- Best out of town spot: The Stanley Pub
- Best artisan produce: Beechworth Honey
Best Restaurant in Beechworth
Chef Michael Ryan is largely credited with putting Beechworth on the culinary map when he opened Provenance Restaurant with his wife Jeanette in 2009.
Trading from the 19th century Bank of Australasia building, representing the grandeur of the Australian gold-rush era, Ryan’s refined Modern-Australian menu creates a unique experience in a town steeped in history.
Not only the best restaurant in Beechworth, Provenance is one of the best restaurants in the whole of Australia, with a firm spot on The Gourmet Traveller’s Top 100 restaurant list year after year.
Ryan firmly believes that restaurant menus need to reflect the life experience and interests of the chef, which is why you’ll find Japanese influences throughout the set tasting menu for $150 per head.
From oysters with cherry blossom dressing to beef with smoked miso butter, expect a highly refined east-meets-west menu curated with seasonal local produce and culinary techniques from Japan.
Jeanette Henderson, the other half of the dream team, is a qualified wine maker.
With a wealth of expertise, she pairs her husband’s dishes with local wines from the Beechworth region, which are stored in the old vaults of the bank.
Dinner sittings run Friday to Monday, so be sure to visit Beechworth at the weekend if you plan to visit Provenance.
Runner up: The Ox and Hound Bistro
If you’re after something a bit more low-key than dinner at Provenance, then definitely dine at The Ox and Hound Bistro instead.
The intimate dining space on the high street offers rustic French and Italian cooking in a relaxed atmosphere with local produce and wines.
Best Coffee in Beechworth
Beechworth coffee culture was slightly lacking before TINY opened in 2020 and started serving the best cups in town.
Grinding beans from Sixpence Coffee, a small batch coffee roastery just down the road in Bright, barista Liv really knows her way around the vintage pink la Marzocco machine, and she makes the perfect coffee every time.
Meanwhile, you’ll find co-founder Jake in the kitchen cooking up TINY’s iconic jaffles stuffed to the brim with cheesy goodness.
Best Bar in Beechworth
Eldorado Road Cellar Door Cantina is the best bar in town, and also one of the best places to eat in Beechworth.
An extension of Eldorado Vineyard in the Woolshed Valley nearby, the family run cellar door brings the winery’s beautiful handmade wines to Beechworth town centre.
The rustic tasting room allows visitors to try Eldorado’s range of wines for free, and if you stick around afterwards you can enjoy a glass in the shady courtyard out back.
The small but carefully curated menu showcases local artisan produce and perfectly compliments the wine and craft beer on offer.
Another great wine bar in Beechworth is Cellar Door Wine Store, offering an excellent selection of wines from the two dozen boutique winemakers located in the area (they also do charcuterie & cheese).
Best Breakfast in Beechworth
Beechworth Provender is the best spot for breakfast in Beechworth.
Founded in 1991, the store operates as a café and ‘purveyor of fine foods’ including local wines, cheese, jams and chutneys.
Undisputedly the most beautiful shopfront in town, the Provender is worth a visit to see Beechworth’s heritage architecture in all it’s glory.
Once inside, you’ll find great coffee as well as stuffed croissants, toasties and homemade cakes.
Best Brewery in Beechworth
Bridge Road Brewers is the best brewery in Beechworth, if not in the whole of North-East Victoria.
Operating since 2005, the brewery is a Beechworth institution in its own right and somewhere you have to visit during your trip.
When you arrive at the old converted coach house and stables, be sure to order the tasting paddle so you can try a selection of their award-winning ales.
The Beechworth Pale Ale is the most popular brew on tap, closely followed by the Outsider Lager and the Watermelon Sour.
The handles of the tasting paddles are shaped like Ned Kelly’s iconic helmet and armour, a fun addition to the tasting experience in the heart of Kelly Country.
The Kelly Gang were a group of bushrangers who committed robbery and murder in the late 1800s with strong ties to the Beechworth area.
If, like us, you end up having one too many pints, the homemade pizzas really hit the spot.
Best Lunch in Beechworth
Project 49 is the place to go for lunch in Beechworth.
The café and deli is focused on good quality food and wine, offering unique local goods crafted by small-scale producers.
The deli fridge is stocked full of local cheese and meats, along with homemade pestos and take-home meals.
Sit down with a glass of local chardonnay and enjoy a bite to eat from the small Italian-inspired menu, including antipasti boards, homemade pastas and paninis.
If you need a quick bite to eat before heading to the Old Beechworth Gaol or completing the Beechworth Gorge Walk, then definitely pick up a pie from Gum Tree Pies, the best gourmet pies in the High Country.
For the best vegan lunch options in Beechworth, head to Beechworth Bakery where you’ll find vegan sourdough sandwiches and wraps, vegan glazed donuts and vegan apple squares.
Best Distillery in Beechworth
Billson’s is probably my favourite distillery in the whole of Australia and I completely understand why people travel so far to visit.
Opened in 1865, Billson’s historically produced ales, porters, cordials and health tonics from the iconic red brick building with its Victorian-era factory tower.
Today, the history of Billson’s has been perfectly preserved and tourists end up spending hours at the distillery enjoying the tasting room, the factory viewing deck, the tap room, the beer garden and the shop.
However, the absolute best thing about Billson’s is the underground Speakeasy bar.
The walls are built from old original stone and wooden beams line the ceiling, whilst leather chesterfield sofas and vintage furniture complete the cosy space.
We chose the gin tasting tray made up of six different barrel aged gins, which are all distilled on site.
Best Pub in Beechworth
Expect much more than a cold pint of Victoria Bitters at the best pub in Beechworth, The Empire Hotel.
In true Beechworth style, renowned chef Shauna Stockwell has created a contemporary dining experience in the 1870’s heritage-listed building.
Take a seat in the intimate dining room, complete with polished original Baltic pine floors and a granite fireplace, whilst you peruse the Empire Hotel menu.
A-la carte dishes include five spice quail to start followed by ocean trout with macadamia crème, all accompanied by regional boutique beers, ciders and wines.
Best Out-of-Town Pub
If you fancy a leisurely drive out of town, I can highly recommend The Stanley Pub.
9km outside of Beechworth, the charming country inn is set amongst chestnut groves and berry farms, offering wonderful food and drink to hungry travellers.
Best Artisan Produce in Beechworth
Beechworth is brimming with local artisan producers who passionately love what they do, and Beechworth Honey needs to be top of your list.
The store offers tastings of over 40 raw Australian honeys, as well as the opportunity to visit the working bee hive and try the popular cellar door honey mead.
The Beechworth Farmer’s Market takes place on the 1st Saturday of every month and showcases the very best of local produce from around the alpine region, including organic fruit and veg, baked goods, cheeses and home-wares.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, head to Beechworth Sweet Company.
The fudge is made on the premises, and they have a huge range of individual chocolates, gummies, boiled sweets and nougat.
Down the road in Stanley you’ll find Hillsborough Quality Nuts, a biodynamic farm offering artisan homegrown hazelnuts and chestnuts, as well as hazelnut oil and flour.
They also have a wonderful café with an outdoor deck amongst the fruit trees, serving seasonal hot food and coffee.
When Should I Visit Beechworth?
Beechworth is beautiful all year round, but people love to visit North East Victoria in Autumn when the abundance of trees are covered with fiery red and orange leaves.
In summer Beechworth reaches high temperatures, but in winter it can get really cold so bring warm clothes.
Most of the best restaurants and bars in Beechworth are open Thursday-Sunday, so if you’re a foodie, you should definitely visit over the weekend so you can make reservations.
I hope you enjoyed my guide to the best food in Beechworth, don’t miss the best restaurants in Melbourne here!