Dine Reviews

"Meet you at the Bowlo," has been a part of Daylesford’s dinning vocabulary for many, many years.

Above The Greens, the Daylesford Bowling Club's bistro is back up and running with some great fare on offer from chef Geoff Wellington.

Want to warm up for winter? Head to the Guilly. A friendly family pub just this side of Castlemaine. The pub is well back up and running after a little incident, ok, they had a small fire, and ready to receive locals and visitors alike.

It's always a great meal at the Daylesford Bowling Club. It starts with a warm welcome as you walk in, sometimes from the manager Neil, or the bar staff, and the good vibes continue.

On a recent chill winter’s evening, just after dark, the mellow light that issues from our dining destination – the Daylesford Steakhouse - is warm and inviting.

MY dining companion (Paddy H) and I are ravenous as we enter the Daylesford Hotel for lunch, mid Monday, me having done a gruelling morning group weights class and Paddy having arisen well before 11am.

I RECKON the road to Castlemaine has probably never seen so much traffic since Megan Evans and Tom Allen took over the Guildford Family Hotel at the end of 2021.

HOSPITALITY businesses around the Central Highlands are doing it tough as Melbourne remains closed and inside limits remain at just 10 people per building.

THERE has never been a better time to indulge in a high tea - designed to take you away from reality and into a more pleasant era where people took time to sit back and indulge in decadent food and gentle conversation.

JULIET and I had the pleasure of sampling Chaplin's new dinner menu last Monday week. I brought my wife along, not only for the chance to catch up on everything that gets missed in the conveyor belt of day-to-day life, but also for the expert palate she acquired as a professional chef.

THURSDAY is our deadline for The Local so we rarely go out. Too tired, over each other. But that is something we will change after heading to the Daylesford Hotel last Thursday.

YAY! The Daylesford Hotel is up and running again with all its classic items on the menu. The pub, or the old girl as she is known, opened last Thursday for its famous steak night, with plenty of happy diners taking their seats.

SLOWLY the region is opening up again and people are heading back to their favourite foodie places – although some, like La Luna Pizzeria, have never stopped offering their fabulous fare!

LOTS of restaurants have pivoted over the past few months, offering takeaways and deliveries, but Jodi Flockhart at Sault has come up with a unique idea for our region - Sault @ Home.

KYNETON'S Country Cob Bakery has done a hat trick, taking out the Baking Association of Australia's Best Pie for the third year in a row.

Recipes for Lockdown

AS KYLE keeps telling me, it's better to be a coalminer than a canary, so we have limited our dining experiences.

TAKEAWAY meals have become what some politicians love to call "the new normal".

BEFORE COVID-19 some disasters overtook Melbourne restaurants.

DURING the current lockdown situation, when dining out is not possible, take-away becomes the only option.

IN THE centre of Daylesford, with a prominent balcony and lush beer garden, the majestic Daylesford Hotel

THE Daylesford Bowling Club and Bistro is tucked away in Camp Street with awesome food.

THE Pig & Whistle Hotel is nestled in the wee hamlet of East Trentham.