Bellbrae Harvest Restaurant - hidden away in the Great Ocean Road region

In my last post I promised to write next about dinner in my favourite restaurant. The Bellbrae Harvest is tucked away in the bush just 15 minutes from Torquay.

Just getting there is a treat. As we drive from Torquay to the restaurant, it seems there couldn’t possibly be anything out here in the bush … until we nearly miss the sign (again) and enter the quiet sanctuary overlooking the duck pond.

We are here today with a group of friends after a special tasting and tour of Brown Magpie Wines - one of our new local wineries that is winning prizes for its Pinot Noir.

We watch the tiny native blue wrens flitting amongst the grass looking for insects as the sun shines through the gum trees. The waiter is friendly, knows the food and is disarmingly relaxed. It’s difficult to choose because everything sounds and looks wonderful. But finally we come to a decision and our efforts are well rewarded.

I decide on two first courses:

1. Zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo mozzarella on vine-ripened tomatoes and black olive tapenade dressing, and
2. Spicy quail with baba ganoush and an orange, mint and date salad.

As there are 12 of us, we expect to wait for our meals, but everything comes at a nice pace and we’re more than satisfied. Next time the family visits us from Melbourne we plan to come here for one of their bucolic, leisurely Sunday brunches.

Tags: bellbrae harvest restaurant, brown magpie wines, Torquay
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