Harvest Home

We had lunch here the next day before catching the train back to Melbourne, and the pizza place next door is great too. The night before, dinner at the restaurant was lovely. We took our wine to the bar afterward, where things got quieter and we had a nice chat with the owners. Since we were staying upstairs, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. A fantastic overnight stay. If you’re after a quiet night or two within a few hours of Melbourne, this is the place.

We only stopped at The Rabbit Hole Inn in Avenel for lunch on a whim, but it turned out to be well worth the detour. The Italo-Franco food was phenomenally good, served in a gorgeous Victorian-era dining room. It feels like a hidden gem that deserves a lot more acclaim. We started with a complimentary cheese gougere amuse bouche and a silky, really tasty cauliflower veloute. For mains we tried flounder in brown butter, lemon chicken, mushroom pasta, meatball pasta with bechamel sauce, and lamb ragout pasta. The simple names and affordable prices nearly fooled us. The flounder and chicken were cooked perfectly, and the lamb ragout had a deep flavour despite its lack of colour. Its white sauce, which is less usual than tomato-based ragout, coated each strand of handmade fettuccine lightly and flavourfully. The meal was so good that we looked up chef David Bellamy afterward and found out he trained with Jacques Reymond. That may explain the deft seasoning and flavour.

The new owners have done a lovely job preserving the style and feel of this gorgeous local building. We had a very good dinner, and the prices were well under budget. The house-made garlic Foccacia came with fresh mozzarella, basil oil and aged balsamic. There was cushion-soft fresh-baked Gnocci in a light cheesy tomato sauce, and a generous serving of fresh salmon with creamy mash and spring greens. Fantastic food and excellent service. Very happy to go back.

Our family Christmas get-together was last weekend, with 16 of us there. The food and staff were great, and they went out of their way to make the day enjoyable. We’re already looking forward to another gathering in 2026.