The Good Food Guide awarded 15 hats to Peninsula restaurants across 11 venues. The Peninsula’s hatted scene has changed significantly: Barragunda Dining debuted at two hats in February, Ten Minutes by Tractor has a new head chef (Craig Lunn, ex-Michelin UK), and Tedesca Osteria won Regional Restaurant of the Year. What follows is the accurate hat count, what each restaurant actually is, and the booking reality at each.
The current hat table
Two-hat restaurants
| Venue | Town | Chef | Price guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barragunda Dining | Cape Schanck | Simone Watts | $145pp degustation |
| Laura | Merricks (Pt. Leo Estate) | Josep Espuga | $$$$, tasting menus |
| Tedesca Osteria | Red Hill | Brigitte Hafner | Set menu, lunch only |
| Ten Minutes by Tractor | Main Ridge | Craig Lunn | $145–$290pp |
One-hat restaurants
| Venue | Town | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Doot Doot Doot | Merricks North (Jackalope Hotel) | Dinner only |
| Many Little Bar & Dining | Red Hill South | Thu–Sun evenings + weekend lunch |
| Moke Dining | Flinders | Thu–Sun dinner, Sat–Sun lunch |
| Montalto | Red Hill South | Lunch Fri–Mon, Piazza daily |
| Polperro Restaurant | Red Hill | Wed–Sun |
| Port Phillip Estate | Red Hill South | Lunch daily; Fri–Sat dinner |
| Rare Hare | Merricks North (Jackalope Hotel) | Walk-in only |
AGFG additional recognition (not in the GFG top 11)
| Venue | Town | AGFG Hats |
|---|---|---|
| Lancemore Lindenderry Dining Room | Red Hill | 2 hats (AGFG) |
| Paringa Estate | Red Hill South | 1 hat (AGFG) |
The two-hat restaurants in detail
Barragunda Dining: Cape Schanck
The newest and most talked-about Peninsula restaurant. Opened in February in a converted 40-seat farmhouse on the 1000-acre Barragunda Estate. Chef Simone Watts (ex-Coda, Pearl Melbourne) won the GFG Trailblazer Award alongside the two-hat debut. The degustation is $145pp and the focus is on estate-grown organic vegetables, hibachi-charred proteins, and exceptional produce sourcing.
Barragunda is operating at the standard that regional Australian restaurants rarely achieve on debut. Urban List ranked it #3 in their Best Melbourne Restaurants list.
Booking reality: Essential. Very hard to get. Book immediately when you check availability. Open Friday to Monday, lunch sessions.
113 Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck. barragunda.com.au
Laura: Merricks (Pt. Leo Estate)
Two hats for seven consecutive years. Laura at Pt. Leo Estate sits within the sculpture park and has a Relais & Châteaux membership: the Peninsula’s most internationally credentialled restaurant. Josep Espuga is now Culinary Director, succeeding Phil Wood. The menu runs to eight-course chef’s journeys and four-course signature formats. Southern Rock lobster with white asparagus and wagyu with yuzu apple are anchor dishes.
The setting: floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the sculpture lawns and Western Port Bay: and the calibre of the kitchen make this the clearest destination-restaurant case on the Peninsula.
Booking reality: Book four months in advance. Thursday to Monday lunch from 12pm; Saturday dinner from 6pm (Friday dinner in peak season).
3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks. ptleoestate.com.au
Tedesca Osteria: Red Hill
Regional Restaurant of the Year. Brigitte Hafner’s agriturismo restaurant in a converted 1940s house on a biodynamic farm in Red Hill is the most personal restaurant on the Peninsula: chickens, beehives, and Wiltshire Horn sheep supply the kitchen alongside the on-site garden. The format is a five-course set menu with hand-rolled pasta, seafood, and meat, cooked on an open wood-fired grill.
Thirty seats. Lunch only, Friday to Monday. There is no other format and no walk-in option. Accommodation at Graceburn House is attached to the property.
Booking reality: Online booking system only. Books out weeks ahead. Book as soon as your date is set.
1175 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill. tedesca.com.au
Ten Minutes by Tractor: Main Ridge
The Peninsula’s most established fine-dining destination. Craig Lunn (appointed late in the year, ex-Michelin kitchens in UK and Europe) now leads the kitchen of Australia’s first certified organic Peninsula vineyard restaurant. Two menu formats: the Essence Menu ($145pp) and the Signature Menu ($290pp with wine pairing). An Allis wine bar on-site offers a less formal option Friday to Sunday.
Booking reality: Book four to eight weeks ahead for weekend lunch. Book further ahead for dinner. Wednesday to Sunday lunch, Friday and Saturday dinner.
1333 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge. tenminutesbytractor.com.au
The one-hat restaurants in detail
Doot Doot Doot: Merricks North (Jackalope Hotel)
One hat. Guy Stanaway’s dining room at Jackalope Hotel is dinner-only and built around the 10,000-globe chandelier that defines the space. A5 Wagyu MB12, Skull Island tiger prawn, appellation oysters. Eighty seats; open to non-hotel guests. The most interior-design-forward fine dining room on the Peninsula.
Booking reality: Book two to four weeks ahead. Dinner nightly from 6pm.
Rare Hare: Merricks North (Jackalope Hotel)
One hat. Walk-in only: no reservations taken. The informal outdoor dining counterpart to Doot Doot Doot, built around a wood-fired oven. Classic Hare Share feast is $85pp. Dog-friendly on the outdoor lawn. Walk-ins Monday to Friday from 5pm; Saturday and Sunday from 2pm.
Moke Dining: Flinders
One hat. Michael Cole’s family-owned restaurant in Flinders village. Dinner Thursday to Sunday; lunch Saturday and Sunday. Intimate fine dining in a village setting.
Montalto: Red Hill South
One hat. Three to four-course set menu from $130pp. The Piazza (walk-in daily 11am–5pm) provides a casual alternative. Lunch Friday to Monday in the main restaurant; 1km sculpture trail on the property.
Polperro Restaurant: Red Hill
One hat. Chef’s tasting menu; tea-smoked Aylesbury duck breast. Ancient Angophora trees over the vineyard. Wednesday to Sunday. Sister venue to Many Little Bar & Dining.
Port Phillip Estate: Red Hill South
One hat. Hatted dining in a striking rammed-earth building with panoramic vineyard-to-bay views. Six accommodation suites on-site. Flinders mussels, farm-fresh lamb. Lunch daily; Friday and Saturday dinner.
Many Little Bar & Dining: Red Hill South
One hat. Sri Lankan-inspired cooking in a low-key Red Hill South setting. Dog-friendly outdoor seating. Thursday to Sunday from 4pm; Saturday and Sunday from 12pm.
AGFG-recognised restaurants
Lancemore Lindenderry Dining Room (Red Hill) holds two AGFG hats and the Readers’ Choice Award for several consecutive years. Nick McGonigal leads the kitchen. Dinner Thursday to Saturday, lunch Friday to Sunday. This is a strong destination in its own right despite not appearing in the GFG top 11.
Paringa Estate (Red Hill South) holds one AGFG hat. Lunch Wednesday to Sunday, Saturday dinner. The Garden Dining format (shared plates, walk-in Wednesday to Sunday 12–3pm) provides a more casual entry point.
How to approach a hatted Peninsula day
The Peninsula’s hatted restaurants are concentrated in the Red Hill–Main Ridge–Merricks triangle. The most productive pattern for a single Peninsula day: arrive at a 12pm lunch sitting at one of the two-hat venues, allow three hours at the table, then spend the afternoon at cellar doors within 15 minutes: Stonier, Port Phillip Estate, Montalto, Foxeys Hangout, and Yabby Lake are all nearby.
Barragunda and RACV Cape Schanck are the southern outliers. Combine Barragunda with Cape Schanck lighthouse and a night at the Resort if you’re making the full drive.
Last fact-verified: 22 April 2026.
Prices may change. Confirm current rates directly with the venue or operator before booking.
Business update or correction? Let us know: corrections@peninsulainsider.com.au
Questions readers actually ask
FAQ
How many hatted restaurants are on the Mornington Peninsula?
The Good Food Guide awarded 15 hats across 11 Peninsula venues, including 4 two-hat restaurants and 7 one-hat restaurants. The Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) recognises additional venues not in the GFG top list, including Lancemore Lindenderry (AGFG 2 hats) and Paringa Estate (AGFG 1 hat).
What is the best restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula?
By formal recognition, Barragunda Dining (Cape Schanck), Laura (Merricks), Tedesca Osteria (Red Hill), and Ten Minutes by Tractor (Main Ridge) all hold two hats in the Good Food Guide. Tedesca Osteria won Regional Restaurant of the Year. Barragunda is the most recent addition — opened in February, winning two hats in its debut year with the GFG Trailblazer Award.
How far in advance do you need to book at Peninsula hatted restaurants?
Laura at Pt. Leo Estate: book 4 months in advance. Barragunda Dining: essential, very hard to get — book immediately on release. Tedesca Osteria: online booking system only; books out weeks ahead for Friday–Monday lunch sittings. Ten Minutes by Tractor: book 4–8 weeks ahead for lunch, further for dinner. Doot Doot Doot: book 2–4 weeks ahead.
Are there hatted restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula that accept walk-ins?
Rare Hare (Jackalope Hotel, Merricks North) is walk-in only — no reservations taken. Many Little Bar & Dining (Red Hill South) takes walk-ins for evening sessions. Montalto's Piazza is walk-in daily for a more casual experience, even though the main restaurant requires bookings. These are the only hatted-adjacent venues that don't require advance booking.