Green Olive at Red Hill runs its wood-fired kitchen off an estate olive grove that is doing its best work right now, as spring pulls the first real warmth back into the hill.
The setup is straightforward: a working Mediterranean smallholding on Mornington-Flinders Road, with kitchen gardens that actually supply the kitchen and oils pressed from the trees you’re sitting under. The wood-fired lamb is the reason to come in September specifically - the kitchen has been running it through winter on heavier braises, but as the outdoor tables come back into use and the grove warms up, the dish loosens into something lighter and more direct. The estate oils are worth taking home. The room doesn’t perform - it just feeds you well in a place that grows its own food, which remains rarer on the Peninsula than it should be.
Go on a Sunday. Sit outside if the weather holds. Allow two and a half hours. Book at greenoliveatredhill.com.au.
Pair it with a walk through the Red Hill Cheese farm next door before you arrive, or a stop at Morning Sun Vineyard on the way back down.
Arthur’s Seat Eagle makes a different kind of sense in the first clear September week than it does at any other point in the year.
The gondola crosses 1.4 kilometres of State Park canopy from the base station at Dromana to the 305-metre summit, and in spring the eucalyptus canopy below it switches from winter grey-green to something noticeably brighter. The Port Phillip Bay view from the top on a clear day runs north past Frankston and all the way to the city - in summer haze it doesn’t. September gives you the sight lines before the heat closes them down. The walk from the summit lookout down through the park to the wattle stands along the Seawinds Garden track takes about 45 minutes and is worth doing before or after the gondola rather than instead of it. The gondola runs weather-dependent; check before you leave.
Arthurs Seat Road, Dromana. Book a cabin at seateagle.com.au - spring weekends fill up.
Pair it with a lunch at Crittenden Restaurant in Dromana on the way home, a ten-minute drive down the hill.
Red Hill Truffles closes its 2026 hunt season on 30 September, which means this weekend is one of four remaining.
The truffle grounds at Main Ridge have been producing since late May, and by mid-September the orchard dogs - Lagotto Romagnolos trained specifically for this - have the rhythm of a season behind them, which makes the hunt faster and more direct than the early-season sessions. You find a truffle, you smell it fresh from the earth before it has been cleaned, and then the kitchen does something with it on the spot. That sequence is the point of coming. It doesn’t work as a concept in the abstract; it works because the smell of a fresh black truffle just out of red volcanic soil is genuinely different from anything you’ve encountered before. This is also not a small outing - allow a full morning and book the earliest available session.
Main Ridge. Book now at redhilltruffles.com/hunts - remaining September weekends are going fast.
Pair it with a late lunch at Green Olive at Red Hill, five minutes’ drive west on Mornington-Flinders Road.
Quick Reference
Green Olive at Red Hill - 1180 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill. Open for lunch Thursday–Sunday. Book at greenoliveatredhill.com.au.
Arthur’s Seat Eagle - Arthurs Seat Road, Dromana. Operates daily weather permitting. Book cabins at seateagle.com.au.
Red Hill Truffles Hunt Season - Main Ridge. Season closes 30 September 2026. Book at redhilltruffles.com/hunts.
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Questions readers actually ask
FAQ
How do I book a table at Green Olive at Red Hill?
Book directly through Green Olive at Red Hill's website or call the restaurant. The property is at 1180 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill. Allow two to three hours for a Sunday lunch. Bookings are recommended, especially for outdoor tables under the grove.
When does the Red Hill Truffles hunt season end in 2026?
The season closes 30 September 2026. Hunts run at Red Hill Truffles, Main Ridge. Book ahead at redhilltruffles.com/hunts - Saturday and Sunday morning sessions fill several weeks out at this point in the season.
Is the Arthur's Seat Eagle running in spring 2026?
Yes. The gondola runs daily, weather permitting, from Arthur's Seat State Park, Arthurs Seat Road, Dromana. Check the website for current operating hours and to book a cabin, which is recommended on spring weekends when demand picks up.
