Service 8 min
How to Plan a Peninsula Weekend: The Decision Framework
10 April 2026
Stop googling. Start here. A step-by-step planning guide that turns 'we should go to the Peninsula' into an actual weekend, with the decisions in the right order.
Pt. Leo Estate
A sculpture park walk followed by a long bay-view lunch in the glass-walled restaurant.
Known for Sculpture ParkLaura RestaurantBay ViewsEstate WinesTwo-Hat Fine Dining
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo · Courtesy of Visit Victoria
Why we’d goA fifty-acre vineyard and a sixteen-and-a-half-acre sculpture park where the sculpture and the wine and the bay view arrive simultaneously, no other Peninsula property asks this much of its setting and delivers on all three counts.
Pt. Leo is the Peninsula's great ambition made real: a 50-acre vineyard and a 16.5-acre sculpture park where you can walk among large-scale sculptures before sitting down to a two-hat lunch with one of the best bay views in the state. The setting alone is worth the drive.
The restaurant handles the produce-forward brief with real skill. The wine list is exceptional, Peninsula estate wines alongside a sharp selection of European bottles. Book the terrace facing Western Port for the full effect.
Arrive for the sculpture walk before noon. Give yourself half a day. This is not a quick lunch.
Part of Point Leo Estate
Laura at Pt. LeoRestaurantAn intimate fine-dining room at Pt. Leo Estate, with seasonal menus and an unhurried view across the grounds.Point Leo Wine TerraceRestaurantThe all-day casual option at Point Leo Estate, wood-fired flatbreads, estate wines, and a terrace facing the bay and the sculpture park.
Worth knowing
- Best for
- Long lunches · Art lovers · Scenic views · Wine lovers · Anniversary weekends
If you only do one thing
Arrive before noon, walk the sculpture park, book the bay-facing terrace for lunch, and stay long enough for the afternoon light to change the view.
Works well with
Point Leo Wine Terrace · Paradigm Hill
Filed under Long LunchAnniversaryViewWaterfrontWeekend EscapeWorth The DriveSpringSummerAutumnAll YearCouplesGroupFirst Timers
Winemaker Tod Dexter
Varieties ChardonnayPinot NoirPinot GrisShiraz
Worth seeking Reserve Pinot Noir
Editor's verdict
Pt. Leo Estate operates at a scale that few Peninsula producers can match: the Gandel family's investment has produced a world-class outdoor sculpture park, a fine-dining restaurant in Laura (2 hats), and a cellar door running four tasting tiers. The Rosé took Best Rosé at the Mornington Peninsula Wine Show in both 2024 and 2025. It's a destination property, and it knows it.
Visiting
Walk-ins welcome for groups up to 6. Four tasting tiers: Standard, Red, White and Premium - all include 5 wines; fee partly refundable on bottle purchase. The estate advises restaurant reservations and requires them on weekends, during peak periods and on public holidays.
The wines
Key varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Shiraz.
Worth seeking out: Reserve Pinot Noir.
Laura
2 Good Food Guide hats.
Laura holds 2 Hats from the Good Food Guide. The main Pt. Leo Restaurant offers Modern Australian casual dining; the Wine Terrace handles walk-in visits.
Cuisine: Fine Dining.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pt. Leo Estate take walk-ins or do you need to book?
Walk-ins are welcome at the cellar door for groups of up to 6 guests. The estate advises restaurant reservations and requires them on weekends, during peak periods and on public holidays.
Does Pt. Leo Estate have a restaurant?
Yes - two. Laura (2 Hats, Good Food Guide) for fine dining, and Pt. Leo Restaurant for Modern Australian main dining, plus the casual Wine Terrace.
Are dogs allowed at Pt. Leo Estate?
No. Only on-duty Guide Dogs and certified service animals are permitted on the property.
Does Pt. Leo Estate have accommodation on site?
No. Pt. Leo Estate does not provide on-site accommodation. Book a separate nearby stay and confirm availability directly with its operator.
Not sure how to build a day around Pt. Leo Estate?
Search Peninsula InsiderIn the journal
Stories that mention Pt. Leo Estate
These pieces give you the context a listing page never does - the when, the why, and the who-it’s-for.
Insider Edit 4 min
Main Ridge Dairy, Seawinds Gardens, and Pt. Leo's sculpture park
23 September 2026
Build a spring day around Main Ridge Dairy's goat cheeses, the short paths at Seawinds Gardens, and sculpture at Pt. Leo Estate.
Service 7 min
The Peninsula Birthday Weekend: A Two-Night Plan That Actually Feels Celebratory
16 April 2026
A milestone birthday deserves more than a booking at the usual restaurant. Here is the two-night Peninsula plan that lands the celebration properly: one memorable dinner, one surprising morning, and a stay that makes the whole thing feel earned.
Part of an escape
Weekend plans that already include Pt. Leo Estate
Skip the planning - these itineraries sequence this venue into a proper Peninsula weekend.
Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula. Photo: Courtesy of Visit Victoria
Plan
Flinders and the Cape: A One-Night Reset
For people who want salt air, one excellent meal, and just enough structure to stop planning.
Sorrento Back Beach, Mornington Peninsula. Photo: SHERPA Projects Pty Ltd, courtesy of Visit Victoria
Plan
The Sorrento Off-Season Weekend
Two nights based in Sorrento, with the back beach, Point Nepean and a village dinner. The second evening takes you out to Pt. Leo Estate.
More to explore
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A thoughtfully managed Merricks estate making elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that rewards the drive to find it.
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A rustic, intimate cellar door running a five-wine, five-canape pairing from a hatted-standard kitchen, the most structured tasting format on the Peninsula.
Build a day around this
Planning guides that include Pt. Leo Estate
Peninsula Insider guides that put this stop into the context of a full day or weekend.
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