IF WE asked you to name your top five restaurants in Australia what would they be? There’s Rockpool, Quay and Momofuku Seibo in Sydney, and MoVida and Cutler & Co. in Melbourne to name but a few. All these places are in major cities, but what about those restaurants that are little way off the beaten track?

You may be surprised, but some of the best restaurants are ones you’ve probably never heard of, in places you’ve probably never heard of either. But when you think about it, surely regional restaurants would have a lot to offer, given they’re more connected to the food they cook and the land it comes out of.

We’ve assembled a list of the top five ultimate out-of-the-way dining experiences that will have you packing your car and heading for an haute cuisine tour of regional Australia.

5. The Stackings — Peppermint Bay, Tasmania

When it comes to the premier food and alcohol regions of the world, Tasmania is like the cleanly shaven teenager on prom night. However new to the dance they are, they have certainly made a big splash, first with whisky, but now also with food.

The Stackings has been cropping up on plenty of must-do lists recently for both food critics and the public at large. Technically, this isn’t that out of the way, given its proximity to Hobart, but it is located on the tip of the Apple Isle, so it’s likely to be the most southern restaurant in Australia, as well as one of the finest in Tasmania.

The Stackings is all about promoting the local produce that is found in Tasmania, which means a mixture of lamb, beef and some of Australia’s (which means the world’s) freshest and richest seafood.

The menu was developed by chef David Moyles, a former protégé of Andrew McConnell, and anyone who has eaten out in Melbourne will recognise such names as Cumulus Inc. and Cutler & Co. — just a couple of McConnell’s restaurants.

To top it all off, the views at The Stackings are perhaps unparalleled by any restaurant on the mainland, thanks to a glass back wall that overlooks the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. This view alone should have diners lining up all the way to the Derwent.

4. Pipers of Penola — Penola, South Australia

One of our more remote entries — and given just how far this is from a big city, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how good Pipers of Penola is. The restaurant is nestled down in the town of Penola in the heart of the Coonawarra wine district, which is known for producing some seriously good (and seriously hearty) red wines. Winemakers such as Penfolds and Wynn call it home after all.

The restaurant itself has a history soaked in the vats of Coonawarra winemaking, as head chef and owner Simon Bowen is the son of Doug Bowen, founder of the Bowen Estate. All this means that when this restaurant opens its doors, proclaiming an up-market and quality dining experience, with a clear lineage of taste-making in the region, the weight of expectations are high. Thankfully, the Pipers of Penola has the necessary claret to back up that vivacious talk and history.

On the border with Victoria, Pipers of Penola will give you a good reason to continue your trip further round Australia’s southern tip along the Great Ocean Road. Like most fine Australian restaurants, the menu is described as ‘modern Australia’, but in this case there really couldn’t be any other way to describe the food.

Bowen, who runs the restaurant with American partner Erika, has worked throughout the US and Europe, and brings those experiences to his techniques and flavours. What this produces is a rather delightful melding of Australian-sourced produce and a touch of international flair.

3. Nu Nu — Palm Cove, Queensland

When it comes to Queensland, there is one attraction above all else that brings the tourists in: the Great Barrier Reef. The reason everyone emigrates for week-long stays on the sun-kissed shores of North Queensland is for the crystal clear (and warm) water, the bleached-white sand and the never-ending sunshine.

The problem is that when it comes to food, there aren’t many places that can capture the magic of the tropics and the reef and translate it into a fantastic a la carte meal. Nu Nu though does a good job of it, setting the dining experience pretty much on top of the Coral Sea, with an outdoor area hanging over the ocean.

The food has been designed to complement those characteristics that make North Queensland a true paradise. Just looking at the meal presentations, the food is bright, colourful and looks rather light and airy. Then, when you actually taste the flavours, your tastebuds will come over all tropical as well.

There is a slight Asian influence to the seasoning, but the food is more sweet than sour, which is what you want when it’s hot and humid — a refreshing, light meal with flavour that tastes of paradise and looks like a piece of fresh coral that has just been plucked from the reef. And thanks to breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, you can treat yourself to North Queensland’s finest dining for three square meals a day.

2. Harvest Café — Newrybar New South Wales

The NSW north coast has always been something of a pilgrimage for backpackers, road-trippers, and those with a barefoot attitude to life. Byron Bay is the spiritual home of, well, spiritual living.

It’s Australia’s hub of Hippy culture, where anyone who doesn’t live green, eat organic and celebrate all things sustainable is seen as an outsider. It might be tough to make all those elements work for a fine dining experience, but Harvest Café — and take the name rather literally with this one — does it with style.

Harvest Café has built its reputation upon using food from the surrounding farming communities. They even have a farm out the back of their property, so no matter what you’re having, you’ll be tasting the seasonal flavours of northern NSW.

While it’s not actually located in Byron Bay (it’s about a 20-minute drive away), it gives anyone travelling the area the perfect opportunity to explore the hinterland. Harvest Café is tucked away just off the Old Pacific highway, in what looks like an old homestead, complete with a circumventing veranda.

In addition to the cafe there is a deli that offers a large range of local and international artisan products and ready to go meals, and a bakery, with all the pastries and bread baked in a historic woodfired oven. If you’re planning a visit, Harvest Café is open mainly for breakfast and lunch, however there is a dinner menu available Thursday through Saturday.

1. Brae — Birregurra, Victoria

Rural Victoria is awash with high-quality restaurants. In fact, you could take a map, throw a dart and probably land it on a really high-quality restaurant. So what makes Brae our standout choice?

There is a lot that goes into making a restaurant special. First and foremost, the taste of the food is the most important ingredient. Then there is the design — both the interior and the food, because after all we do eat with our eyes. Finally, there’s the location, because when it comes to rural dining, a great view or cosy location can really make a place stand out.

What makes Brae unique is how it has combined these three elements into one splendid package, by actually connecting its diners directly to the food and the land surrounding the restaurant.

Brae sits on a 30-acre plot, growing all its produce on the property while sourcing all its meat from surrounding regional farms. There are not many places which can boast that they grow all the food on their menu, and what it means is that the chef/owner really understands the flavours the land produces, with seasonal varieties making for a truly unique menu.

Also, it means that the menu is constantly changing from week to week, so you can come back multiple times and have a unique experience every time. Variety truly is the spice of life here.

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