There are a whole host of reasons to visit Victoria, Australia, not least because of the astounding scenery, varied landscape, and out-of-this-world trips on offer. Food across Victoria also provides something to write home about and is innovative, interesting, and sometimes bizarre. But, if you get stuck in, you’re guaranteed to enjoy cuisine unlike any you’ve come across before. That’s why we think you should include these food experiences to widen your travel cuisine palate while building your Australian bucket list.

Experience 1: Sample coffee in Melbourne

While it might not be a food item in itself, coffee is something that Australians tend to take very seriously, meaning that it’s a culinary experience you’re going to want to make sure you cash in on at some stage during your visit. Famed for some of the best coffee on earth, Melbourne’s coffee culture especially deserves your attention thanks to coffee innovations unlike any you’re likely to see elsewhere. Spots especially worth hitting for their coffee-roasting prowess include Proud Mary, where you can enjoy the wonder that is the Synesso Coffee Machine, and Bonnie, where you can enjoy a cold-drip experience. If you’re in a rush for a caffeine fix to get you through the day’s travels, you could even head to Patricia, a standing-room-only coffee spot that puts quality at the heart of speed. 

Experience 2: Taste it all on the Bellarine Taste Test Trail

Sticking around the Melbourne area, the Bellarine Taste Trail provides an amazing and adaptable way to get a true taste of Victoria cuisine in its full scope. With self-mapped itineraries taking you around more than 50 local Victoria producers across locations including Clifton Springs, Drysdale, and Queenscliff, this certainly provides the opportunity to taste what you love and taste it at its best in some of Australia’s top eating locations. The restaurants and cafes available across the trail are especially worth ample attention and include notable spots such as Piknik, At The Heads, and 360Q. Even better, with plenty of vineyards (including much-loved Basil’s Farm), and a brewhouse or two along the way, you can make sure you’re washing that wonderful food down with some pretty great drinkable additions.

Experience 3: Embrace Victoria’s Bush Tucker

Bush tucker that incites ideas of roasted bugs and other unappealing food options is perhaps one aspect of Australian food that many tourists are quite happy to miss out on, but the reality is that bush food has been a staple of Australian aboriginal life for more than 80,000 years. With this in mind, and considering how this cuisine has evolved since, there’s far more to bush food than basic ideas of fried crickets and other unappealing options. And, your visit to Victoria provides some fantastic bush tucker experiences that you’ll be incredibly pleased to have tried. Great Victoria eateries that make a specific effort to showcase native ingredients in more familiar dishes are an especially fantastic way to start here. Locations most worth noting in this sense include Mabu Mabu Tuck Shop, where you can indulge in native flavour infusions across brunch-to-lunch dishes such as bush tacos with native slaw. Equally, a trip to Narana Aboriginal Cultural centre can see you sampling delicacies including wild bush berry pancakes and even kangaroo burgers if they take your fancy. 

Experience 4: Wash it down with wine from the Highlands

Just as coffee deserved its place on this list, wine is also well worth considering as you journey your way around Victoria. In fact, with Australia also famed for some of the world’s best wine offerings, missing out here is guaranteed to be an omission that you don’t want hanging over you. Luckily, Victoria doesn’t disappoint, with an impressive 21 wine regions that ensure there’s something for everyone and every destination. For those seeking a stay in locations like Melbourne, plenty of these regions are a mere hour drive away from the heart of the city, with options like Geelong and Yarra Valley providing plenty of taste sensations to be getting along with. However, it’s once you get into the Victoria Highlands that wine here really comes into its own, with individuals staying in locations like Lake Eildon caravan parks within easy reach of famed Highland wineries including Dal Zotto in King Valley, and St Leonard’s Vineyard overlooking the Murray River. In each instance, you’ll be able to taste test and enjoy some of the best and most innovative wines that Australia has to offer. 

Experience 4: Don’t forget your BBQ

From Christmas barbies on the beach to affairs overseen by Australia’s best chefs, Australia is also one of the best places to get barbecue in the world, meaning no trip to Victoria is complete, until you’ve also invested in a decent grill-up or two. American-inspired BBQ joints have especially found their home amongst the Melbourne streets, with top options like Bluebonnet Barbecue and slow-cooking Fancy Hank’s being well deserving of their fantastic reputations. If that doesn’t catch your fancy, then bear in mind that American-style offerings aren’t all you can expect from the Victoria BBQ scene, with plenty of Asian offerings also available from spots like Yeonga Korean BBQ and ChanGo. It’s even possible to get stuck in with some unique Italian BBQ eating at Smokin’ Barry’s Slow-Cooked BBQ Diner, proving that there’s literally a barbie option for you, regardless of what you fancy on the day. 

A final word

Victoria, Australia has a whole lot to offer to any tourist, but considering food (and drink) while planning your trip here is guaranteed to make a huge difference to your experience. For once-in-a-lifetime cuisines, and award-winning coffee experiences, you’ll certainly want to understand the full scope of Victoria cuisine on offer. So, whether you’re staying in the more peaceful Highlands or expect to find yourself in the heart of bustling Melbourne for the majority of your trip, get stuck in with a little research that can see you adding food experiences like these to your bucket list before you find that you’ve missed out!