Otway Estate Bar and Cafe

Otway Estate is home to Prickly Moses brewery and Forbidden Fruits cidery, and you can try both at the on-site bar and cafe. Curate your own tasting paddle from the rotating line-up of beers on tap, which includes cleansing ales, yeasty saisons, a new-world pilsner and a golden ale that supports conservation of the endangered tiger quoll.

The ciders are made from Australian apples, blueberries and mangoes, and are brewed with Otway rainwater. Keep an eye out for the seasonally available French-style cider made from organic apple varieties grown 15 minutes away near Gellibrand River.

A woodfired pizza oven is the kitchen’s appliance of choice, and the house-made dough proves for 24 to 48 hours. There are classic Italian combinations such as margherita and capricciosa, but also a few local twists, featuring pastured eggs from nearby Chooks At The Rooke and free-range pork from Barongarook.

Kick back on the balcony with a local wine from Brown Magpie Wines, Dinny Goonan Wines, and Blakes Estate, or cosy up by the indoor fireplace during winter. The bar often hosts stand-up comedy and live music. Dogs are welcome too.