Pavilion Cafe and Bar

Perched on Warrnambool Bay’s northern-most headland, Pavilion Cafe and Bar has some of the best seats in town during whale watching season. And on a fine day, its beach-view balcony offers a spectacular 270 degree panorama reaching all the way south toward Logan’s Beach and beyond.

That’s just one draw card here. Another is the strong Italian-style Mocopan coffee. Owner Jon Watson says it’s not unusual for the cafe to pump out more than a thousand coffees a day during peak periods. But he’s gotten used to those numbers. He and his wife Mary-Ellen made a sea-change to Port Fairy ten years ago, but this is their third hospitality venture in all.

They pride themselves on showcasing local suppliers, too. Eggs come from Caravan farms in Dundonnell, and bread by Jane Dough Bakery in town. Just about everything else here is made in-house, from the pastries to the condiments. For breakfast, you might be look at ginger wild rice porridge with vanilla anglaise, caramelised pear and apple. Or maybe chilli scrambled eggs with fried shallots, rocket and radish. Lunch could be anything from Sri Lankan chicken curry with coconut sambal and roti, to beer-battered local flake.

If it’s too wild and wooly for a drink on the balcony, inside is plenty spacious. It’s all exposed timber beams, festoon lighting and wall-to-wall glass for staring out to sea.