Ceres Restaurant

Named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres Restaurant serves Italian-inspired fare made with local produce. The restaurant used to operate from the old flour mill (where The Mill is now), but now resides on High Street.

Built in 1868, the building has housed the Town Hall Hotel, a watchmaker and a chemist. Old town tales tell there was once a tunnel that ran from the underground cellar to the town’s council chambers to deliver alcohol discreetly.

Front-of-house couple Nathan and Jess Finn, and chefs Simone Di Domizio and Amanda Santurbano, have been running the restaurant together since mid-2015.

Di Domizio and Santurbano make everything from scratch, including pastas, potato gnocchi and Napoli sauce. Start your evening with a few slices of bruschetta and a glass of King Valley prosecco, followed by some heartier dishes. There are various pastas, risottos and salads, and larger plates such as slow-cooked pork belly and seafood broth. The restaurant has separate vegetarian and gluten-free menus.

The upper level is a wine and tapas bar (called Next Level), with deep club lounges and a wrap-around balcony to catch the last rays of the day on while listening to a live band. Ceres is generally busiest after the sun goes down. Come in for a long dinner, or pop by for dessert and a cocktail and some quality late-night ambience.

Explore Echuca further using our detailed Out of Town to Echuca guide.