3 Best Restaurants in Murray River Region, Victoria

Taste great craft beer and eat amazing pizza at this busy brewer, one of eight craft breweries of the High Country Brewery Trail. Tucked away down a little lane off the main street, the brewery is housed in an 1850s coach house built during the gold rush era. Choose a picnic table beneath the umbrellas and listen to a folk band while you share a quality pizza or burger made with local produce. Team it up with one of their award-winning beers: their signature brew is the Pale Ale, but they also play with everything from elderflower to chestnuts---the taproom has a rotating list of 20 house brews. The bar also serves gins, whiskeys and wines from the region. Great for families, there's a little playground, the kids' meals are vast, and service is fast and friendly. You can also pick up free Town Bikes here to explore the town and the Rail Trail. The brewery also runs regular tasting tours (A$15).

A Rutherglen favorite for over 20 years, expect robust, flavorsome Aus-European dishes that include pâtes, terrines, confit duck, and hearty vegetarian tagines. Each menu item is matched with a local wine---a handy way to taste your way around the region, without having to drive. The brunch menu has a lavish way about itself, with truffled scrambled eggs, Bloody Marys and locally produced sparkling wines alongside coffee roasted in the High Country. Afterward, shop its range of bottled relishes, pickles, and Gooramadda olives for a gourmet picnic. Pickled Sisters also runs well-regarded cooking classes.

A bright restaurant and café, the real reason to pop in is Reed & Co's artisanal gin, The Remedy—employing such Australian botanicals as eucalyptus and pine—for a quality afternoon G&T or gin cocktail at its bar. The craft gin, created by two former chefs, is complemented by Koji Bird, barbecue chicken served with kimchi, pickles, and smoked mayo.