Lake House & Dairy Flat Lodge
Dining
Great food, wine and hospitality are consuming passions here. The iconic Two Chef Hat Restaurant presents a snapshot of the season on every plate, largely inspired by Dairy Flat Farm which produces fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, olive oil, cider, honey and wine for the tables.
“/t’s clear why the Lake House has continued to hold its place not only on prestigious awards and titles lists but also in the hearts of Victorians, for so many years. /t consistently ticks all the boxes that somehow so many others seem to miss: impeccable service, which only serves to enhance the dining experience; a sophisticated yet approachable atmosphere; an expertly crafted menu of inventive dishes; deep respect for produce of the highest quality; and most importantly, beautiful and undeniably delicious food.”
Time Out Melbourne
Regarded as one of the best restaurants in Australia; Lake House is a world class destination for travellers seriously interested in food and wine.
With a multitude of awards to its name – it’s a regular on the list of top restaurants around the country and currently holds Two Chefs’ Hats in the Good Food Guide, was included in the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards as “The Icon” and received a coveted three wine glasses in Australia’s Wine List of the Year. Indeed, the cellar is home to almost 13,000 bottles from around the world.
Multi course a la carte menus provide plenty of options for guests staying more than 2-3 nights. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a two-night stay to extend – if only to sample another delicious meal from the kitchen. Contemporary dishes, inspire even the savviest and most well-travelled palates and the Lake House Kitchen philosophy of working from the ground up and with the best available seasonal produce means that travellers get a real sense of the best Australian produce on the plate.
Whilst fine dining is often on the agenda, the Lake House Kitchens extend their quality and considered offering to an la carte and beautiful buffet breakfast each morning, room service and poolside snacking in the warmer months. Casual wood fired pizzas, salads and simpler fare is available from their café in the Botanic Gardens.
Grab a seat in the plush Argyle Library Bar for bespoke seasonal cocktails. Or in the warmer months enjoy the views from the Lagoon Deck overlooking Lake Daylesford.
Much of the menus at Lake House are now driven by the windfalls of produce from Dairy Flat Farm, almost 40 acres of regenerative farmland just 10 minutes down the road form Lake House.
Rich volcanic soil provides fertile ground for vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, olives and more. Raw extracted honey and honeycomb arrives from the hives, olive oil is pressed, small batch preserves and ferments are stockpiled for the cooler months. Cider and wine are new additions from the apple orchard and Chardonnay and Pinot Nor vineyards on the farm.
The team on the farm work with many rarer plants and vegetables that truly reflect the seasons, adding to the guest experience and the ongoing enrichment of the team.
For guests staying at Dairy Flat Lodge, an onsite concierge prepares all meals including coordinating the pre-dawn delivery of slow fermented sourdough baguettes, loaves and viennoiserie for early risers from the onsite bake house, a country style cooked breakfast and snacks throughout the day. In the afternoon, aperitivo is served by the hot tub, ornamental gardens or fire pit.
Dinner can be as casual as a barbeque of local trout and the regions famous “bull boar” sausages with vegetables from the Farm garden, or a farm house style shared feast in the main kitchen and dining room, or a plated Chefs Menu presented exclusively by a Chef from the Lake House Restaurant.
Priority reservations for the restaurant itself are included for Dairy Flat Lodge guests and on return there is a full honour bar of local sips and snacks in the library to enjoy.
Lake House & Dairy Flat Lodge
DINING EXPERIENCES
OUR LITTLE WHITE BOOK
The Luxury Lodges of Australia brochure has become a treasured and widely recognisable ‘go to’ for Australian experiential luxury, enjoyed both online and in printed form at our lodges. The brochure is available to view or download in eight languages below.