Taste Your Way Around Stanthorpe, the Granite Belt’s Farm to Fork Capital

Look beyond Stanthorpe’s apple orchards and cellar doors and you’ll find a food trail of gourmet dining, delicious brunches and fresh produce–a farm to fork mecca just waiting to be explored.

Whether you’re looking to pair organic lamb with a glass of Petit Verdot at Varias or sink your teeth into a pie at ZEST Pastries, there’s something for every palate in Stanthorpe.

Before you head off to explore Stanthorpe’s food and wine scene, you’ll need two things: an empty stomach, and our Stanthorpe best restaurant guide below.

Getting There

Located in the Southern Downs, 220km from Brisbane, Stanthorpe’s high altitude means it has four distinct seasons—it’s even been known to snow there in winter!

The best way to get to Stanthorpe is by car. It’s 3-hours from Brisbane or 2.5 hours from the Gold Coast. If you’re flying, jet into Brisbane or Gold Coast Airport and hire a car from there.

Want someone else to do the driving? Crisp Coaches operate a daily bus from Brisbane, while Granite Highlands Maxi Tours and Filippos Tours offer food and winery tours around the town.

Fine Dining

Essen

No two weeks are the same at Essen. Located in a quaint heritage cottage, this Modern Australian family-run restaurant showcases the finest artisans and growers in the region, with a new menu each week reflecting the seasonal availability of produce.

No two weeks are the same at Essen. Located in a quaint heritage cottage, this Modern Australian family-run restaurant showcases the finest artisans and growers in the region, with a new menu each week reflecting the seasonal availability of produce.

This place gets busy (and for good reason!), so make sure to book ahead. It’s also BYO—the perfect excuse to pop into some of the region’s best wineries such as Tobin Wines, Twisted Gum Wines, or Symphony Hill Wines.

Varias Restaurant

A regular ‘Best Restaurant in a Winery’ award winner, Varias offers Australian and International cuisines prepared by emerging chefs.

Located onsite at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism, Varias offers exquisite fine dining set amongst the vineyards. Pair dry rubbed chilli prawns or sticky shredded balsamic lamb with a Bianca Ridge wine, produced and bottled on site.

Heritage Estate Winery

There are more than 50 wineries to choose from in the Granite Belt (here are some of the best), but for a unique experience check out multi-award-winning Heritage Estate Winery—the highest altitude Halliday RED 5-Star Winery in Australia—and their ‘Vine+Dine’ tour.

The tour starts with a vineyard walk and talk before a sommelier explains how wines are made in the cellar door (a converted 1940s apple store). Next, it’s time for dinner, with the chef talking about the food providence of the region while serving up a meal of seafood, game meat and local produce.

Brunch and Lunch

ZEST Pastries

The aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries greet you as you step inside ZEST Pastries. Recognised by Australian Traveller as one of the best regional bakeries in Australia, everything here is made from scratch. Look behind the glass and you’ll see everything from home-baked chicken pies to delicious danishes just waiting to be devoured.

Stop by for a coffee and we guarantee you’ll be back for lunch once you eye the extensive selection of fresh salads, sandwiches and loaded rolls.

Foxy’s Bakery

Not content with having one of Australia’s best regional bakeries, Stanthorpe has two! At Foxy’s Bakery you’ll find country-style favourites from meat pies to vanilla slice, sausage rolls to warm cuppas. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper country bakery without apple pies—luckily, Foxy’s deliver the goods with apple pies and turnovers that’ll warm your heart.

There’s something for everyone (including gluten free options), with large indoor and outdoor seating and a dedicated space out the back for kids to enjoy.

Brinx Deli & Café

Walk through the pink shopfront in Stanthorpe’s High Street and you’ll find the delightful Brinx Deli & Café, run by a mother-daughter duo. This is the place for breakfast with an Italian flair, from bacon and eggs to French toast along with some of the best coffee in town. There’s something for everyone, with the café renowned for its vegan and gluten-free options.

Brinx also has a deli offering a selection of delicious preserves, jams and cold meats, as well as grazing platters that are as tasty as they are beautiful, and perfect for a Granite Belt picnic.

Little Larder

Little Larder brings a slice of the Big Apple—New York City, that is—to the home of Queensland’s own Big Apple. NYC flavours are infused into a Modern Australian brunch and lunch menu in an industrial themed space that’s all about the good vibes.

Try the signature pulled pork and slaw sandwich, or let the good times roll and hit up the ‘Sundaze’ bottomless brunch featuring mimosas and champagne.

Granite Belt Brewery

Cosy up next to the fireplace with a venison pie during winter or enjoy al fresco dining on the deck during summer—the restaurant at Granite Belt Brewery caters for all four of Stanthorpe’s seasons.

Located in the homestead alongside the brewery, the seasonal menu features hearty favourites from steak sandwiches to nachos and is designed to be paired with the ales and lagers brewed on site (look out for the seasonal brews which in the past have included barrel aged sours and spiced pumpkin ales).

Fresh Local Produce

Sutton's Juice Factory, Cider and Shed Cafe

They say an apple each day keeps the doctor away—if that’s the case you’ll live a long and fruitful life after visiting Sutton’s Juice Factory.

Located across from the Big Apple, Sutton’s offers a range of homemade apple products sourced from the working orchard, from varietal juices and ciders through to brandy, liqueur, preserves and vinegar. Sit inside the rustic packing shed and enjoy a slice of apple pie with ice cream or dine out amongst the fruit trees for tea and scones.

Ashbern Farms

Pick juicy organic strawberries from the vine or head to the café for a delicious strawberry ice cream at the family run Ashbern Farms. It’s not quite strawberry fields forever though—you’ll need to be here during strawberry season, which runs from May to October each year.

Where to Stay

It’s possible to day trip to Stanthorpe, but why not listen to your stomach and stay for a few nights to properly taste and drink your way through the region?

Dial up the romance at Alure Stanthorpe, a couple’s retreat on private bush land just outside town. Embrace the serenity in a luxury hilltop villa or experience luxury glamping in the African Safari Tent.

Elsewhere, the charm of yesteryear and the luxury of today come together at Diamondvale Cottages alongside Quart Pot Creek. Stay amongst the Camelia Trees or make Tea Tree Cottage home for the night.

Alternatively, stay in one of the 19 rustic cabins at Granite Belt Retreat, a stones throw from Granite Belt Brewery, or in one of the 12 intimate self-contained studio cabins nestled amongst the vines at Ridgemill Estate winery.