LAKES ENTRANCE Work up an appetite with boating, swimming or catching your own meal at this lively coastal town. There’s no going past the fresh local seafood while you’re in town. At Miriam’s Seafood Restaurant you can delight in local prawns, Bass Strait scallop, or the humble fish and chips.
METUNG This small village located on a peninsula in Lake King has jaw-dropping views across shimmering lakes almost every way you look. You simply cannot beat the absolute waterfront views from Metung Hotel, your classic pub. Nautica Restaurant is a small restaurant with a big heart. Cafe by day, with scrumptious homemade baked goods, restaurant by night, putting local seafood in the spotlight: coconut prawns, soft shell crab and oysters done every which way. For a relaxed brunch, look no further than the cosy Bancroft Bites serving rave-worthy coffee and a varied menu. WHERE TO STOCK UP
• Metung Village Store has fresh produce, cheese and gourmet meats • Metung Visitor Centre and Culinaire Cooking School (Swan Reach) sell a range of preserves, chutneys and sauces EAT. | EAST GIPPSLAND
Ferryman’s Seafood Cafe is atop a floating vessel moored along the Esplanade. Choose from parmesan-crumbed scallops, lemonpepper calamari salad or the crowd-pleasing Seafood Platter. Or get your seafood fill to go from Awesome Fish & Chips for crispy batter, golden chips and melt-in-your-mouth local flake. Albert & Co make stellar breakfasts with modern, French-provincial decor and lakeside views. Funkey Monkey Cafe is a stand-out brunch spot, serving options like a potato rosti egg stack, sweet and savoury waffles, and coconut sago. For pub fare, Central Hotel has a varied menu of hearty, good value bistro meals, overlooking the Esplanade. Or nearby in Lake Tyers, enjoy your pub meal on the deck of the Waterwheel Beach Tavern offering spectacular ocean views. Made from organic Gippsland jersey milk, Riviera Ice Cream Parlour makes a range of flavours with a hint of the unusual: ANZAC bikkie, sour cherry, blood orange and honey crunch. WHERE TO STOCK UP
• Off the Wharf and Ferry Seafoods showcase the best of locally-caught, fresh seafood 89.