Husband-and-wife duo Peter and Ebony Roddy – the team behind French eatery Noir in Richmond – opened this seaside eatery in 2020. Its schmick blue-and-white paint job can be seen from the ferry as it docks. The menu is contemporary Australian, with a heavy focus on seafood — and, of course, the famous Portarlington mussels. Diners can pop in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it the perfect pit stop for a pre or post-ferry trip meal, a catch-up with friends or a casual dinner with the family. While there are a few dishes on the menu that could be classified as fine dining, the Roddy's aimed to create an unpretentious and casual beachside eatery that was approachable to all.
The Bellarine Peninsula is the lesser-known western cousin of the Mornington Peninsula, but it offers the same calibre of drinking, dining and gorgeous beaches. And while both are around the same distance by car from the Melbourne CBD (around an hour and a half), one thing that sets the Bellarine apart is its accessibility by ferry. Port Phillip Ferries departs daily from the Docklands, and the journey only takes 70 minutes, making it an easy destination for those without a car.
Not sure what to do when you get there? To guarantee you have a great holiday, we've rounded up our top picks for where to eat, drink and stay and play in the region.