Since opening its doors at the end of 2013, Victoria’s Brae restaurant has accumulated a long list of accolades, including a three-hat rating by The Age Good Food Guide. On Wednesday night Brae was awarded its highest honour to date, taking out 44th place in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, cementing its position as a must-visit dining destination for Australian gourmands.
Set on 30 acres of organic farmland just one and a half hours outside of Melbourne in the Otway hinterland, Brae serves up contemporary sustainable cuisine with ingredients sourced primarily from its own grounds. The property also produces its own vegetables, fruits, nuts, olives and eggs and even hosts a hive of bees for fresh honey and pollination while using regenerative farming techniques to minimise the impact on the environment.
Fans of Brae’s sustainable approach to hospitality can turn their restaurant visit into a weekend getaway, by booking into one of Brae’s six eco-friendly luxury guest suites. The zero net emission suites were designed using recycled bricks, slate floors, brass fittings and Australian blackout timber panelling, while power is provided by solar panels and waste is treated by a worm farm biological waste system. After an evening meal at Brae, visitors staying in the suites can take a morning stroll through the farm before retiring to their suite for an in-room breakfast of freshly baked pastries, Brae honey, St Ali coffee, local milk, freshly squeezed juice and fruits and vegetables harvested on site. With Brae’s newly elevated standing on the international stage, these suites are likely to book out fast.
Room rates start from A$465 per night. Bookings can be made at braerestaurant.com