For foodies seeking to explore their palate, there’s been a lot of tasty new openings in Orange at wineries, restaurants, cafes and distilleries.
To help you plan your trip, Central NSW Joint Organisation has produced a ‘Tasting Tour of Orange’ capturing the best NEW places to eat and drink by night and day. Expect slick dining at cellar doors, incredible Italians feasts and fresh scones in a renowned vintage market.
Tucked amongst vine covered hills with around 40 cellar doors, the Orange Region is a 3.5 hr drive from Sydney or Canberra and perfect for a short break.
Tasting Tour of Orange
By Night
- Renowned Rowlee Wines has opened the slick new Rowlee Dining & Bar restaurant at its cellar door where wine and produce come together in the vines at Mt Canobolas.
- For an intimate Italian feast visit newcomers Lucetta for antipasto and pasta, and Fiorini’s, Paddington’s sister restaurant, with a menu of perfectly paired Orange wines.
- Book a gin tasting experience based on old-world techniques at Parrot Distilling Co with a new cellar door, enjoyed in the Aviary room with hot wood fired pizzas.
- Craft beer lovers can enjoy tastings at Badlands Brewery Taproom with tours of the taproom and served with delicious Asian bites.
- The newest wine bars to open are Hey Rosey, Birdie from the girls at Lolli Redini, joining favourites Ferment, The Orange Wine Centre and The Union Bank.
By Day
- Shop at newly opened vintage and antiques market Dirty Janes and enjoy hot scones and home-made treats in the cosy Salters Café.
- Join the ‘Saffron Trail’ with Country Food Trails, a behind the scenes tour of the world’s most expensive crop where you will meet the farmers, taste saffron tea and lamington’s, and learn how this ‘red-gold’ grows.
- Enjoy a long lunch at Printhie Dining, winners of the Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat Awards for 2024.
- Visit new cellar doors at Byrne Farm, Cha Lou Wines, Mayfield, Amour, Macquariedale and Rikard Wines, or find out why established Ross Hill Wines was named Cellar Door of the Year in the recent 2024 Orange Region Wine Show.
- Picnic under the trees at Hillside Harvest and sample fresh fruits picked on site and other locally sourced fresh produce.
- For café culture, Anything Grows, Groundstone and Factory Espresso are some of the best, and Byng Street Local Store café now offers Byng Street Nights for dinner.
- Drive to historic Canowindra for a Sunrise Flight in a hot-air balloon offering a birds-eye views of the local fields and a champagne breakfast.
- Pop into the Millthorpe Providore and purchase local food, produce and ingredients, visit three wineries on the Millthorpe Wine Stroll and dine at acclaimed restaurant Tonic.
If time allows, take an extra day to visit Bathurst or Oberon, emerging food and wine hotspots.
- Bathurst Tours ‘Sip and Savour Tour’ (5hrs) visits Renzaglia Wines, historic Bathurst Grange Distillery for a tour and gin tastings, and ends with a tour, tasting and lunch at Reckless Brewing, a new ultra-cool brewery and taproom now in the heritage Crago Mill complex.
- Enjoy a long lunch at Matt Moran’s historic Rockley Pub
- Cooking school and lunch at Simmone Logue’s Essington Estate near Oberon (also offers accommodation), with some joyous festive cooking and craft workshops in the countdown to Christmas.
