Mornington Peninsula Restaurants

1. Merricks General Store

Good food, local wines and notable art mix at this beautiful community hub, which has been a general store for a century. Pull up a chair at a farmhouse table and order the buttermilk hotcakes for brunch, or settle in for a long lunch---start with the salumi and move on to elegant mains---beneath the vines on the terrace. Alternatively, you could create a seriously good hamper for the ultimate beach picnic. The store has lovely gift ideas, and is also the home of Elgee Park and Baillieu wines, so the walls are stocked with an extensive range of wines from lesser-known labels, making it a good place to stock up on local wines, with highly knowledgeable staff on hand to talk you through your choices.