4 Best Restaurants in Phillip Island, Victoria

With glittering sea views out to French Island, Isola Di Capri has been serving up generous plates of seafood since 1972. Start with a shared antipasto platter or lobster toast before moving on to the fish of the day or locally sourced rib-eye steak. The lamb shoulder with crispy pumpkin risotto is a stand-out dish for nonseafood lovers. For a lighter bite, their wood-fired pizzas come hot and fresh and the wine list includes plenty of local options. Save room for a gelato to eat as you wander down the pier afterwards, or time your visit to watch the setting sun from the dining room with a cocktail in hand.

Taste Australia's unique ingredients at this exciting little café—try an Australian take on the Devonshire tea, with wattleseed scones or lemon myrtle scones, Davidson plum jam, and a pot of tea from their new range, featuring Australian bush spices and florals; the roasted wattleseed and pepperberry chai is a winner. For a more substantial meal, the specials board might have a barramundi fish fillet with muntri (native herbs) chutney, or the crispy chicken burger infused with subtle local spices. Classic brunch dishes, such as smashed avocado on toast or Eggs Florentine, are lifted with the addition of wild lime olive oil or warrigal (a leafy green). Afterward, shop the produce store for their sauces, teas, curries, and muesli, all blended with native Australian ingredients by the owner, Jude Mayall, a passionate advocate of honoring the land and using native foods.

Spilling onto an upstairs terrace above the main Cowes beach, Harry's is a Phillip Island institution. Its menu, which changes regularly, draws heavily on seafood bought fresh from local trawlers, along with locally raised beef and lamb. Don't pass up the crayfish if it's on the menu. The wine list has an Australian emphasis and includes local wines. The bread is made on the premises, as are the pastries and ice cream.

Perched on the Newhaven jetty, Saltwater has expansive waterfront views over Westernport Bay and the Phillip Island Bridge, which links the island to San Remo and mainland Victoria. The menu leans toward local seafood, in the linguine, chowder, and chili mussels, but locals argue these may be the best pizzas on the island—for the best of both worlds, order the prawn pizzas, which are flying hot out of the oven for takeaway orders. Their own brewed beers, including a gluten-free pale ale, are on tap. Book for an inside table, but the outside tables, hot property in summer, are walk-in only.