Victorian Seafood Lover’s Guide to The Great Ocean Road

The West Coast of Victoria boasts some of the best fishing in the country with three commercial fisheries based along the shores. Fresh seafood from southern rock lobsters to abalone to gummy shark and calamari is caught off the coast of the fishing ports of Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland. Some of the smaller fishers work directly with restaurateurs, selling them the best of their catch. Some chefs support Victorian seafood through their suppliers and buying farmed mussels and abalone direct from the farmers. With the opportunity to dine on delicious local seafood and buy Victorian seafood direct from the boat, from fishermen’s co-ops and from fish processors a seafood trip along the Great Ocean Road is one to put on the list.

Surrounded by wind scaped stringybark forest the beachside holiday town of Anglesea is the place where hundreds of Victorians learned to surf. Overlooking the canoes and kids racing on the pedalos on the estuary is The Last One Inn, a busy but casual waterfront diner offering gastro – pub style menu that includes local fish dishes like Apollo Bay snapper cured with fermented fruits and served with pickled fennel. For simple but excellent fish and chips and fresh fish sales Fish by Moonlite offers crisp and succulent fried local fish plus fresh fish direct from the market.

Further west is Aireys Inlet, a holiday town sandwiched between the historical lighthouse and a bushland home to masses of wildflowers in late winter and spring. It is also home to the Talimanidis family, owners of A La Greque for the past decade and a half. Parents and hospitality legends Pam and Kosta have handed the reins over to son Stratos who continues the family tradition of Greek hospitality with dishes of kefalograveria, tarmasalata, mezze and vegetable dishes served alongside tender grilled local calamari, octopus and fish such as whiting and garfish depending on the season.

Many people pick up the Great Ocean Road through the Otway Ranges hinterland, turning off and heading through Birregurra. This home to one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Brae, which frequently featuring in the top 100. The restaurant in an old farmhouse is surrounded by a functional kitchen garden with the menu championing local produce. This includes seafood from Apollo Bay such as southern rock lobster and wild caught eel and abalone.

Lorne is an old fishing and timber town that has been popular with holiday makers since the 1800s. Eating fish and chips on the beach at dusk is a popular meal throughout the year. One of the popular fish and chip shops using local fish is Captain Hooked, who also sell fresh fish. The Talimanidis family, under son Dominic, serve a menu at Ipsos Restaurant on which Victorian seafood stars from scallops from Lakes Entrance served on saffron egg noodles, to rock flathead with spring vegetables and local calamari, dusted in flour and baptised in bubbling oil until the flesh is just set. Served with tangy, garlicky aioli it is a dish worth the drive.

For decades Chris’s Beacon Point has been a gastronomic getaway with cabins built on a steep slope where the Otway Ranges drop dramatically into Bass Strait. The dining room, with its view over the water  framed by towering blue gums offers a menu where local seafood stars. While the menu is constantly changing with the seasons look for the octopus dishes.

Octopus dish at Chris’s Beacon Point

A few kilometres west is the fishing village of Apollo Bay. The small fishing fleet is moored in a harbour protected by a breakwater, its backdrop the rolling green hills of the Otway Ranges and the forest beyond. The Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-op offers perhaps the most picturesque location to eat fish and chips in the country. Order deep fried gummy shark, whiting or lesser-known fish such as duck fish, all caught by local fishers. Order half a southern rock lobster or a plate of scallops. For fresh fish head into town to 18 Pascoe Street where the co-op has its retail outlet. Local chef Julian Toussaint from Graze Restaurant works with local fishers to get the best seafood straight from the boat so look-out for local leather jacket, flathead, snapper and fresh spider crab landed at Apollo Bay. It is the hottest dining room in this small seaside town so book well ahead.

Graze Restaurant, Apollo Bay

The Great Ocean Road winds its way through forest, around rivers, past the Twelve Apostles and drops down into the rugged little port town of Port Campbell. Here chef Sam Anderson from Forage on the Foreshore uses southern rock lobster and abalone that commercial fishers land just a short walk from his kitchen. Look for dishes made with local beef, lamb and duck that sit alongside the local seafood.

Although the Great Ocean Road officially ends in Allansford many people exploring the coast like to head further west to the regional centre and port city of Warrnambool. Home to a small southern rock lobster fishing fleet one of the local fishmongers Allfresh Seafood stocks fish from along the coast and also has access to the deep water seafood, such as Portland bugs, bought ashore at Portland. Local seafood restaurant Pippies by the Bay is a popular dining room with one of the favourite dishes the Pippies’ Fish Platter where deep-fried fish fillets are served alongside local calamari, prawns and Portland bugs.

So, pack a good esky, take a healthy appetite and head along the Great Ocean Road to make the great Victorian seafood pilgrimage.