The Luxe List

Hatted Restaurants 

The Daylesford Macedon Ranges region has long been celebrated as one of Australia’s premier food destinations, a reputation reaffirmed each year by The Age Good Food Guide. In 2026, the region cemented its status once again, with six local establishments earning recognition. Prepare your taste buds (and maybe loosen your belt) for an unforgettable culinary adventure. Start with the refined, two-hat excellence of Lake House or Kadota and du Fermier, where every bite is a masterpiece. Then, explore the region’s one-hat standouts – Bar Midland, Midnight Starling and The Surly Goat.

Country Living

If you’d like to own a country manor but it’s proven a pipe dream, test the lifestyle at Dairy Flat Farm (hero image above). Set on 40 acres surrounded by forest in Musk, the property features a six-suite farmhouse-style lodge, impeccably curated with art, bespoke furniture and fresh flowers. But this is also a working farm, with an olive grove, farm garden, vineyard and orchard supplying produce to Lake House and the cafe at Wombat Hill House. With hospitality veterans, the Wolf-Taskers, overseeing the operation, and a farm concierge ensuring you have everything you need during your stay, this is one country retreat you’ll never forget.

Ryokan Revival

It feels as though you’ve stepped into a traditional onsen in Kobe, but you’ve only come as far as Hepburn Springs. Enjoy a Japanese bathing experience at Shizuka Ryokan. In a walled garden, immerse yourself in a timber bath filled with magnesium-rich waters heated to about 40oC. To complete the ritual, slip on a yukata before having a relaxation massage. If you’ve been dreaming of a holiday to Japan, there’s more good news. Shizuka offers traditionally styled rooms, a restaurant serving authentic Japanese seasonal cuisine, and a range of packages, so you can simply kick back and enjoy it all.

Hot Plate

Aaron Schembri is a Daylesford local. In 2011, he met Risa Kadota, who took him to meet her family in the Japanese city of Okayama. There, led by Risa’s foodie parents, Aaron learned as much as he could about Japanese cuisine and spent the next decade travelling back there to refine his techniques. Upon returning home, they opened their award-winning restaurant, Kadota, where Aaron uses the local produce to create innovative kaiseki menus, while Risa runs the elegant but casual dining room. Dishes are meticulously crafted, celebrating simplicity, balance and umami-rich flavors. 

Luxe Lodgings

There are many beautiful country houses around the region, but there’s also an increasing number of contemporary places to stay. One is Sky High, an angular, glass residence with views in every direction and a minimalist interior. Equally impressive is Woodend-based Corlara, a sprawling country estate with a private pool, spa and expansive gardens. For designer couples, the curved form of Kuca Hepburn, with its bushland panorama, houses a sleek interior. In Macedon, Norsu Lodge might look like a rustic lodge from the outside, but inside it’s a cosy Scandi-inspired delight.

Holistic Sanctuary

If wellness and tranquility are what you seek, look no further than Samadhi Retreat in Glenlyon. This luxurious retreat is designed for those wanting to unwind and reconnect with themselves in a serene environment. Offering personalised wellness programs, spa treatments and meditation sessions, Samadhi Retreat is more than just a place to stay — it’s a sanctuary for the mind, body and spirit. Guests can indulge in holistic healing practices while surrounded by the natural beauty of the onsite gardens and surrounding countryside.

Artistic Vision

There are galleries and artist studios right across the region, showing works in all mediums from artists at every point in their career. Fans of contemporary work should head to Stockroom Kyneton, where there’s a changing roster of exhibitions, plus work for sale from sculptors, jewellers, photographers, ceramicists and more. Daylesford’s The Convent shows a vast range of work, from Picasso etchings to watercolours by local newcomers. Artist-run Little Gallery in Trentham is the place to see the work of established and emerging local creatives, while Cascade Gallery in Maldon shows contemporary work in a Gothic Revival church.