Mercato at Daylesford - HEPBURN SPRINGS

Made a spur of the moment decision to go here for dinner on our visit to Daylesford. We called and the friendly person on the other end of the phone said that it was not necessary to make a reservation. By the time we arrived after a 15 minute walk we found the place had become quite busy and a consequence the staff were stretched. This meant a bit of a delay in service and took a while for us to get a drink. We decided to forego an entree and go straight to mains. I ordered the Kyneton Angus eye fillet and was alittle underwhelmed for the price. Nice piece of meat with good flavour but the plate was cold. I toyed with the idea of sending it back but was too hungry and we had waited quite a while as it was. My partner ordered the honey glazed fillet of Western Pork and loved it. To finish the night we ordered a cheese plate with 2 cheeses (you can order up to 4). Were a little disappointed with the Blue which was very bland for a blue. The wine list here is extensive with a few local choices. Our waitress was great as she was under a lot of pressure and had to look after a lot of tables.

I was taken to Mercato@Daylesford by my partner for my 40th birthday. What a perfect choice. The food was unpretentious yet refined, the staff friendly and efficient without being over the top and the ambience was lovely. I had the beef fillet for main which was cooked perfectly with lots of little accompaniments, then the smoked orange brûlée which was magnificent. Worth every cent!

We are just home from dinner. We each had main and dessert and thought it was fabulous. Worth every cent. We loved the emphasis on local producers/produce. We thought the wait staff were so very attentive and lovely. We'll definitely return next time we're in town.

Mercato was recommended by Jackson at Stony Creek Gallery. Set in what may have been an old shop, or perhaps a house, it has a welcoming old world atmosphere. We went on a clear but very cool winter night and were delighted to be seated at a table near the fire. The service was friendly (and at times a little quirky, but very professional).There was a wide range of interesting options on the menu, as well as some specials (a Boeuf Bourguignon described by the young waitress as ‘wholesome’) The dishes we chose were very well prepared and delightfully plated.To start we had a slow cooked confit pork belly with a crispy top, served with scallops, and a bowl with prawns, pippis, braised fennel and seafood broth. Both were very good. We followed this with a ‘duo of spatchcock’ - a ballotine of leg, roasted breast, roasted root vegetables, crispy prosciutto, braised Brussels sprouts, lemon oregano jus; and Tuki lamb loin, truffle infused celeriac puree, olive soil, avocado puree, hazelnuts, seasonal vegetables, rosemary jus. Excellent ingredients well executed.An extensive and interestingly curated wine list with quite a few ‘value’ options.Mercato fits in the fine dining range. We would happily go back.

We went on a Saturday night in the middle of winter, so the warm environment was very much welcome after a brisk 10 minute walk from our accommodation. All 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed the food and the wine, hearty dishes which were perfect on a cold night. Service was friendly albeit a little slow at times. Staff were also very accommodating of our 2 year old, which is not always the case in such refined venues. Good experience all round.