2 Best Restaurants in The Gold Country, Victoria

Taking its name from the Swedish word for coffee break, this sleek contemporary café decked out with blond wood and industrial light fittings serves excellent coffee. There's also a light meal menu with a healthy twist, including macadamia chia pudding for breakfast and a caprese salad for lunch—counterbalanced with BLAT sandwiches (bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato) and single-origin coffee.

It's worth the country drive from Bendigo to this bakery to taste an Australian obsession---the vanilla slice---and Bridgewater Bakehouse is twice-winner of the annual, fiercely contested, national competition. The perfect slice is a thick slab of firm custard, wedged between two slivers of flaky pastry and iced with a glossy fondant. Happily, they also have an outpost in central Bendigo, which also bakes quality pastries and pies, buns and tarts.