Victoria’s ski season is shaping up to be a beauty, and all that skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing sure works up an appetite. Here are our top picks of the best places to eat and drink on Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek. 

Mount Buller

1. Black Cockatoo
   Don’t let the jaw-dropping views over Mt Stirling distract you at this modern Australian restaurant. The dining room is a moody mix of charcoal, timber and copper, and the new menu embraces some of the best produce the state has to offer. Limited bookings are available so get in fast.  5 Summit Road, Mount Buller,  blackcockatoo.net.au
2. Kaptans
   Regulars at Mt Buller never miss an opportunity to eat at Kaptans – a traditional Austrian-style restaurant renowned for its weiner schnitzel and regional specialties. With its high-backed timber chairs, roaring fireplace and alpine ambience, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d wandered into a European ski lodge. Don’t leave without trying the Salzburger Nockerl (an enormous hazelnut and chocolate chip soufflé – need we say more?) 5 Breathtaker Road, Mt Buller pensiongrimus.com.au/dining
3. Harry Burns
   Ready for love at first bite? Drop into Harry Burns for contemporary cocktails or Asian fusion dishes such as tod man khan pod (corn fritters with kafir lime and nam jim jaew) or grilled snapper with Thai chili beurre blanc and tossed greens. Groups of six must opt for the banquet, but trust us, it’s worth it. 231 Summit Road, Mt Buller, harryburns.com.au

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Mount Hotham

1. Jack Frost
   Did someone say hot buttered whisky? If that sounds like your kind of tipple, get thee to Jack Frost, a funky restaurant and bar open seven nights a week. You’ll also find that the menu gets a big tick – from miso roasted cauliflower and Baja flathead tacos to candied bacon cheeseburger. Come for the cocktails, stay for the food and then stay even later, just because you can. 110 Great Alpine Road, Hotham Heights, jackfrosthotham.com
2. Hoff Hut
   “Fully licensed soup kitchen” aren’t words that usually go together, but in the case of Hoff Hut, they go together perfectly. If you’re skiing or boarding at Heavenly Valley, make sure you stop by the ski-in ski-out hut that serves local quiches, pies, hot dogs and hot chocolate. It’s not fancy, but it’s filling and hearty and is the ideal mid-ski snack stop. Located at the top of Black Snake via the Heavenly Valley chair, instagram.com/hoff_hut_hotham
3. Hotham Hotel
   Ripping it up on the slopes burns off loads of energy, so before you start feeling hangry, head to the Hotham Hotel. All your favourite refuelling foods are on the menu – puffy, blistered pizzas, schnitzels and parmas, burgers and fries. Apres Hour starts at 4pm where you can get $20 jugs of any beer on tap. Great Alpine Road, Hotham Heights, ausvenueco.com.au/melbourne/venue/hotham-hotel/

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Falls Creek

1. Milch
   If you’ve got dietary requirements, eating out on the snow fields can be tricky sometimes. Not so at Milch Café and Bar, where plentiful gluten free, vego and vegan items dot the menu. The sticky jackfruit tacos and the brimming veggie burrito turn even the most ardent meat eaters into raving fans. And don’t forget to come back later for dinner where the menu does a complete 180 into the territory of a fine dining Italian restaurant. 4 Schuss St, Falls Creek, milchcafebar.com
2. Frying Pan Inn
   There’s nothing pretentious about eating at the Frying Pan Inn – a classic bar and grill in the heart of Falls Creek’s ‘village bowl’. You’ll be able to watch your food being prepared on the wood-fired grill in the open-plan kitchen (the Cajun chicken thighs are a favourite). There’s a great selection of local craft brews too, making this place the ultimate ski-pub experience.  4 Village Bowl Court, Falls Creek, fryingpaninn.com.au 
3. Apartment 3 at Elk
   Through the emerald curtain is Apartment 3 – a hip 50-seat lounge and bar that has the instant DNA of a New York-style cocktail bar. Whether for a late-night tipple or a mid-ski sip, it’s worth asking the house mixologist what they recommend, and putting your glass in their hands.  18 Slalom St, Falls Creek elkatfalls.com.au/elk-bar.html

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