This article was originally published in September 2016. It has been been updated to reflect any relevant changes or closures. 

As far as I am concerned, no trip down the Great Ocean Road – no matter how short – is complete without a meal at A La Grecque in the tiny hamlet of Aireys Inlet. Owners Kosta and Pam Talimanidis have been shining lights in Victoria’s food scene for longer than they might like to remember. Kosta is the consummate host with a constant twinkle in his eye and Pam the immensely talented self-taught chef who is equally at home with Greek or Middle Eastern flavours. Continuing in his parents’ footsteps, son Alex is the heir apparent who now works in the kitchen, having inherited his mother’s exceptional palate. Who better, then, to take us on a journey through this region than young Alex? We asked him to take us to the culinary highlights down his home stretch of the coast.

Torquay

The Great Ocean Road is famous for its surf, and with its clusters of outlet surf and board shops, Torquay has become its de facto capital. It’s also no slouch for food.

Alex rates Cafe Moby (41 The Esplanade, Torquay; (03) 5261 2339) for coffee and a light breakfast. At lunch, the menu’s also packed with the sort of stuff you want in a beachside cafe – milkshakes, smoothies, juices, good chai and generous but unpretentious food, including chicken quesadillas and satisfying sandwiches. There are also many vegan and gluten-free options on the menu. It’s opposite the beach and has a kid’s play area out the back, so it’s a good spot for a family pit stop.

While you’re in Torquay, pick up a loaf of excellent sourdough from Zeally Bay Sourdough (2b Baines Cres, Torquay; zeallybaysourdough) or from Anglesea Fruitz (2/63 Great Ocean Rd, Anglesea; angleseafruitz.com) – if you’re on the move, you’ll find their bread at plenty of locations along the coast, often alongside another decent loaf, such as those from La Madre in Geelong.

If you are looking for a farmers’ market to stock up on supplies, then Alex recommends The Torquay Central Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday at Torquay.

Aireys Inlet

Well, obviously you’ll be stopping here for either lunch or dinner. This tiny town is beautifully positioned between Melbourne and the Twelve Apostles within cooee of the famous Fairhaven Beach, plus it’s the home of A La Grecque (60 Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet; alagrecque.com.au).

Alex recommends the mastic-cured kingfish and the roasted pork shoulder. Given the restaurant’s fantastic reputation, it’s advisable to book ahead. There’s also the Aireys Inlet Foodstore & Cafe (89 Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet; (03) 5289 6641), which offers fresh organic produce, and the recently overhauled Aireys Inlet Hotel (45 Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet; (03) 5289 6804).

Lorne

This thriving tourist town has a 125-year history as a beachside resort for posh gentlefolk with British writer Rudyard Kipling among the earlier visitors.

Good options for a casual lunch or breakfast are thicker on the ground with Alex singling out Moons Espresso Bar (108 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne) for a really good bacon and egg pide with homemade relish. They also pull a good coffee using Supreme beans and there’s always an easy laid-back vibe here. The cafe is just across the road from the beach, too.

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The Bottle of Milk (52 Mountjoy Pde; thebottleofmilk.com), owned by Alex’s good friends Brett Graham and Robert Lowther, uses coffee beans from Melbourne’s renowned artisan roaster Seven Seeds and a Synesso machine. It has a distinctly hip Brunswick-by-the-sea feel to match. Alex says their burgers are really good if you’re looking for lunch, something I can confirm.

Alex is also full of praise for the skills of traditional German butcher Rudy Antesberger who – perhaps surprisingly – calls the local Lorne FoodWorks (1-3 Great Ocean Rd, Lorne; (03) 5289 1645) supermarket his home. He’s the bloke who agreed to make A La Grecque’s famous goat sausages. These are sometimes on sale here along with his own bratwurst, cuts of local Otway pork and excellent local beef from Lorne.

Wye River

Alex mentions a couple of reasons to break the journey on the way from Lorne to Apollo Bay along one of the most picturesque and twisty lengths of the Great Ocean Road. Firstly, there’s the Wye River General Store and Cafe (35 Great Ocean Road, Wye River; wyerivergeneralstore.com.au) which Alex loves for its funky fit-out and cakes. It’s part deli, part cafe and part general store, so you can buy house-baked bread to take home, or to dunk into the white bean, pancetta and thyme soup, or baked eggs in roasted capsicum sauce in the cafe. Just up the hill is the Wye Beach Hotel (19-20 Great Ocean Rd, Wye River; wyebeachhotel.com.au) formerly known as the Rookery Nook Hotel, which has a quirky feel and does a good parmigiana. It also has a big deck out the front with magnificent views of the beach.

Apollo Bay

While talking about great local produce handled well, Alex raves about the Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op (Breakwater Rd, Apollo Bay; (03) 5237 6591). This part of the coastline is justly renowned for its crayfish and these are available here both cooked and fresh from the tank. Depending on the season, there’s usually also a good selection of local fish, such as flathead, grenadier, King George whiting, couta, and Apollo Bay’s little fishing fleet can be seen bobbing in the harbour just outside the door.

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Alex’s final suggestion for a great place to eat on the coast, is probably the most heartfelt – his uncle’s restaurant at Skenes Creek. Chris’s Beacon Point Restaurant & Villas (280 Skenes Creek Road, Apollo Bay; chriss.com.au) is perched high on the hills overlooking the azure waters and white surf that frame the Great Ocean Road. It really is one of the greatest views of any restaurant in the country. Alex usually orders the calamari, but says the steaks are also great. Chris’s is also famous for the way they prepare local lobster that come from pots, which you can glimpse from the dining room.

Further inland

When Alex is driving home from Melbourne, a regular first stop on the way back down to the Great Ocean Road from Geelong is Freshwater Creek Cakes (650 Anglesea Rd, Freshwater Creek; (03) 5264 5246). Here they make a monster passionfruit sponge that’s like the one your nanna used to make. It’s legendary down on the surf coast, but Alex’s personal weakness is for their sausage rolls and a bit of a cheeky chat with owner Scott Downey.

Heading inland, the little township of Birregurra has its own, more pastoral, attractions. Alex warns against being fooled by appearances at the Birregurra General Store (59 Main St, Birregurra; (03) 5236 2013); it might look like another cute shop in any Victorian country town, but the food on offer here is a definite cut above the usual bag of steamed dimmies and potato cakes. He’s a fan of the Middle Eastern-style spinach and cheese parcels, but you’ll also find everything from zaatar flatbreads to a decent burger on the menu here. If they stock Pennyroyal Raspberry Farm jams, grab these, too – especially the raspberry or blackcurrant.

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Alex also suggests Birregurra Farm Foods & Provedore (43 Main St, Birregurra; birregurrafarmfoods.com.au). Butcher and owner Miles Hazel specialises in wagyu and seasonal dry-aged beef, plus they make their own snags. You can also find local cheeses from Timboon L’Artisan, Shaw River and Meredith Dairy. Their cafe next door, The Meating Place Cafe, is worth popping in for woodfired pizzas. For a more serious meal, Alex is a big fan of George Biron’s Sunnybrae Restaurant and Cooking School (4285 Cape Otway Rd, Birregurra; (03) 5236 2276). George was a pioneer of the now very hip trend of restaurants growing their own produce. Check out the stunning garden that surrounds his small country home restaurant, where he also runs a small cooking school.

Further west, there are a couple of good options if you want to get off the beach for the day or if you are just heading inland to the Otway Fly Tree Top Adventures. The tiny village of Forrest is home to the Forrest Brewing Company (Apollo Bay Road, Forrest; (03) 5236 6170) run by brother and sister Matt and Sharon Bradshaw in the old general store. They  have a little restaurant that relishes using local produce, whether it’s Birregurra free-range eggs on La Madre ciabatta, a pulled lamb sandwich or a warm potato salad using Peter Scott’s potatoes from Seven Bridges Road and Siketa’s chorizo sausage.

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Heading to the Great Ocean Road? Don’t miss the 12 Apostles Gourmet Food Trail.