While the main focus on visiting the Hunter Valley will always be about its wine, restaurants like Muse have become destinations in their own right. The restaurant at Hungerford Hill Estate is near to the entrance to Pokolbin, one of the busiest hubs in the Hunter. Trust chef Troy Rhoades-Brown to tailor the set menu around terroir: think sashimi bonito, heirloom tomatoes, yoghurt whey and garden herbs. Or Cape Grim beef cooked over ironbark with Mother Fungus mushroom and buckwheat, mustard and thyme. The Muse Coconut has cult dish written all over it. musedining.com.au

Regulars to Bistro Molines come to see owners Robert and Sally Molines as much to wine and dine. Drive just 20 minutes from Pokolbin and you will be immersed in the landscape at Bistro Molines, which at first glance presents like the picturesque region of Provence. Bistro Molines is a treasure trove of art with floor-to-ceiling windows framing those vineyard views. While the interior palette is committed to neutrals, the plates pop with colour and are adorned with seasonal ingredients. bistromolines.com.au

Visit the Central NSW district during Orange F.O.O.D. Week and you’ll find locals discussing how much they love Printhie Wines in their best sotto voce tones so as not to be overheard. Understandably, they want to keep the destination diner all to themselves. Too bad. Head to the winery restaurant on the slopes of Mt Canobolas over a four-course degustation that features dishes such as Black Angus beef with burnt onion, potato puree, pickled mustard seed, buttermilk and nasturtium. printhiewines.com.au

Culinary travellers are known to crush hard over the regional dining experience on offer at The Zin House at Lowe Family Wine Co. The restaurant has a modern farmhouse feel that heroes local-grown produce and includes flourishes like flowers and bowls filled with fresh fruit. Tilt your glass and toast to your good fortune with a glass of 2023 Lowe Chardonnay paired with a three-cheese ravioli with pangrattato and pancetta. The food and wine celebrate producers dedicated to organic and biodynamic practices. lowefamilywineco.com.au/zinhouse

The restaurant scene on the Shoalhaven has really hit its stride thanks to places like Cupitt’s Estate. Visitors plan for months in advance to eat, play and stay at Cupitt’s, which is home to a winery, brewery, farm, restaurant and luxury villas. The emphasis at the rustic restaurant is on great ingredients, simply prepared. While the menu adheres to the farm-to-fork philosophy –most of the ingredients are grown onsite – the wine list is all about the grape-to-glass ethos. cupittsestate.com.au

Pialligo Estate is not in NSW; it’s in the ACT. Nor is it a winery restaurant (though it is surrounded by the Canberra wine region). But restaurateur Anthony Whitehouse and property tycoon Tony Denny deserve a shout-out for getting the defibrillator out and reviving Pialligo Estate. Stefano Mondonico (who is also at the helm at Pan Divino in Surry Hills) is behind Pavilion Restaurant and sets the tone by sourcing seasonal ingredients such as Snowy River trout and rare-breed Wollemi duck. pialligoestate.com.au

Lisa and Andrew Margan took a lot of inspiration from the Bordeaux region in France when founding Margan Estate in the fertile Broke-Fordwich subregion of the Hunter Valley in in 1997. The award-winning winery is now a fixture on foodie itineraries and one of the most popular winery restaurants in the Hunter Valley. Arrive early to the rammed-earth estate to sample a few single-vineyard blends at the cellar door before taking a seat on the terrace to enjoy a meal using ingredients harvested from the sprawling kitchen garden. margan.com.au/cellar-door

Bendooley Estate a regional oasis for road trippers. The estate looms large for its convivial restaurant, charming cellar door, book barn, boutique winery and restaurants. You’ll find a lot of Canberrans clinking glasses here on weekends as Berrima is just under two hours from the national capital. The Book Barn restaurant shares the space with Berkelouw and its shelves are brimming with books. Scan the spines for your next great read and stay overnight in one of the luxurious cottages so you can dine at Leo’s by Night. bendooleyestate.com.au

Robert Stein planted his flag in Mudgee in 1976 and, decades on, has helped put Mudgee on the map as a great place for a weekend away. The Stein’s family connection to winemaking goes all the way back to 1838 when Johann Stein arrived in Australia with the first cuttings of Rhine riesling to survive in the country. Celebrate this legacy at Pipeclay Pumphouse, which is set in the original pumphouse, and one of the best vineyards to dine at around Australia. pipeclaypumphouse.com.au

The overall look at Circa 1876 is resolutely country. The charming restaurant housed in a historic Hunter Valley cottage features exposed timber beams, chandeliers, French doors, and old wood floorboards. Sit and sip on a glass of bubbles in the Champagne Lounge adjacent to the dining room before lingering over country classics like beef cheek with smoked eggplant and green onion vinaigrette. Stay onsite at The Convent, which features views over the surrounding vineyards. convent.com.au