24 of the best places to eat, drink, play & stay in Falls Creek
If you’re a mad-keen skier, or even a nature lover, you’ll want to know where to eat, drink, play and stay in Falls Creek, Victoria. There’s a certain amount of delight that comes from finding places that aren’t embedded in your Instagram feed. Year-round, the mountains and lakes that dot the landscape make Falls Creek feel more like a faraway escape than anywhere else in the state. Following are some of the places that jump out for the ultimate guide on where to eat, drink, play and stay in Falls Creek.
There are multiple services to Falls Creek from Melbourne and Sydney to Albury via QantasLink or Rex Airlines. Once at Albury Airport, hire a car, catch a bus or book a private transfer service that will get you to Falls Creek in about two hours. Falls Creek Coaches has a service that runs from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and Melbourne Airport to Albury or Mt Beauty and onto Falls Creek. Catch a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Albury where you can connect with a V/Line coach to Falls Creek.
Falls Creek Hotel
Falls Creek Hotel.
Credit: Falls Creek Hotel
The greatest luxury of a stay at Falls Creek Hotel is the fact there are three lifts within 150 metres of the door. Forget about checking the ski cam. You can just glance out the window to see how much snowfall there’s been overnight. The lodge – family-owned and operated since 1972 – is surrounded by the outstretched limbs of pink and green snow gums that are so iconic in Australia’s alpine environment. Sit on your balcony when it’s bathed in sunshine to watch skiers attempt the Summit. fallscreekhotel.com
Astra
Astra.
Credit: Danii Forde
Lose the fluffy pink earmuffs and thermals and don a little black sparkly dress to match the night sky. You’ll be bang on-brand at Astra, which means stars in Latin, and aims high with its alpine-inspired menu and award-winning wine list. The dining room in the reimagined European-style ski lodge is dazzling, a Scandi-chic ode to stone and wood. Order the char-grilled half kilo T-bone with salsa verde or a mountainous serve of risotto pelted with porcini and nettle. astrafallscreek.com.au
Huski Apartments
Huski Apartments.
Credit: Huski Apartments
The boutique Huski Apartments range in size from studios to four-bedroom apartments. Sit fireside, glass of gluhwein in hand, as the sound of skiers whooshing down the mountain floats up to your balcony. Or wait until night falls and the air feels quiet and calm so you can enjoy a soak in your own outdoor hot tub. The apartments are impossibly charming with excellent ski-in and ski-out access and an onsite restaurant. huski.com.au
Frying Pan Inn
Frying Pan Inn.
Credit: Frying Pan Inn
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming name. Frying Pan Inn is one of the best places to fuel up in the Victorian ski village of Falls Creek. Take on the long steep run known as Mary’s Slide and then stop in at the Frying Pan Inn in the famous Village Bowl. The restaurant has a rustic pub feel and is a top spot to be kissed by the radiant heat of a fire after a day spent tearing down the slopes. Order the grain-fed scotch fillet with chargrilled broccolini on the side. fryingpaninn.com.au
1550 Restaurant at St Falls
1550 Restaurant at St Falls.
Credit: 1550 Restaurant at St Falls
You will have seen a few crooked signs on fence palings pointing to fresh produce on your way to Falls Creek. Victoria’s High Country is renowned for its food and wine and 1550 a top spot for getting a taste of the local terroir. The restaurant is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, but exclusive for guests during dinner service. Expect dishes with Japanese accents such as panko-crumbed chicken with mayo and pickles, takana tartare and chicken katsu sandos.
Sorella
Sorella.
Credit: Sorella
Hit the slopes and then saunter into Sorella where you can thaw out fireside over roasted harissa chicken with grain and yoghurts or meltingly tender lamb shoulder with tzatziki and pickled radish. The bar, all timber, teal and copper tones, is Falls Creek village dining at its best. Those more into the après scene than schussing down the mountain will appreciate the killer cocktails. Open during winter for brunch, lunch and dinner. sorellafallscreek.com.au
Lakeside Falls Creek
Lakeside Falls Creek.
Credit: Lakeside Falls Creek
Falls Creek has been a destination for skiing holidays since forever ago. Lakeside Falls Creek is a great jumping-off point for said ski fields, a legit ski-in, ski-out experience just 200 metres from the Village Bowl and Eagle and Summit Chairs. The hotel has a range of newly renovated rooms to choose from as well as a cosy communal lounge with a pool table, library, board games and a roaring fire. lakesidefallscreek.com.au
Dicky Knees
Dicky Knees
Credit: Dicky Knees
Steer your skis towards the base of Scott’s Chair at Falls Creek and pull out your best stem Christie to arrive in style at Dicky Knees, surrounded by a rumpled blanket of snow. Forget trail mix. Instead, head to Dicky Knees for a coffee and pretzel or hot dog stuffed with a meaty kranksy. Strike a pose at the Dicky Knees Photo Board before heading back up the mountain.
Cloud 9
Cloud 9.
Credit: Cloud 9
Lose the lethargy and zigzag through the snow gums to get your après on at Cloud 9. The sky terrace at Victoria’s largest ski resort overlooks the mountains which provide a suitable backdrop for an afternoon of reverie. The bar and restaurant are open during the snow season and a top spot for soup, pizza or pasta paired with local craft beers and wines sourced from the southern states. Watch the sky run the gamut of blues until 5pm when you can catch the Halley’s Comet Chairlift back to base. cloud9fc.com.au
Astra Falls Creek
Astra Falls Creek.
Credit: Elizabeth Costello/Tourism North East
Forget flinging yourself downhill and bunker down in the luxury lodge that has been awarded Best Boutique Ski Hotel nine consecutive years in a row. The contemporary iteration of the 80s’ lodge, reimagined by Grant Amon Architects about a decade ago, includes a rejuvenated day spa, library, wine cellar and even a custom boot-fitting facility and boot room. The bar and restaurant also had a rejuve. astrafallscreek.com.au
St Falls Resort
St Falls Resort.
Credit: St Falls Resort
You’ll find yourself falling for Falls with a stay at St Falls Resort. You can still make out the folds of the mountains from the spa on the private terrace of your one-bed apartment, which features a kitchen, lounge room and sofa bed. The resort is convenient for access to the Falls Creek ski lifts, which are just a short snowplough away. The luxury apartments are open year-round for those who want to skip through mountain meadows or go fly fishing. stfallsresort.com.au
Huski Kitchen
Huski Kitchen.
Credit: Danii Forde
You’ll want to sling a few superlatives in the direction of the chefs at Huski Kitchen after a carefully curated feast featuring southeast Asian delicacies. Think nourishing bowls of ramen. Or Japanese fried chicken that has a crunch so loud it should be illegal. Alternatively, opt for a light papaya salad so you can still squeeze into your salopettes for the last run of the day. Don’t forget to pose for a selfie in front of the mural of a husky dog. huskikitchen.com.au
PowderKeg
PowderKeg.
Credit: St. Falls Resort
Counter the cold winds pouring down the mountain with a little après-ski action at the Powder Keg. The bar cranks out cocktails, craft beers and local wines along with indulgent bar bites such as chips and dips, Korean fried chicken and pork belly tacos. The bar is at St Falls Resort so you won’t have to worry about skiing back to your accommodation. stfallsresort.com.au
Altitude Apartments
Altitude Apartments is a central location for skiing.
Credit: Aidan Haynes
Falls Creek is probably one of Australia’s best examples of a mountain town. Altitude Apartments looks out over a wintry wonderland from its location in the heart of the Village Bowl. Enjoy a glass of mulled wine on your balcony to combat the sting of the icy air in winter. Or ramble into the eucalpt-scented folds of the mountain in summer, when the setting also comes into its own. altitudefallscreek.com.au