Forget Melbourne’s laneways — the real dining flex is a 30-acre organic farm in Birregurra that doubles as one of the world’s best restaurants. Brae grows almost everything it plates: vegetables, fruits, grains, olives, honey, even the bread flour. No synthetic shortcuts, no food miles drama, just regenerative farming that keeps the soil — and your conscience — clean. Add a tasting menu that changes with the weather and six carbon-neutral suites with star-gazing skylights, and you’ve got yourself the definition of conscious hedonism.
Brae: A View To The Future
Video Credit: Directed by Marie Pangaud, Pan Pan Films (2023) capturing Brae’s organic farm, seasonal menus, and sustainable philosophy.
Location
4285 Cape Otway Rd, Birregurra VIC 3242
(03) 5236 2226
Open Thu–Mon for lunch & dinner
Website: braerestaurant.com
The BioHax Take
Call it a restaurant, call it a farm, call it a regenerative lifestyle brand with a wine list — Brae is all of it. Dan Hunter has built an empire where the carrots come from 20 metres away, the olives are pressed onsite, and the kitchen hums in perfect sync with the land. You eat what the farm gives, and the farm gives good. Then, instead of driving back to Melbourne in a food coma, you crash in one of six eco-suites kitted out with latex mattresses, turntables, cocktail bars, and views of the Otways. A sleepover never looked this grown-up.
What’s On Offer
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Ever-changing seasonal tasting menus
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Produce grown organically onsite (up to 90%)
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Ethical, regenerative meat and seafood sourcing
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Six carbon-neutral guest suites with luxe interiors
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Walking paths with farm-to-fork storyboards
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Bespoke ceramics, art, and textiles by local makers
Photo Credit: Seasonal farm-grown vegetables and edible flowers from Brae’s organic garden, plated as part of the restaurant’s evolving tasting menu.
Signature Dishes & Experiences
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Farm to Fork, Literally
Vegetables, grains, honey, and fruit grown metres from your table. Zero food miles, maximum flavour. -
Seasonal Tasting Menu
Multi-course, always changing, never phoned in. The garden dictates the script. -
Eco-Suites with Extras
King beds, organic linens, curated vinyl, and cocktail bars. It’s a regenerative farm, but make it bougie. -
Walking the Land
Stroll Brae’s trails, read the signs, and reconnect with where your food actually comes from.
Stay
Yes, you can stay. Brae’s six eco-suites are adults-only and come carbon-neutral, courtesy of Six Degrees Architects. Think recycled materials, solar power, worm-farm waste systems, and rainwater harvesting — plus latex mattresses, underfloor heating, deep baths, Rhys Lee art, and Cone11 ceramics. It’s sustainability disguised as indulgence, and it works.
Photo Credit: Brae’s carbon-neutral guest suites in Birregurra blend eco-conscious design with rural luxury — low environmental impact, high comfort, and living consciously.
Sustainability Snapshot
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90% of produce grown organically onsite
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1,500+ native plantings for biodiversity
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138 tonnes of CO₂ offset with solar
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160,000 litres of rainwater captured yearly
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236,400 kg of waste composted back into the farm
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Three-Star “Food Made Good” sustainability rating
Ideal For
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City escapees who want food with bragging rights
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Couples chasing the dine-and-stay fantasy
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Foodies who like their plates seasonal, local, and smugly sustainable
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Anyone who thinks a record player belongs in an eco-suite
Photo Credit: Brae Restaurant - Rows of organic vegetables and tomatoes grown at Brae’s regenerative farm in Birregurra, where up to 90% of the restaurant’s seasonal produce is cultivated onsite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is Brae?
A: Birregurra, Victoria — about 90 minutes from Melbourne.
Q: Do I need a booking?
A: Yes. Both dining and suites sell out fast.
Q: Can I stay without eating?
A: No. Suites are for diners only, adults-only.
Q: Is the menu always the same?
A: Never. It changes constantly with the farm.
Q: Is it really organic?
A: Yes. Brae runs on regenerative, chemical-free farming.
Q: Do they cater for dietary needs?
A: Yes, with advance notice.
Q: How sustainable is it?
A: Solar power, rainwater harvesting, closed-loop composting — the works.
Q: Do they make their own olive oil?
A: Yes, pressed onsite from Brae’s olive grove.
Q: Is Brae on the World’s 50 Best list?
A: Yep, and it’s deserved.
Q: What else is nearby?
A: The Otways and Great Ocean Road are a short drive away.
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Article originally published: 29 August 2025, by Editor
