Mudgee over-delivers on everything from fine dining to sophisticated wine bars and cosy cellar doors.

With more than 35 family-owned cellar doors, a distillery, brewery and countless restaurants and cafes it’s little wonder that Mudgee has become a household name among Australian foodies.

Explore the wining and dining scene with our pick of the best places to dine and wine when visiting Mudgee and its surrounds.

1. The Zin House

Best for: Sunset drinks followed by dinner

Serving as the cellar door restaurant at Lowe Wines & Co. – the organic, small-batch producer that put Mudgee on the map.

Following a short hiatus, chef, owner and regional food identity Kim Currie has returned with a new menu that continues to lean heavily on fresh produce from the garden and local region. The Zin House’s extensive orchard and zinfandel paddock supplies most of the restaurant’s organic produce, which is then prepared from scratch using classic techniques. What they don’t grow themselves, they source from local producers to provide a truly local experience.

Long lunch sittings are popular, so be sure to book in advance. The optional wine pairing is highly recommended, featuring a mix of regional and estate-produced wines.

Address: 327 Tinja Lane, Mudgee

2. Pipeclay Pumphouse

Best for: Long lunches

The rustic Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant at Robert Stein Vineyard takes its paddock-to-plate philosophy seriously. Most of the veggies and herbs are grown on site; the cattle, chicken and sheep are farmed here; and they make their own prosciutto and cured meats.

While the restaurant is well known for its dinner sittings, you needn’t overlook it’s impressive long lunch offering. The six-course degustation, featuring a signature charcuterie, salmon tartare with lemon, gnocchi with duck and mushroom ragu, beef short rib and lemon sorbet will have you rolling out the door. Add matching wines from nearby Robert Stein for an extra $40.

It’s also worth mentioning that Pipeclay shines for both lunch and dinner. Just don’t leave town without going!

Address: Pipeclay Lane, Budgee Budgee

3. Eltons Bar and Bites

Best for: Sunny afternoons in the courtyard

A schmick fit out has transformed the original 1896 Elton’s Pharmacy building into a modern hangout with a menu that delivers on its namesake – expect to do lots of eating and drinking at Eltons.

Take a seat in the main bar, the open-air courtyard or on the sunny footpath out front. The share plate menu is packed with a variety of small bites, tacos and sides – perfectly portioned for enjoying during a day filled with Mudgee’s best wining and dining experiences.

Address: 81 Market Street, Mudgee

4. Roth’s Wine Bar

Best for: Cosy nights out

If your winery bucket list is too long to conquer you can always sample a local drop at Roth’s Wine Bar.

Robert Roth originally opened the space as a general store, serving a sneaky tipple to thirsty farmers on occasion before licensing the premises as a wine bar in 1923. There are now over 100 premium local and regional wines on offer and the wine list changes fortnightly to showcase a variety of drops available from the surrounding Central Ranges.

Aside from wine, the bar serves craft beer, pizzas, tapas, cheese and charcuterie boards for the ultimate casual night out in Mudgee.

Address: 30 Market Street, Mudgee

5. Isabella’s Trattoria

Best for: Comfort Italian

You’ll know you’ve arrived at Isabella’s Trattoria when you spot the sign that says you have found the “food you’ve been looking for". This place ups the ante when it comes to upscale Italian fare.

Maroon awnings feature cursive decal out the front, transporting customers to an Italian side street from the get go. An open-plan kitchen allows customers to see the masters at work, manoeuvring around the kitchen with beautiful European finesse. Match the risotto, garlic prawns and seafood pasta with a drop from the lengthy wine list. For dessert, the tiramisu is the sweet pick-me-up your evening needs.

Address: 52 Market St, Mudgee

6. 29 Nine 99

Best for: Taking tea

Artist turned tea house owner, Na Lan, has been steaming handmade dumplings at 29 Nine 99 in a quaint sandstone building in Rylstone since 2008.

Find a spot amid the artworks and gifts and settle in for rounds of tea and pillowy-soft dumplings. While Na Lan never trained as a chef, she says she likes to “spoil her tastebuds", which leads to deliciously crafted dim sum. This diminutive restaurant is hugely popular, so book ahead on weekends.

Address: 28 Louee Street, Rylstone

7. The Barn at Blue Wren Farm

Best for: Barn vibes

Taking simple, seasonal ingredients and finessing them to become the best versions of themselves, the fare at the Barn on the idyllic Blue Wren Farm is sustainable, elegant and wholly delicious. Take a seat outdoors and enjoy a procession of plates that pair well with the accompanying wine list.

From prosciutto with persimmon and pickled chilli to larger plates of chargrilled lamb backstrap skewers with lentils and yoghurt and a chicken cotaletta with fried capers, the Italian-leaning menu is long lunch perfection, but you can also dine in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday.

Groups of 10 or more will need to book in for a set menu experience, which is an entirely agreeable way to spend a few hours – just be sure to book a taxi back to your accommodation.

Address: 433 Ulan Road, Mudgee

8. Cade Kitchen and Bar

Best for: Staying out late-ish

Set in one of Mudgee’s oldest buildings, which also houses the Cobb and Co Boutique Hotel, the history in the lively Cade Kitchen and Bar is palpable and lends the evening an air of bygone pleasure. Settle in with a well-stirred cocktail before meandering onto larger plates, such as confit duck leg with crispy kale and carrot reduction or sesame-crusted salmon.

For more casual moods, share slices of the 72-hour hand-stretched dough pizza, from buffalina to a more Australian-accented meat lovers. Pizza also fortifies revellers in the Bianco Bar, where you can enjoy a drink until late between Monday and Saturday. Don’t miss happy hour between 5pm and 6pm Monday to Thursday.

Address: 97 Market Street, Mudgee

9. Smokin Bro & Co.

Best for: Rib-sticking ribs

When the cool weather creeps into town or just when you feel like a robust dinner, head to Smokin Bro & Co., an American-style diner where the meats are smoky and the beers are frosty.

Tuck into everything from brisket burgers to a kransky taco and opt in for a stack of sides, such as cornbread, sweet potato casserole and bacon mac. The barbecue is stoked from Wednesday to Thursday nights and seasons the Mudgee air with curls of smoke over lunch on Friday and Saturday.

Address: 13A Lewis Street, Mudgee

10. Warakirri Dining Experience by Indigiearth

Best for: Exploring Indigenous flavours

Operated by Indigiearth founder Sharon Winsor, a Ngemba Weilwan woman from Western NSW, this intimate dining experience shared by only 30 guests per night unravels native bush tucker and botanicals across five courses.

A deep love and respect for Indigenous food dovetailing with her culinary mastery enables Sharon to take diners on an immersive gastronomic journey into ancient skills and flavours. Over four hours, share incredible dishes paired with beverages, while enjoying cultural entertainment such as music and storytelling.

Address: Huntington Estate, 641 Ulan Road, Buckaroo

11. Mudgee Brewing Co.

Best for: Pints and pizza

Food at a brewery can go one of two ways: lacklustre pub grub or upscale regional fare. Thank goodness Mudgee Brewing Co. delivers the latter.

Gary Leonard left the coal mining industry to open Mudgee’s only microbrewery in 2007. The 100-year-old former wool store has served as one of the town’s favourite watering holes ever since with eight taps pouring the latest onsite craft brews.

Find an extensive food menu featuring beer snacks, pizzas and a variety of mains; confit duck, prawn pasta and mussels will satiate sophisticated appetites, while the fish and chips, schnitzel burgers and wings are for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Live music adds to the ambience and, unlike most breweries, this one goes the extra mile with table service.

Address: 4 Church Street, Mudgee

12. Paragon Hotel

Best for: Classic fare with friends

This 1857 gold rush-era hotel has Aussie pub ambience down to a fine art. The pub’s Bushman eatery isn’t reinventing the wheel and nor does it have to when classic grub comes this well finessed. You can tuck into your usual suspects, should you feel like fish and chips, steak or a chicken schnitty, but there are also nouveau pub classics, such as a warm cauliflower salad, grilled fish tacos and pan-fried salmon. The wine list is curated with local-leaning, as expected.

Address: 38 Perry Street, Mudgee

13. Jumbucks at the Woolpack Hotel

Best for: Asian with a side of fries

Not your stock-standard pub grub, the Woolpack Hotel sidesteps expectations with their casual Asian-fusion eatery, Jumbucks. You can get everything here from garlic prawns to san choy bow, gyoza and a range of stir-fries and omelettes. But this is still an Aussie country pub, so be comforted with an additional classics menu that doesn’t leave anyone out.

Address:  38 Perry Street, Mudgee

Follow our guide for the 21 of the very best things to do in Mudgee