4 Best Restaurants in Murray River Region, Victoria

For a delicious breakfast on the go, this widely admired bakery's eggs Benedict wrap is a great start. For the rest of the day, hit the deli sandwich bar, order a Beechworth steak pie or the robust Ned Kelly pie, a meat pie topped with bacon, egg, and cheese. Vegan options include an Indian curry pie and glazed doughnuts. Gluten-, dairy- and nut-free options are also available. There are also outposts across country Victoria including Bendigo, Ballarat, and Bright.

Self-billed as Australia's Greatest Pie Shop, Parkers really are that good. Not just your average pie, here's your chance to try a kangaroo pie—with mushrooms and caramelized onion—or perhaps an emu or buffalo pie, when in stock. Otherwise, their classic steak pies all get top marks: try the Rutherglen Red, chunks of beef slowly cooked in a mushroom, bacon and red wine sauce. Vegetarians aren't forgotten, with a veg pie with sweet chili and cheese sauce.

A Rutherglen favorite for over 20 years, expect robust, flavorsome Aus-European dishes that include pâtes, terrines, confit duck, and hearty vegetarian tagines. Each menu item is matched with a local wine---a handy way to taste your way around the region, without having to drive. The brunch menu has a lavish way about itself, with truffled scrambled eggs, Bloody Marys and locally produced sparkling wines alongside coffee roasted in the High Country. Afterward, shop its range of bottled relishes, pickles, and Gooramadda olives for a gourmet picnic. Pickled Sisters also runs well-regarded cooking classes.

Load the brunch table with French toast, waffles, breakfast wraps, and a big fry at this too-cute weatherboard café on Echuca's main street. The café serves all plant-based foods, from its milky coffees to its sweet smoothie bowls and refined sugar-free slices. Fresh, cold-pressed juices, coffee and superfood peanut-butter lattes round out the drinks side of the menu, which is guided by principles of sustainability and veganism.