At iPhoneography Oz we do not claim to be food critics. It is also not the purpose of this blog. But lately we must admit that we have tried a few fabulous Australian restaurants. This time we had dinner at Eleonore's Restaurant at Chateau Yering. Do you remember our visit to Max's Restaurant? Well, Chef Mathew Macartney's cuisine at Eleonore's Restaurant is simply a class above, which certainly makes the restaurant one of the finest restaurants in Australia. It is only located 45 minutes away from Melbourne in the Yarra Valley. The Chef lets his creativity flow while paying particular attention to product selection, flavour blending and dish presentation: an art fully mastered! It seems also important to note that you leave Eleonore's Restaurant fully satisfied (which is not always the case for a fine restaurant). Unfortunately the photos of food do not always honor the dishes at fair value. This is especially true when the picture is taken with an iPhone. This Wagyu Fillet (photo) is simply the best piece of meat that we have eaten in our lives. To wet your appetite, take a look at the menu! Note that it is also possible to stay overnight in one of the 32 suites at Chateau Yering. If talking about cuisine with an Australian Chef catches your interest, you can follow Mathew Macartney on Twitter (he is pretty active there so do not hesitate): @Chefmatmac.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Chateau Yering.

Melbourne's secrets do not necessarily hide downtown. Take the direction of Belgrave in the northeast outer suburbs of Melbourne for a time travel through the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley. You will be able to board Puffing Billy, a century-old steam train which was used to develop rural areas. Puffing Billy is now a major tourist attraction that exists thanks to the tireless efforts of more than 900 dedicated volunteers. We articipated in a three-hour trip between Belgrave and Lakeside. We would have liked a staging, similar to that of the Old Melbourne Gaol to really be taken back into that era, but it is still a unique experience! Several travel options are available. Our advice: if you are traveling in winter, choose a sunny day and travel preferably in the morning. There are no windows in the coaches and it can be cold at this time of year.
To see more photos of our Puffing Billy experience, visit The Complete Series gallery on iPhoneography Oz's Facebook page.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Puffing Billy.