Five Courses for Two in a Private Compartment, Bellarine

A restaurant that moves, on a railway that has been there since long before it was a restaurant.

The Q Train runs on the historic Bellarine Railway between Drysdale and Queenscliff, in restored carriages, and the first-class option is a private compartment for two: your own table, your own window, and nobody else's conversation.

Five courses, seasonal, cooked on board from Bellarine Peninsula produce, and each one paired with a local wine, beer or mocktail. The pairing is the point of doing this on the Bellarine rather than anywhere else, because the peninsula grows and makes most of what is in front of you.

Swan Bay goes past between courses, and there are station stops at Suma Park and Queenscliff.

Three hours. Two people. WiFi, air conditioning and a restroom on board.

Arrive thirty minutes before departure. Departures are usually from Drysdale, which is a fifteen-minute drive from Geelong, but some services leave from Queenscliff instead, so check the timetable.

Getting there is your own responsibility, though transport can be arranged at extra cost.

Ramps between the platform and the carriages, and menus in print and braille. Responsible service of alcohol applies, and there is no smoking anywhere on the train or under the station verandahs.