A little bit about us.
A sense of place, seasonality and honest imperfection.
The Surly Goat sits quietly on a back street in Hepburn Springs, away from the main thoroughfare. It’s a former tearoom that’s become something else entirely—a restaurant built on the belief that great food doesn’t need fanfare, just integrity.
Since 2016, we’ve been cooking with the seasons and the region. Our four-course menu changes constantly, shaped by what’s available, what’s at its peak, and what our producers bring through the door. We work closely with small-scale and regenerative growers across Central Victoria—people who care deeply about how they farm and what they grow.
The dining room is homely and unpretentious. There’s a 10-seat fireside bar where locals gather, and two small dining areas where the focus is squarely on the food. Service is warm and knowledgeable, and the pace is unhurried.
Our wine list reflects the same ethos—small producers, thoughtful selections, and a willingness to explore. In 2025, we were awarded 3-glasses in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, the highest rating given. The list was described as “brimming with cult, artisan producers” and “one of Victoria’s most engaging and superior wine collections.”
We’ve also been fortunate to hold a hat in The Age Good Food Guide for four consecutive years. But what drives us isn’t accolades—it’s the daily pursuit of flavour, the relationships with our producers, and the quiet satisfaction of a menu that surprises and delights.
We look forward to having you dine with us.
Bio
Owner and Executive Chef David Willcocks trained under Yarra Valley legend Gary Cooper, who instilled in him a reverence for seasonal cooking. He went on to work with Melbourne chef Teage Ezard before spending time cooking his way through Europe.
David and his wife and business partner Vanesa, moved to the region in 2012 with their family. David ran the kitchen at The Argus and under his guidance, were awarded their first chefs hat.
Since taking over The Surly Goat in 2018, David has built a kitchen that lets ingredients speak for themselves. His philosophy is simple: let the seasons lead, let the region’s producers shine, and never stop learning.
Tucked down a dead-end street off the main drag, this unpretentious former tearoom is a favourite with the locals who cosy up at the 10-seat fireside bar. Two homey dining areas are for those ready to dive into the chef’s four-course menu, a surprise until you’re seated.
Perhaps you’ll begin with a fancy curried egg sandwich with pops of salmon roe, or glistening char siu pork belly topped with pickled cucumber. Next, expect a vegetable-focused dish humming in tune with the season, such as creamed celeriac gussied up with smoked eel consomme, followed by richly flavoured roast cannon of lamb and chicken mousse wrapped in lamb belly.
Tiny cubes of steamed apple are blanketed in whipped cream infused with vanilla, parsnip and nutmeg. Friendly, adroit staff may be stretched, but relax with a local wine and enjoy the extra digestion time.
What the critics say
Good Food Guide 2025
Updated October 27, 2025
15/20
In the parlance of the younger generation, IYKYK with this collection of wines that sits firmly in the corner of the avant-garde, though high quality is an overlay. This is a list brimming with cult, artisan producers and strays widely around the globe without missing a beat for premium wines from local regions of Macedon Ranges, Heathcote, Bendigo, Beechworth and Central Victoria.
A cellar list bolsters an already enticing ‘Everyday List’ that includes a treatise to Cobaw Ridge alongside an array of accessible Australian and imported wines. The cellar list trumpets unicorn sparkling wines from Jean-Pierre Robinot while touting wonderful producers of Jura, a wicked snippet of whites from Alheit of Western Cape, South Africa (don’t miss Swartland’s Testalonga wines too!) and proximate Eastern Peake tips in with a healthy selection of cellar release bottles.
This is an outstanding collection that thrills at every turn of the page, a wine nerd’s tome in some respects, but with such enticing selections, and a wine team to back it up, that it immediately leaps into front of mind as one of Victoria’s most engaging and superior wine collections. Kudos due.
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2025
