Famed for its local produce, award-winning wine and seasonal food ethos, Orange has become one of NSW's most delicious dining destinations. Here's our guide to the region's best restaurants, cafes, wineries and unforgettable eating experiences – just a 3.5-hour drive from Sydney.

Meet passionate producers

Stock up on some of Orange's finest goods at The Agrestic Grocer, a dedicated food and wine hub including a restaurant, grocery store and cellar door for Badlands Brewery and Pig in the House organic wines. You can also find local condiments, artisan breads, small goods and more at Red Chilli Deli, and pick up drinks at Ferment, a wine bar-meets-bottle-shop selling drinks from smaller producers that don't have cellar doors themselves.

If you happen to be in Orange on the second Saturday of the month, don't miss the Orange Farmers Market at Northcourt, behind the Orange Regional Gallery. This is where you can meet the growers, providores, community gardeners and independent primary producers that keep the wheels of local restaurants and cafes turning. Sample everything from deli items, meats, preserves, olive oil and nuts to some of the region's award-winning wines, beers and ciders.

Brunch at the best

Cafe life is vibrant in Orange. Bills Beans has been the go-to for local coffee lovers since 2007, having grown from a shop-front roastery to one of Australia's largest regional coffee roasters. Take the taste test at that original shopfront, known as Bills Beans East Orange, or try their blend at Groundstone, a contemporary cafe on Byng Street with a deliciously simple menu. It's conveniently located within the Orange Regional Gallery and Orange Regional Museum precinct, so you won't go hungry while wandering through these impressive exhibition spaces.

Breads and pastries are coveted in Orange, find them baked in house at Byng Street Local Store or head to Racine Bakery for organic sourdough, pies, sausage rolls, pastries and cakes. At Anything Grows you'll find a cafe, boutique nursery and gift shop under one roof.

Dine in style

You can find plenty of restaurants that put Orange's produce to good use. At Mr Lim, local and native Australian ingredients are found in a menu of modern Korean and Chinese cuisine, with a setting just as colourful as the food. The Schoolhouse Restaurant, inside the ever-popular Union Bank wine bar, has an extensive and interesting menu of share plates. Nab a seat in the sunny courtyard for a long lunch.

And Birdie Noshery & Drinking Est. features a shareable menu of tapas, oysters and more substantial offerings. Drinks are fun and eclectic, including fine regional wines, colourful cocktails, craft beers and plenty of alcohol-free options. 

After dinner, Spilt Milk Bar is everyone's favourite gelato stop, with every flavour made from scratch using the freshest local ingredients. For something stronger, head to Hey Rosey, Orange's intimate 20-seater wine bar that focuses on unexpected flavours and local producers.

Wine time

With a wide variety of vineyards planted at different altitudes, wineries in Orange produce everything from light and bubbly sparkling wines to bone-dry rosé, complex pinot noir and exotic viognier. There are more than 30 cellar doors to visit, and many of them offer delicious dining experiences alongside wine tastings.

Try Philip Shaw Wines' consistently applauded pinot noir alongside a locally made cheese plate. Head to Borrodell to find one of Australia's highest vineyards, set atop a steep hillside overlooking the Towac Valley, and stay for a meal at acclaimed restaurant Sister's Rock. Try the many different varietals at Rowlee Wines, order a picnic hamper to enjoy on the grounds, then stay the weekend in the  private, luxury guesthouse.

And book in to one of Printhie Wines' incredible experiences, from a sparkling masterclass to a helicopter winery tour; both come with a five-course lunch. Printhie's cellar door even has an oyster tank filled with water shipped from the Clyde River so guests can have freshly shucked oysters with their sparkling.

Heifer Station is a kid-friendly winery – there's a petting zoo with alpacas, highland cows, chickens and a Shetland pony named Tilly – and offers private picnic experiences with their tastings.

Foodie festivals

Every year the town gets together to celebrate its producers. The annual Orange F.O.O.D Week is Australia's longest-running regional food festival, running across 10 days every April. Showcasing local farmers and chefs, events range from markets, celebration dinners, workshops and visits to farms, orchards and kitchens.

For those visiting in the winter months, local producers put on quite a show at the Orange Winter Fire Festival, which is all about eating comforting meals beside crackling fire pits and sipping heart-warming red wine.

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