Coda trained chef Mario Tambajong will be serving-up a new French steak restaurant in Geelong next month –  Eileen’s Charcoal Grill.

Eileen’s will be the third restaurant on site at the Sawyers Arms Tavern in Newtown. The Sawyers Arms operates as a gastropub downstairs, while upstairs is Two Noble – an Asian fine dining restaurant which opened in August. The building has been extended to now add Eileen’s. This trilogy is owned by Paul Upham who previously had The Lorne Hotel and the new restaurant is named in homage to Mrs Eileen Clatworthy, who owned Sawyers Arms for more than half a century. Mrs Clat was wonderfully charismatic and ran the establishment (known locally as Clat’s) until she was 91, residing upstairs.

The menu will feature dishes such as chicken parfait with orange; steak tartare with potato wafers; and marbled steak with Café de Paris sauce accompanied by duck fat russets. Profiteroles or a cheese board are dessert options and the menu also has broader European inclusions. Guests can pre-order meat (such as 120-day-aged grass-fed ribeye) which will be aged on their behalf, ready for a special occasion.

Eileen’s will open mid-June.

Address: 2 Noble Street, Newtown
Link to photos

Eileen’s is the icing on the cake on what is already a strong French dining offering in Geelong and The Bellarine. With Bastille Day coming up on July 14, here are the top restaurants to try:

Felix Restaurant

Tucked away off a lane in Geelong’s Little Malop Street precinct, Felix serves a modern interpretation of French classics. Highlights of the winter menu (launching in June) include dry aged duck with orange and fennel; roasted cabbage with horseradish, fennel and leek (vegetarian and vegan); and a macaron inspired by the classic French dessert, the Paris–Brest pastry.

Bastille Day event: Three course set lunch with glass of bubbles on arrival, $100 per person.

Address: 9 Downes Lane, Geelong
Link to photos

Claribeaux

Claribeaux is sophisticated French dining at Curlewis Golf Club, with views of the fairways and greens. Focussing on sustainable, local produce, the menu features classic French dishes such as steak frites as well as innovative fusion dishes including juniper spiced venison.

Bastille Day event: 3 course lunch with glass of French bubbles on arrival. Entrée options include steak tartare; escargot persillade; and poireaux vinaigrette. The mains offering is bouillabaisse; boeuf bourguignon; magret de canard; and terrine d’aubergines. Plated up for dessert will be mousse au chocolat; crème caramel and tarte tatin. Also enjoy the chariot de fromage (roaming French cheese cart) served with traditional accoutrements ($10 per selection, 3 for $25, 5 for $40). A roving accordion player will create the perfect ambiance, $95 per person.  

Address: 1345 Portarlington Road, Curlewis
Link to photos

Arlo

A new French-leaning wine bar in the up-and-coming coastal town of Portarlington, with water views. It opened in December 2023 and is run by Peter Roddy who also has hatted restaurant Noir (Richmond) in his suite, as well as Pier Street Café (Portarlington). Arlo has a deliberately casual approach to seasonal food, serving up dishes such as confit duck and boeuf bourguignon. From Melbourne you can catch a ride with Port Phillip Ferries practically to Arlo’s door step, the voyage takes 70 minutes. Enjoy watching boats on the marina while you wine and dine. 

Bastille Day event: 4 course lunch cooked by hatted chef Peter Roddy, accompanied by French wines. The maître d'hôtel and sommelier has travelled to Portarlington from Paris where his family has a delicatessen in the 15th district.
$60 per person.

Address: 1A Harding Street, Portarlington
Link to photos

360Q

You can’t beat the view at 360Q, the two-storey restaurant sits right on the water’s edge at Queenscliff Harbour.
Run by Barry Iddles who has cooked for Michael Jackson, Harry Connick Jnr, Carlos Santana, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. Barry toured Australia with Peter Allen and even made Kylie Minogue’s 30th birthday cake.
Arrive in style with Searoad Ferries from Sorrento, the passage takes 40 minutes. 360Q offers a range of cuisines throughout the year, often with an Asian fusion sway however, will be hosting a special French dining experience for Bastille Day.

Bastille Day event: Three course lunch of Parisian cuisine and a glass of Kir Royale on arrival. Dishes include salad niçoise; chicken coq au vin; and profiteroles with toasted almonds and salted caramel sauce. French-inspired music by Kelly Auty and Lisette Payet, $75 per person.

Address: 2 Wharf Street East, Queenscliff
Link to photos

For further information, interviews or familiarisation opportunities please contact:

Yasmin Paton
Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine
P: +61 478 258 989
E: yasmin.paton@tourismgeelongbellarine.com.au