Taste the South Coast at Merimbula’s EAT Festival

Posted on 12 February, 2025

Mark your calendars, food lovers – Merimbula’s tastiest day out is making its comeback! Did someone say ‘road trip’?

Once again transforming the sleepy coastal town into a food lover’s paradise, the EAT Festival (which is set against the glistening backdrop of Merimbula Lake), promises to showcase the region’s flourishing culinary scene.

Taking place on Sunday 9 March from 10 am until 2 pm, the event will see hatted restaurants rub shoulders with boutique bakeries, while award-winning distilleries share space with specialty coffee roasters.

And who would say no to the chance to sample incredible dishes from some of the region’s hottest restaurants and producers, all while taking in gorgeous water views?

And this year, the line-up is seriously impressive.

With notable participants including the acclaimed Valentina restaurant, craft gin pioneers North of Eden, and the innovative Bar Monti and Umiko, the best part of the EAT Festival is every dish is capped at $15, with entry to the festival completely free.

Yep – it’s basically a progressive lunch with some of the best restaurants in town, minus the fancy price tag. What’s not to love?

And for those who need an excuse to get out of town for longer than a day, you can make a whole weekend of it with plenty of extras planned. With EAT Festival events running from Thursday 6 until Sunday 9 March, you can learn to make your own gin at North of Eden (how cool is that?), master oyster shucking at Broadwater, or treat yourself to special festival dinners at Toast and Tidal.

There’s even a cheesy pizza night at Drift and a whisky launch at Nine Circles Distillery if that’s more your speed. But honestly? They had us at the EAT Oyster and Spoon Race. You might want to book those extra experiences ahead of time – they tend to fill up fast!

All we can say is the 2025 EAT Festival looks set to cement Merimbula’s place on Australia’s culinary map. And you’ll want to go hungry.

Feature image via Facebook.