Eat & Drink
Long lunches by the river
The best eat & drink in Riverland
Riverfront bistros, country bakeries, almond and citrus producers and woodfired pizza on the water’s edge. The Riverland table is generous, seasonal and unpretentious.
Eating in the Riverland means eating close to the source. This is one of Australia's great food bowls - citrus, almonds, stone fruit, grapes and vegetables grow in the irrigated country along the river, and much of it ends up on local tables within hours of harvest.
Graze the riverfront cafes at Berri, pull up a counter meal at the grand community-owned Renmark Hotel, or settle in for a long lunch over the wetlands at Banrock Station. The region's craft scene is growing fast too, with spirits at 23rd Street Distillery and riverside brews at Wilkadene Woolshed Brewing Co.
Don't overlook the farm gates and honesty boxes - bags of navels straight off the tree, fresh almonds and local honey. The Riverland Farmers Market gathers the lot on Saturday mornings. Whether it's fine cellar-door dining or a roadside bag of fruit, the food here tastes of the river that grew it.
Browse eat & drink by area
19 places
23rd Street Distillery
$$Spirits in a historic distillery
An award-winning distillery in a century-old Renmark site, producing gin, whisky, brandy and signature spirits.
Almondco Australian Almond Centre
$All things almond
A retail centre celebrating the Riverland’s almond industry, with tastings, products and the story of the nut from blossom to bag.
Almondco Loxton Orchards
The almond country around Loxton, where spring blossom turns whole districts white.
Angove Family Winemakers
$$Five generations of Riverland winemaking, with an organic vineyard and St Agnes brandy heritage.
Banrock Station Wine & Wetland Centre
$$Wine with a wetland view
A cellar door and restaurant perched above a 1,000-hectare Ramsar-listed wetland, with boardwalk trails through the floodplain.
Caudo Vineyard
$$Riverfront cellar door and pizza
A family-run riverfront cellar door near Cadell, famous for woodfired pizza, lawns to the water and weekend crowds.
Hogwash Bend Distillery
$$A riverside craft distillery near Cadell named for a famous bend in the Murray.
Nippy's Renmark
The home of the Riverland's famous juices - citrus and milk straight from the source.
Overland Corner Hotel
$$An 1859 river-trade pub
A National Trust–listed 1859 hotel built from local limestone, once a stop for overland drovers and river traders.
Plush's Premier
Riverfront dining in a restored Renmark landmark
Qualco Citrus Country
Orchard country on the Waikerie river flats
Renmark Club & Riverfront Lawns
Renmark's broad riverfront lawns and dining precinct, the green heart of the town beside the Murray.
Renmark Fruit Fly Free Produce Stalls
$Honesty-box and farm-gate citrus stalls scattered through the orchards around Renmark.
Renmark Hotel
$$A landmark Art Deco pub on the Renmark riverfront, owned by the community for over a century.
Riverland Farmers Market
$The region's long-running Saturday morning growers' market on the Berri riverfront.
Spice & Co / Berri Riverfront Cafes
$$Riverfront dining in the heart of Berri, with terraces looking out over the Murray.
The Almond Hut
$A roadside almond and local-produce shop in the heart of Riverland nut country.
Twin Rivers Distilling Co
A craft distillery in Renmark turning Riverland produce into small-batch spirits.
Wilkadene Woolshed Brewing Co
$$Craft beer in a riverside woolshed
A craft brewery in a converted woolshed on the banks of the Murray upstream of Renmark, with riverside camping.
Eat & Drink in Riverland - frequently asked questions
What is the Riverland known for when it comes to food and drink?
The Riverland is one of Australia's great food bowls, growing huge volumes of citrus, almonds, stone fruit, grapes and vegetables in the irrigated country along the Murray. It is also the country's largest wine region by tonnage, and local tables lean on this produce, from Nippy's citrus juice made by the Knispel family to almonds, woodfired pizza and generous platters of local fruit and small goods.
Where are the best riverfront places to eat and drink in the Riverland?
Some of the most loved spots sit right on the water's edge. Caudo Vineyard near Cadell serves woodfired pizza beside the Murray, Banrock Station near Kingston on Murray has an alfresco deck overlooking Ramsar-listed wetlands, and the Woolshed Brewery at Wilkadene pours handmade beer and cider from an old shearing shed. In Renmark, 23rd Street Distillery turns local produce into wood-oven pizzas alongside its award-winning spirits.
Is the Riverland wine region just bulk wine, or is there anything special to taste?
The Riverland still grows a large share of Australia's wine grapes, with Shiraz, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon doing the heavy lifting. The exciting story for visitors is the rise of warm-climate Mediterranean varieties such as Vermentino, Fiano, Montepulciano and Nero d'Avola, which suit the region's continental climate and are well worth seeking out at boutique cellar doors like Caudo and Banrock Station.
Do I need to book, and are these places family and dog friendly?
Many Riverland cellar doors and riverfront venues are relaxed and family friendly, with woodfired pizza and casual platters that suit kids. Booking is a good idea for sit-down meals and platters at places like Caudo Vineyard, especially on weekends and over holidays. Policies on dogs and opening days vary by venue, so it is worth checking directly before you visit, particularly mid-week when some cellar doors keep shorter hours.
When is the best time to visit the Riverland for local produce?
You can eat well year round, but citrus is the signature crop and Australian winter, roughly May to October, is prime time for Riverland oranges and mandarins. For the freshest local fruit, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and small goods, the Riverland Farmers Market runs every Saturday morning at the Berri Senior Citizens Hall, from about 7.30am to 11.30am.