Restaurant in Daylesford, Australia
La Liste-ranked; plan the trip around it.
Kadota has appeared on the La Liste Top Restaurants list in both 2025 and 2026, scoring 77 points in its most recent entry, making it the clearest reason to plan a dedicated food trip to Daylesford. The Australian Farmhouse approach means the experience shifts meaningfully with the seasons, which rewards return visits. Booking is easy relative to peers like Brae, making it one of the more accessible entries into serious regional Australian cooking.
Kadota sits at 1 Camp St in Daylesford and has earned consecutive appearances on the La Liste Leading Restaurants list, scoring 76.5 points in 2025 and climbing to 77 points in 2026. That kind of incremental recognition in a global ranking is a reliable signal: the kitchen is moving in the right direction, not coasting. With a Google rating of 4.8 from 446 reviews, the local consensus tracks with the international one. For food and wine travellers already planning a Daylesford weekend, Kadota belongs on the itinerary. For those making a dedicated trip, it is one of the clearest reasons to go.
Australian Farmhouse cuisine at its leading is ingredient-driven and tied to place, which means the experience at Kadota will shift depending on when you visit. Come now, in the current season, and you are likely to find the kitchen working with what the Central Highlands and its surrounding region are producing at this moment. That is the whole point. A first visit gives you the foundation: the rhythm of the room, the approach to produce, the tone of the cooking. Book a second visit in a different season and you are effectively eating at a different restaurant, one that has moved on with the landscape around it.
The address on Camp St puts Kadota within the compact centre of Daylesford, which makes logistics direct. You can walk from most of the town's accommodation, pair the meal with a visit to one of the region's wineries (see our full Daylesford wineries guide), or build it into a longer day using our Daylesford experiences guide. For dining context before or after, our full Daylesford restaurants guide covers the wider picture.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which is a practical advantage in a town where Lake House can fill up weeks in advance on weekends. If you are organising a trip and Kadota is your anchor meal, you have more flexibility than you might expect. That said, the La Liste recognition will bring more visitors over time, so booking ahead remains the sensible move rather than relying on walk-in availability.
For the explorer travelling specifically for food and wine, Daylesford rewards careful sequencing. Use Kadota as the centrepiece of a two-night stay. On the first evening, let the kitchen set the tone for the trip. On the second, if you want to contrast the farmhouse register with something more informal, our Daylesford bars guide and Daylesford Organic Farm offer different angles on the same region's produce.
Kadota is at 1 Camp St, Daylesford VIC 3460. Pricing details are not published in the venue record, so confirm current menu pricing directly when you book. Hours are not listed centrally, so check at the time of reservation. Daylesford is roughly 115 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, typically just over an hour's drive. For accommodation while you are in town, our Daylesford hotels guide covers the options across price points.
Within the farmhouse and produce-led Australian cooking category, the most direct national comparison is Brae in Birregurra, which operates a farm-to-table model with significant critical recognition and is roughly an hour further southwest. Brae is harder to book and sits at a higher price point. If the farm-sourced approach is what draws you and budget is a consideration, Kadota is likely the more accessible entry point into that style of cooking. Attica in Melbourne plays in a different register entirely: more ceremonial, higher priced, and built around a tasting menu format that demands a different kind of evening commitment. For a weekend trip, Kadota plus a winery lunch is a more balanced proposition than driving into the city for Attica.
Closer to home in Daylesford, Lake House remains the most prominent address in town, with stronger name recognition and a hotel attached. If you are staying at Lake House, eating there is convenient. If you are not, Kadota is the more focused dining decision, built around the cooking rather than the full resort experience. Daylesford Organic Farm offers a more casual register and works well as a daytime or secondary meal during a visit, but it is not a direct substitute for what Kadota is doing.
For those building a wider Australian food itinerary, Kadota pairs naturally with Cutler & Co. in Fitzroy or Amaru in Armadale as part of a Melbourne-anchored trip. Carlton Wine Rooms in Carlton is worth knowing for wine-forward dining in the city before or after your Daylesford visit.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kadota | Easy | — | |
| Daylesford Organic Farm | ££ | Unknown | — |
| Attica | Unknown | — | |
| Brae | Unknown | — | |
| Rockpool | Unknown | — | |
| Saint Peter | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Kadota and alternatives.
Specific menu items are not published in advance, which is consistent with Australian farmhouse cooking tied to seasonal and local produce. Go in without fixed expectations and let the kitchen drive. Two consecutive years on the La Liste Top Restaurants list suggest the format delivers, so trust the menu rather than trying to pre-select dishes.
Kadota's Australian farmhouse format tends to suit solo diners who eat to observe and engage rather than to share large plates. That said, table configuration details are not confirmed in the venue record, so it is worth contacting them directly at 1 Camp St, Daylesford to ask about counter or bar seating before booking solo.
Yes, this is a strong choice for a special occasion. Back-to-back appearances on La Liste Top Restaurants (76.5pts in 2025, 77pts in 2026) give it the kind of track record that holds up as a reason to visit. Daylesford as a destination adds to the occasion, making it a natural fit for a weekend trip rather than a quick dinner out.
No dietary information is confirmed in the venue record. Given the produce-led Australian farmhouse format, the kitchen is likely ingredient-focused and may have limited flexibility around certain restrictions. check the venue's official channels before booking if dietary requirements are a factor.
Daylesford Organic Farm is the most direct local alternative if you want a produce-first experience in the same area. For a comparable regional Victoria commitment to place-driven cooking, Brae in nearby Birregurra is the strongest peer and carries more international recognition. If you are weighing a Melbourne city option instead, Attica operates at a higher price point with more booking difficulty.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
