Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel

The Verdict

If you've already eaten at Wickens once and are weighing whether to make the two-plus-hour drive from Melbourne again, the answer is yes — provided wine is part of the draw. There is no serious regional restaurant in Victoria with a wine program at this level. Chef Robin Wickens and Wine Director John Myers have built something in Dunkeld that punches well above its postcode, and for returning visitors, the cellar depth is the reason to keep coming back.

Why Dunkeld Changes the Calculation

Most destination restaurants in Australia sit within reach of a major city. Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel is genuinely remote — Dunkeld is a small town in the Grampians region, and the Royal Mail Hotel is its anchor. That geographic reality matters to your decision: you are not just booking a dinner, you are booking a trip. The upside is that the experience is fully immersive in a way that urban fine dining rarely is. You stay at the hotel, walk to dinner, and the agenda is set. For anyone who has done it once, the question on a return visit is whether the restaurant continues to justify the travel. Based on its current recognitions, it does.

The Wine Program Is the Main Event

Wickens holds a 3-Star Accreditation from the World of Fine Wine awards and took the Regional Winner title for Australasia, a credential that places it among the most seriously considered wine programs on the continent. The list runs to 4,450 selections with a physical inventory of 28,575 bottles. Strengths sit in Australia, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Pricing sits at the $$$ tier, meaning expect a significant number of bottles above $100, though the range within the list gives you options if you want to drink well without committing to a trophy bottle. If wine is your primary motivation, this is one of the few regional Australian restaurants where the cellar itself is a reason to visit. For a returning guest, ask sommelier Leonardo Lupattelli what has recently arrived or opened, that conversation will shape the meal more than the menu will.

The Food

Robin Wickens leads the kitchen with Australian cuisine priced at $$$, meaning a typical two-course meal will run above $66 before beverages. Lunch and dinner are both offered. The food is the complement to the wine, not the other way around, Wickens built its reputation as a wine destination first, and the kitchen operates at a level that supports the program rather than competing with it for attention. If you are returning, push toward the longer format rather than the shorter one. The wine program rewards pacing.

Ratings and Recognition

• World of Fine Wine: 3-Star Accreditation
• World of Fine Wine: Regional Winner, Australasia
• Star Wine List: #1 ranking (2025)
• Star Wine List: White Star accreditation

Booking and Logistics

Booking difficulty is low relative to Melbourne's competitive dining scene. The remote location self-selects the audience, which means you are unlikely to face the multi-week waits common at comparably credentialed city restaurants. That said, weekends fill with hotel guests, so midweek arrivals tend to offer more flexibility. If you are travelling specifically for the restaurant, book the hotel room first, then the dinner, availability tends to track together. There is no phone or website listed in our current database; contact via the hotel directly.

How the Logistics Compare

Venue	Location	Cuisine Price	Wine Program	Booking Difficulty
Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel	Dunkeld, VIC	$$$	4,450 selections, WBWL 3-Star	Easy
Brae	Birregurra, VIC	$$$	Strong regional focus	Moderate
Attica	Melbourne, VIC	$$$	Curated, smaller list	Hard
Cutler & Co.	Fitzroy, VIC	$$	Solid city list	Easy–Moderate

Pearl Picks Nearby

If you are building a broader Grampians itinerary around this visit, see our full Dunkeld restaurants guide, our full Dunkeld hotels guide, our full Dunkeld bars guide, our full Dunkeld wineries guide, and our full Dunkeld experiences guide. For other destination dining at a comparable standard, Amaru in Armadale and Carlton Wine Rooms in Carlton are worth bookmarking. If you are comparing across Australian cities, Firedoor in Surry Hills and Bacchus in Brisbane are the closest equivalents in terms of seriousness of purpose.