The Railway Hotel Windsor

The Railway Hotel offers three separate dining experiences in the one venue. Downstairs you’ll find the traditional public bar, where the locals hang out. There’s Carlton on tap, bar snacks (pig nuggets and onion rings) and TVs screening the football.

The Deck has city views, bench seats and bar stools. This upstairs spot has a more family friendly vibe with share-style meals (half a roast chook, a side of rosemary-fried kipfler potatoes) daily lunch specials, happy hours and DJs on the weekend.

The Highline is a 30-cover formal dining experience which exists to showcase the produce from owner Peter McCormack’s family farm, Oak Valley in the Strathbogie Ranges. Here the menu changes accordingly and head chef Simon Tarlington’s (ex Quay, Woods of Windsor, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Maze) passion for paddock-to-plate cooking is carefully plated.

Choose from Cow, Pig, Sheep, Garden or something From the Sea – you’ll be presented with the cut of the day complemented by whatever has ripened, fallen, been picked or aged. Or select the six-course chef’s selection at $60 a head and Tarlington will do the rest of the deciding for you.

McCormack (a butcher by trade) and Tarlington have combined their knowledge to run Oak Valley sustainably. More than 90 per cent of the produce served at The Railway Hotel is grown and gathered there. The venue also cuts, cures or smokes all of its meat in house, making dry-aged prosciutto, salami, chorizo, ham, Bresaola and pastrami as well as sausages, brisket and lamb bacon.

As well as an extensive list of Australian and international wine pairings there's a decent dessert selection. A private function room and a 24-hour bottle shop complete the multi-function package.