Review EAT > Sardine Dining, Paynesville (17/20 points)

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The waterway between Paynesville and Raymond Island is known as McMillan Straight, it is a busy waterway with numerous marina’s, jetties and piers. The short crossing between the township of Paynesville and the houses of Raymond Island makes for a wonderful place to just sit and watch. Sardine Dining is the most perfect place to do just that.

Paynesville is a destination, it is not just a place that you pass through. Possibly that is because it is at the end of a peninsula that juts into the grand Gippsland Lakes and partially because it is known as the boating capital of Victoria as the most perfect place to launch a boat and explore these massive waterways. Sardine has had incredible recognition since it first opened in 2017 but it is the first time we have had the opportunity to eat here and it was sensational.

EAT >

On the sparkling Gippsland Lakes, Sardine Dining emerges as Paynesville’s answer to elevated coastal cuisine—an intimate, light-filled room where the region’s catch glides from boat to plate with confidence. This is a place where the essence of lakeside living is cleverly distilled into every detail: local seafood, tight-knit service, and a pervasive sense of lake-washed peace.

AMBIANCE >

Set at the edge of Paynesville’s esplanade, almost opposite the car ferry to Raymond Island, Sardine feels both neighbourly and refined. The decor is modern Australiana: understated timber, pale walls, and panoramic glass facing the water, inviting the afternoon light and the slow rhythm of moored boats. It’s small by design and always buzzing—with the open kitchen audible and the service crisp, welcoming, and unobtrusive.

THE FOOD >

Chef Mark Briggs draws upon Gippsland’s bounty to craft plates that are confident in their simplicity. The menu splits from small bites to taste, pastas and large plates perfect for sharing. Zucchini Flowers with goats cheese and Tambo honey, amazing whipped patê with cherry and cacao nibs, smoked eel tart with apple horse radish and crème fraiche.

Local sardines—fresh, grilled, and dressed with grassy olive oil—are an effortless signature. Risotto with Italian zucchini and salted cod was green and fresh, Casareccia pasta with swimmer crab and chilli is incredibly moorish. The fillet of snapper glistens on the plate with native saltbush, joining the fillet on the plate mussels, bacon and peas – sensational.

Desserts nimbly balance fruit, salt, and sweetness; simple options parfait, pannacotta or cheese. Each dish that arrives at the table displays the kitchen’s conviction: clean flavours, measured inventiveness, and unwavering respect for the produce.

SERVICE >

The service is surprisingly good, the young staff are truly excellent. Keen, knowledgeable and friendly but professional to a level rarely seen in regional restaurants, a true credit to the venue.

WINE SERVICE >

The short, sharp wine list is a showcase for Victoria’s regional stars—lean, mineral-laced Chardonnays from Tambo, crisp Brindabella Pinot Gris, peppery reds from South Gippsland alongside a well chosen Champagne. Staff offer quietly insightful recommendations and generous pours, eager to pair local seafood with small-batch bottles.

CHEF & OWNERSHIP >

Helmed by Mark Briggs (ex-Vue de Monde), Sardine Dining is independently owned, reflecting the chef’s own vision of contemporary lakeside dining. Here, the menu reads like a love letter to the Gippsland region, balancing classic technique with a relaxed sensibility that feels right for the setting.

LOCATION >

Sardine Dining is a handful of steps from Paynesville’s ferry pier, overlooking the lakes towards Raymond Island. Dinners morph into sunsets, window seats invite lingering, and the venue thrums with an easy-going neighbourhood energy.

CONCLUSION >

No matter if you arrive by boat or by car, in Paynesville, Sardine Dining brings a modern, assured take on seafood-forward cuisine—an unmissable destination for those chasing local flavour, lakescape beauty, and honest hospitality, all brilliantly distilled on the Gippsland coast.