2016 Regional Awards

• HIGHLY COMMENDED Best Contemporary Dining sponsored by Harwood Andrews
• FINALIST Best Cellar of Local Wines, Beers and Ciders sponsored by Bendigo Tourism
• FINALIST Most Outstanding Front of House person – Emily Mayberry sponsored by Maxim PR and Marketing
• FINALIST Peter Watson Memorial Award for Best Chef (Ben Massey) sponsored by Garuda Indonesia Airlines and Comcater P/L

2016 Judges’ Comments

Few restaurants can pack as much into one venue as does Rocks on Rosalind in View Street Bendigo.   This former boom era bank is buzzy and casual upstairs, quieter downstairs, with many spaces for groups and couples and special functions.  There is also an excellent garden at the rear for warm weather and functions. For all the high ceilings and crowds of people inside, the acoustics were surprisingly good. A wall of blackboard with specials chalked up created a contemporary edge to the Scandinavian vibe (pale timber, clean lines). Very appealing. This is a particularly good drinking place: an excellent wide-ranging wine list, good choice of beers and an impressive cocktail list. And they go to lengths to make dining flexible and fun. The food choices are eclectic moving happily between Asian and European flavours – it’s and innovative and imaginative menu. The peking duck pancakes, seared scallops with pea puree and kassler butter, and the pink salt and pepper-berry squid were brilliant. The shared main course was Flinders Island salt grass lamb rack with bortolli and white beans, peas and parsley.  Desserts were chocolate and orange tart, and rosewater and orange marshmallow Turkish delight. All strongly recommended.  Rocks offers a wide-ranging drinks list, with excellent cocktails that suits the ambience perfectly (its a great venue to celebrate in), there’s a good beer list and enthusiast’s wine list. There’s a good choice of regional and local wines and the menu suggests wines to match the dishes on the menu. It’s a busy restaurant in which staff maintain good customer service standards, are cheerful, helpful and efficient. Rocks on Rosalind is not cheap but it is good value for money.

Previous Awards

• 2015 – Best Relaxed Dining – Regional Winner –
• 2015 – Outstanding Front of House – Regional Winner – Finn Vedelsby
• 2015 – Best Customer Service – Regional Winner –
• 2015 – Judges Innovation Award – Regional Winner –
• 2014 –  Best Front of House Person – Finn Vindelsby – Regional Winner
• 2014 –  Best Restaurant Contemporary Dining  – Highly Commended