SkyHigh on Mount Dandenong is aΒ must-visit tourist destinations in the Dandenong Ranges. The main attractionΒ is theΒ view – which is pretty spectacular, as you can see above – although views don’t pay the bills and that responsibility falls to the restaurant and function centre.Β The picturesque grounds at SkyHigh include a maze –Β which has its own cafe –Β and various attractions and “events” to keep the whole family entertained.
It was a bit of a trek from the Yarra Valley, nearlyΒ an hour’s drive, although it would have been easier if our GPS hadn’t sent us down a nerve-wracking one-lane windy road. Panic attack over, it was time for lunch.
You first realise that this is aΒ touristΒ destinationΒ when you’re charged $5Β justΒ to enter the car park.
I had looked at the lunch menu online, and thought it was a little…pedestrian…which sounds really snobby, but I didn’t go to the Yarra Valley to eat food that I could get anywhere.Β The choices include porterhouse steak with olive oil mash, mushroom ragout & green beans ($26.50), wagyu burger with aioli, tomato relish, tomato & lettuce in a brioche bun with chips ($22.50) and cider battered barramundi & chips with salad ($23.50). There’s alsoΒ a children’s lunch menu, and all meals come with a soft drink and ice-cream sundae for around $16.
The dinner menu looks a little more sophisticated, but is “designed for a 3 course experience”, which I find an odd declaration – your 3 courses will cost around $50-$60, excluding drinks, so it’s not too expensive. Maybe the portions are small?
TheyΒ also serve breakfast on weekends and aΒ roast lunchΒ &Β afternoon tea on Sundays, and there are even special banquet menus if you’re that way inclined.
When you enter the restaurant, it’s clear that anyΒ apparent sophistication on the menu means nothing – it’s pretty rough. The staff were rather inattentive, our waitress disappeared after we were seated andΒ it wasn’t immediately clear whether it was counter or table service. We actually considered leaving at one point, howeverΒ decided to persevere.
I chose the “bbq pulled pork in a sourdough baguette with spicy red cabbage coleslaw & seasoned wedges” ($17.50) which was perfectly acceptable, and pleasantly presented – I’ve certainly had worse, although there was nothing exceptional about it.
Renay went for a good-old chicken parmy with chips & salad ($25.50), which was a generous portion and actually rather tasty, although noΒ betterΒ than you can get anywhere else.Β
TheΒ lemon lime & bitters wasn’t out of a bottle, which was a nice surprise.
There aren’tΒ too many places where you can have lunch while enjoyingΒ this kind of view.Β You can hold a conference or get married here, it would certainly beΒ a great place for wedding photos!Β There’s even a special proposal package, that includesΒ a four course dinner with champagne on a private terrace for $485.
The food at SkyHigh was better than I expected, but ultimatelyΒ this is a tourist attractionΒ not a foodie destination.Β The view is worth the trip, but don’t expect a gourmet experience.
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