A small garden but beautifully maintained & a pleasure to walk around. Nice little coffee shop to sit & enjoy the surroundings. Very close to the foreshore also.

Great place to come and visit. Well laid out. Plenty of signs around next to the plants and trees. Good walkways. Areas to sit through out. There is also a cafe within the gardens. Well must visit. Be mindful of the times as it is open at a set time each day.

The garden is very well maintained and not too big. We spent about 1.5 hours here, slowly admiring the plants and blooms, as my elderly companion loves flowers. We visited on a weekday morning, and it was quite difficult to find a parking spot, not sure if it is always like this or if there was an event nearby on that day. There is also a café inside. Free entrance and parking. Worth a visit if you are in the area and enjoy plants.

A Peaceful Escape at the Geelong Botanic Gardens – Where Nature and Reflection Meet A recent visit to the Geelong Botanic Gardens turned into one of those quietly unforgettable experiences that linger in your memory long after you leave. I went with a friend, expecting a simple afternoon stroll, but what we found was a place that perfectly balances tranquility, beauty, and inspiration. From the moment we stepped through the gates, the lush greenery and thoughtfully designed pathways drew us in. Each section felt like its own little world, vibrant flower beds bursting with colour, century-old trees providing shade, and the gentle sound of water adding rhythm to the atmosphere. We spent time wandering through the heritage garden, reading the plaques, and learning about native Australian plants that thrive in this unique coastal climate. There were plenty of lighthearted moments too; like when we tried (and failed) to capture the perfect photo under a canopy of leaves that kept moving with the breeze. It was one of those places that naturally encourages conversation, laughter, and quiet reflection all at once. What truly stood out was how well-maintained and welcoming the gardens felt, the layout was accessible, and every detail reflected care and pride in preserving this space for the community. The Geelong Botanic Gardens reminded me that sometimes, the most meaningful moments happen when we simply pause to appreciate the natural beauty around us and the company we share it with.

Scenic paths winding amongst a wide variety of trees, palms & shrubs. Licensed cafe with a good menu provides a pleasant interlude for vistors. Free entry.

Had a great experience there. Was fun exploring different areas, run, hide and seek, talk about different plants and flowers etc. we took our bikes and kids enjoyed biking there.

Visited Geelong Botanical Garden late evening on our way to 12 Apostles. Entry is free. It is beautiful and a nice place to spend some time with nature. There where flowers but less due to Autumn season. Plenty of parking around. Botanical garden is opposite to Geelong Eastern Beach Recreational area so you can plan accordingly.

This museum was a lovely surprise. I learned a lot about history, visited an exhibition, and also the shop which was great. There lots of nice wool jumpers, scarves and socks and other products in the shop.

We had a great morning there and front ladies were amazing. Such a great place to learn about wools and history. Museum has a lot of information and all those real machinery to see. And easy access near Geelong waterfront.

Very nice and friendly staff and so much history behind this historic building overall I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone who is interested in farming and history 10/10

I enjoyed my trip to the museum after a very long time. They have merino and possum wool socks here which I do enjoy wearing.

I spent about an hour enjoying the museum. Exhibits on wool manufacturing, sheep farming and a fashion display.

Very informative. I enjoyed it very much. I loved how they talk about not only the machinery but also other aspects such as animal welfare. The wildlife photography exhibition on the first floor is also amazing.

Loved the experience. The place seemed quite small and humble on the outside but packed a good amount of content inside, especially for the price. It went into detail about the whole process of wool production, with machines on display and images+text to explain the process. On the day we went, there was also a guy actually operating the central machine which is cool to see. Leave approx. 1 to 2 hours to experience the place. Really great place if you’ve got a bit of time and a couple bucks spare. Would recommend.

It is a nice place to visit while in Geelong and is free of charge. For me, there were less things to see which I didn’t enjoy much as the place was wide but only offers limited art pieces. The gallery though was clean and bright which made the place vibrant. There are places to seat while waiting for friends or family members who are enjoying the place. Although this place is not for me but willbe enjoyed by people who love art and learning the history about it.

The permanent exhibition has good landscape works from historic Geelong, though a broader selection would be welcome. The Archibald Prize exhibition is certainly worth visiting.

A beautiful gallery situated in the heart of Geelong. It offers a captivating blend of temporary and permanent exhibitions that are a must-vist for art lovers. I recently explored a temporary exhibition at the gallery, Janenne Eaton: Lines of Sight - Frame and Horizon, and it was and inspiring and thought provoking experience.

Good place to spend your day off for about an hour. The place isn’t very large, but there are still some things to see. When I went, there was a special exhibition that required an additional fee.

Went to the Geelong Gallery for Archibald 2025 and it was a wonderful experience. The exhibition was well organised, the staff were friendly, and the space was clean and quiet.

Geelong Art Gallery, such a divine small space and today it was filled with big paintings celebrating modern Australia. The Archibald Prize finalists were awesome! There is a great coffee shop across the road, Tutti... in the theatre building, if you need.

The recent Archibald Exhibition was the worst yet. Very disappointed with the number of people viewing the paintings at any given time. Thought it wouldn't be like that due to the fact you get a time slot to go when booking.

Visited Geelong Eastern Beach area on our way back from Botanical Garden. Beach has cafe, washroom, green area to sit, Giant Wheel and pool area for adults and children. Plenty of Parking was available when we visited. Its a nice place to relax and chill. Recommended.

🌳 Fantastic Family Park & Coastal Pool Opening Soon! Visited this lovely park in Geelong today during our holiday, and it was a great time despite the chill. The well‑equipped play area kept the kids entertained, with plenty of open grass, picnic and BBQ facilities, and clean amenities. The views of Corio Bay were simply stunning—perfect backdrop for family photos and sandy play. We were delighted to learn that the children’s sea pool at Eastern Beach—just by the park—is set to reopen from 1 November through to April. The shallow wading area, with its diving tower, springboards and fountains, is patrolled by lifeguards during the summer season . That gives us another seaside treat later this year! Highlights: Great for kids: Playground zones + space for running games Amenities: BBQs, picnic tables, toilets, showers Scenic spot: Art-deco boardwalk, sea baths, diving platforms Seasonal bonus: Children’s pool opens 1 Nov–21 Apr, with lifeguards on duty Despite a crisp spring breeze, our crew had a blast. Can’t wait to visit again in November when the sea pool reopens—another fun swim to add to our Geelong holiday plans!

This is beautiful part of the world & Eastern Beach Reserve is an airy space to enjoy a full view across the bay. This is a great place to walk, run & play. Includes a children's playground and is ideal for all outside activities. I certainly found our visit here very relaxing & great place for quiet reflection.

Good place to relax if the crowd is less. Beware of seagulls, do not feed them. Keep your eatables covered else the swoop down and snatch it away.

This is my FAVOURITE BEACH!! And it’s the BEST BEACH I’ve been to out of all the beaches in Melbourne!! The most Cleanest and beautiful beach I’ve been to!!! Absolutely stunning!! We don’t go to any other beach we always come to eastern beach!! Very relaxing!! Absolutely recommend this beach to all my family and friends!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Terrific place! So much to see and do! Will be back in water weather.

Lovely spot would be Amazing in warm weather...hrs can be spent swimming walking riding etc .

A great place to see a show in Geelong. Whether it's a school musical, community theatre group or a big name comedian or music artist, there's always something to see. If only they didn't throw every different design style into the renovation, I'd give it 5 stars.

Lots of great shows on here after the refurbishment. The bar has water for free, typical drink prices otherwise. Don't like the shared bathrooms though.

We really enjoyed Geraldine Hickey's 'Meander' set on Saturday night. The intimate space is perfect for a standup performer. The fluorescent lighting in the foyer was a bit over the top. Heaven help anyone triggered by neon lighting. I loved the non-gendered toilets and it is the first time I have been to a theatre production and not had to queue for the 'ladies'. Well done Geelong AC. Also a shout out to Liz, great customer service. My daughter was running late, she did just make it in time but Liz assured us there would be no issues, which was reassuring,

Went to watch Mamma Mia the musical and WOWIE!! it was amazing, apart from the play itself, there was stunning architectural features with clean bathrooms and a cafe for a food fix. The ticket prices were very fairly priced for the high level show that was put on.

Good seating arrangement unless the person Infront of you stands up to dance 🤓🤣 One up All up 👍 for a Jig. An Intimate Auditorium. Smaller than Costa Hall. Stage Size was just right. Lighting and Sound. You can take your wine glasses back to your seat. Toilets are for everyone lol. You can walk in with Hubby 🥸 Plenty of Street parking. Plenty of Stairs once your inside. Lifts and Wheelchair Access. Very Very Noice Arts Centre.

The Geelong Arts Centre is an excellent venue for concerts. It’s intimate, seats are comfortable and raised so no heads in front of you and a superb sound system. It’s intimate also has a nice cafe inside and lots of tables & chairs in the various foyers. I would definitely return for a concert or show

My son had his final year 6 school concert here tonight. Such a beautiful intimate theatre. The kids had the time of their life while they performed in a professional setting. 10 / 10

Amazing Asian fusion food. Very tasty and innovative. Great service too. Celebrated my sister's birthday, big group with 4 kids. The staff were friendly and helpful.

If you’re bored with the usual and predictable dishes found at every second refurbished restaurant, then Bah Lah is for you. Every dish is absolutely amazing and a surprise..chilli crab donuts!!! On our first visit years ago, we had French fries topped with kangaroo jerky. From that point on we were hooked. Easily one of Geelong’s top three restaurants.

Overall a good experience dining here. Food overall was tasty but some dishes were a miss. Service was a tad slow at the beginning as there were only 2 wait staff but they did their best (drinks should be served prior to food). Stand out dishes were the pork and chicken dumplings, and the duck skewers. The other dishes such as prawn cracker, venison rice and chilli crab donuts needed some attention. Wine selection was good, although we didn’t drink much as we had a lunch time champagne session. Thanks for having us.

Nice cosy restaurant, great service and delicious food. Very accommodating staff as we ordered the experience and forgot to inform them we needed to leave at a certain time. Thank you we will be back again!

Exceptionally high quality food with high quality locally sourced ingredients. We had the Feed Me menu and were very impressed with the taste of all the dishes we were served and presentation was superb. Stand out dishes were the Prawn Toast, DIY Bao's and the Aylesbury Roast Duck Service was also of the top notch, relaxed and friendly

Brian and his team serve up a wonderful dining experience. Every time I go here it never ceases to amaze me of their culinary skills. Select the "Leave it to the house" option to save having to make the decision about what to eat on the menu. Just advise if you have any food allergies. You will be amazed.

Had been to this cozy spot a couple of times when visiting family and loved that the reviews seemed all positive, however our recent visit (August 30) was very disappointing and we won’t be back. Description by wait staff of how menu options worked was confusing and we had to ask for more info several times. Food was ordinary given price point (Donut main dish needs work and two dishes were only warm, not hot) Duck was dish of the night and was delicious. Lady wait staff was flustered and clearly very busy. Had bill shock when paying, corkage fee was $45, which we questioned, and the lady said it was highlighted on their website it isn’t. Unfortunately we didn’t realise it wasn’t BYO - the corkage was more than the bottle of wine and we only had one glass!!

1 of the best places I have been in Geelong. Food was amazing. If you are looking for some place to go on a date this is it. Beautiful spot great food nice drinks that will go with what your eating would be going back soon. It is nice to have something like this in Geelong.

The staff were incredibly caring and friendly, and every dish tasted surprisingly good. The cosy environment made it a great place to enjoy the meal.

Everything about this place was amazing. Nashi pear sake, lobster roll, and lamb shank was beyond exceptional. The fabulous lady who served my boyfriend and I definitely added to the experience. Would most certainly return if back in Geelong. Went for dinner on a whim because Sumi was ridiculously close to our hotel; what a beautiful surprise it was. The venue, atmosphere, and flavours - you’d think this was in Melbourne CBD. Thank you so much to the staff!

My wife and I dined at Sumi restaurant for the first time earlier this week, compliments of a gift voucher from our daughter. We opted for the "Feed Me" at $58pp, which was extremely good value, consisting of 7 courses, all served in a timely manner - fried cauliflower, Scallops and vermicelli, Chicken Bun Bao's, Chicken skewers, grilled squid on skewers, dumplings and a whole small fried snapper. All were delicious and just the right size portions, leaving us perfectly satisfied. A special call out to the chef, and Mia the owner, who was such a friendly, welcoming, host and waitress. We will definitely be returning and look forward to trying some of the other "feed me" dishes on offer. Do yourself a favour and give it a try.

Amazing food and dining experience. We ordered the ‘feed me’ menu. Everything is well cooked and freshly prepared. The service was great. The waitress helped us to rush the food as we were almost late for the movies. Would highly recommend a must try restaurant if you happen to be in Geelong.

When we entered Sumi we were disappointed by the seating as it was bench type and not very comfortable and as the night progressed the restaurant became very noisy, making conversation difficult, however the food was just incredible, some of the best food we have eaten, in fact it was so delicious we would put up with the things we didn’t like just to eat there again. The waitress was lovely, very friendly and helpful and the chef’s are extraordinary .

This was the best food experience my partner and I had ever had. The server was lovely, food came out with perfect timing, cocktails were lovely, and the saddest part about the food was finishing it. The wagyu was cooked to absolute perfection and delicious with the spicy garlic butter. The fried chicken bao made me question my existence. If you want every bite of food until the day you die to make you long for this menu you should eat here. 1000/10 Will be telling everyone I can about this absolute gem.

Since the rebrand we’ve been hanging to head back to Tulip, and it didn’t disappoint. Our group of four had the chef’s selection, and we had one plant based requirement on the table ( 🙋‍♀️ guilty ), to which they catered beautifully. The food was fresh, flavourful and the service warm and welcoming. They were super busy ( which we love seeing in our local community! ) so would recommend booking ahead. Stand out for the plant based dishes was the cauliflower with harissa and the iceberg wedge whilst the rest of the table loved the kingfish with shiso, lemon and ginger and the Black Angus with hot miso mustard. We had a gorgeous night and really enjoyed our time 💫 10/10 recommend for a wholesome evening.

My partner and I had the degustation menu with wine matching. We also went for the Wagyu upgrade and extra Truffle. Everything is delicious and loved every bit of it. The wine is nicely paired and it’s easy to drink. The service is immaculate! Special mention to the two young ladies serving us, A big thank you!

We had a fantastic meal at Tulip last night. I ordered the degustation menu with wine pairing so that I wouldn’t have to think too hard about what to order. They nailed the food. Every dish was small but packed with flavour. My favourite was the lamb which was delicate and tender with a delicious smokey lamby flavour. The chicken fat butter that accompanied the bread deserves a mention too. I’d like to bottle it and take it home. The paired wines and beer were perfect. I requested to have only local makers and they delivered perfectly matched wines throughout the meal. The service was excellent. We were served by a few different staff members who all spent time to talk to us about what we were eating, drinking or anything else we asked. They were not rushed and didn’t interrupt our conversation. The final note was the venue itself. The entry from outside is through a gorgeous courtyard the looks like an Italian villa inclusive of a water fountain. Inside is a lovely space with wooden furniture and an open kitchen full of fire and food. We will definitely return.

Highly recommend! Tonight when we dined, the chef served the first dish - tomato juice (it was clear, the process to create is very intricate). Seasonal, fresh produce served over 6 courses ($100 p.p.). My favourite dish: the lamb loin with crunchy potatos and bitter leaf salad. Friendly staff, beautiful restaurant, relaxing atmosphere. The water fountain outside the restaurant is beautiful.

We had a great time and the whole menu was delicious. I like a very unfashionable Martini and it was brilliant to see one on the cocktail menu. We will be back. thanks!

Had a perfect dinner for our anniversary ! I can't express how perfect our anniversary dinner was at this restaurant! The meal was an absolute delight, incredibly delicious. The highlight was the warm welcome from the head chef, who took the time to introduce the various styles of food being served. It made us feel truly appreciated and added a special touch to the evening.

Food and overall experience was incredible. We did paired wines which I 100% would recommend - they were matched perfectly. Great staff on deck! We can’t wait to return!

Perfect way to end the night! We had a wonderful dine-in experience great service, cozy atmosphere, and delicious food from start to finish. To top it off, we ended the night with their cheesecake, which was absolutely divine! Creamy, rich, and not too sweet the perfect balance. It was the highlight of the evening and a must-try dessert if you’re visiting. Can’t wait to come back!

Wow what an amazing meal my husband and l had for lunch today. Niki our host was so friendly and knowledgeable with all the food and wines nothing was to much trouble. You can certainly see how much Niki enjoys her job and definitely an asset to Empire Grill. From the entree to the main then to the delicious desert 10 out of 10 with the food. Your chef did an outstanding job with our food. Niki put a candle on my desert as it was my Birthday which was a beautiful touch. We definitely will be back. Thanks again Empire Grill. 😊

We had a wonderful dining experience as a group of four. The food was excellent we thoroughly enjoyed every dish!! A standout for me was their special dessert, the blueberry tiramisu absolutely delicious! The staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome throughout the evening. We’ll definitely be coming back!

Nicky, our hostess, was sensational! All the staff were great, very attentive. The ambiance is charming and although there were other patrons, it still felt intimate and cozy. The food was decadent, the Pineapple and coconut salsa which came with the pork belly was an explosion of wonderful fresh flavours. The eye fillet was cooked perfectly, the chips were crispy and the mushroom sauce was divine. A must try is the tortellini, so fresh and light and full of flavour. The chicken breast was perfect, the filling I believe contained tarragon so if you don't like it's strong flavour maybe not for you, but I loved Overall a wonderful dining experience, an absolute must try. I can't wait to come back.

Another great dinner at Empire grill. I always look forward to having dinner there when we visit Geelong. Their steak is simply the best. Desserts are delicious. We had scallops for the entree - they were very yummy as usual. The only things I wasn’t quite flattered by : in-house made chips weren’t crispy and not much in the basket, soup of the day was kind of flat, definitely missing salt and something else. I ordered duck, which didn’t have enough sauerkraut, which I was looking forward to have. Also the restaurant was quite busy, so it took a while to get meals. Overall I enjoyed my dinner and definitely would recommend Empire Grill.

We received this dinner voucher as a present - such a great gift idea! Thank you for a perfect anniversary dinner. Delicious food, beautiful wine, relaxing atmosphere and attentive service. Short walk into city centre. Highly recommend.

If your reading this, go now! Food is absolutely amazing! Bring Melbourne food snobs, we didn't expect much. How wrong we were. The execution was great, food is delicious. The environment is cosy paired with attentive service. Best restaurant in Geelong? Yeh probably! We will be back.

Visited Torquay today, we stopped at Sober ramen fr lunch. This is just our opinion and review from what we had. The dumpling was good, the dipping sauce was good too. The ramen soup for both black garlic and spicy ramen was thick and tasty. However, the pork topping fr the spicy ramen was over cooked, and the capsicum slices on it just felt wrong. We r nt a fan of the curly noodles that they used on it too. The fish fr the carpacio doesn't feel fresh. But, The service was good, the staff r friendly and helpful.

We tried the Tonkotsu and Black Garlic. Flavour were fabulous. The black garlic is super garlicky. Meat was awesome and perfectly cooked. Noodle texture was bouncy and lovely. Nice place and nice service. Portion was okay.

The soup base for the black garlic ramen is nice and thick. The sliced pork could be better if it has some fat on it. The noodles are fresh and has a nice chewy texture on it. The braised beef rib is generous for its size, you need to borrow some fork, knife and a small plate to cut it though as the meat is not fall off the meat tender type. The place can be pretty tight, if you are a claustrophobic person, then this might be a deal breaker for you as the sitting is very close to each other. Also will be hard for people with accessibility needs. The place also has upbeat music so it's not your typical Japanese restaurant that is pretty quiet. The menu selection is also quiet limited, as we asked the staff for some agedashi tofu but they don't even know about it. It seems that most of the staff are non-Japanese as well.

I appreciated the menu’s variety, with a good selection of starters and mains to suit different tastes. The vegetable tempura was nicely done, and we thoroughly enjoyed the 500g braised beef rib, which came highly recommended by a friend — it was absolutely delicious. As a fan of classic tonkotsu ramen, I found the broth lacking in richness and creaminess, perhaps because it wasn’t one of their ‘Sober Specialities.’ The dumplings were tasty with a nice kick of heat, and the gyozas were surprisingly succulent. While I wouldn’t rave about Sober Ramen as my favourite ramen joint, I wouldn’t mind visiting again for other dishes.

I chose a vege tempura plate and tonkotsu ramen for lunch. The food was mid. First tempura was a bit over fried, tasted burnt in some bits and overall too oily, less frying time in higher heat would help. But I like the veggies selection of eggplants, long beans and pumpkins. The ramen has more problems. Bamboo shoots marinated for too long and the thick cuts makes it too distracting with the broth. Now, the pork and broth have the biggest problem. The ingredients were old making the whole dish taste like something I left in the fridge for over a week and reheated in microwave. The charring on the pork doesn’t help if your ingredients are not fresh, it’s just for look at this point. I still finished everything because it was not inedible and I don’t like food wastage. But the restaurant needs to do better quality control over ingredients. One more thing, I hope the restaurant could provide high chairs for family with small children. When I was there, there was a mother having to hold her child for the whole meal and were separated with her family. They still sat nearby and still be able to talk since it was not too crowded at the time. But it’s just sad that the mother could not have a comfortable meal in their day-out. Anyway, I hope the restaurant can consider this feedback and make adjustments. I’ll come back one day maybe, not in the near future though.

We’ve been here for few times, the food was nice. However, my experience was highly disappointing. While dining at your restaurant, my party and I wished to be seated at an outdoor table. We were informed by a staff member that we could only secure an outdoor table by standing outside and closely watching the current guests until they finished their meals. We politely suggested providing our mobile number so that we could take a short walk nearby and return when a table became available. Unfortunately, the staff member firmly refused this request and insisted that we must physically wait and wait for the diners to finish. This requirement felt not only inconvenient but also uncomfortable for five of us and the customers who were dining. Having to stand and watch other guests eat is an unreasonable expectation and creates an awkward atmosphere for everyone involved. A simple callback system or waitlist approach would have been a more respectful and efficient solution. As a customer, I believe that basic courtesy and practical service should be a priority. The method we were subjected to was unprofessional and reflects poorly on your restaurant’s customer experience. I hope you will address this issue and consider implementing a more considerate seating process in the future.

Miso and cheese scallop was really yummy and unique dish! And still dreaming about the best curry Udon ramen!