Alongside the food and wine, Orange is also a region of culture, with an excellent regional art gallery, an exceptional Chamber Music Festival, Food Week, Wine Festival and so much more. And, while small enough to spend the day exploring the homeware, fashion and antique shops, cafés and museums, it is also large enough to keep discovering new things. Here is just a selection of some of Orange’s delights.
Union Bank
As the name suggests, this bistro is indeed in the old Union Bank Building. Located on the corner of Byng and Sale Streets, it is the perfect place for lunch with friends, or even lunch alone. As such, while the seasonal menu is designed for sharing, they also excel at express lunches, where for a set price you have a choice of three mains and three sides. That said, if you can go with friends, the options for sharing increases your likelihood of trying both the pork loin chop with char sui glaze, with its perfect balance of sweet and salty and the whole barramundi with prawns and miso, which amplifies the delicate barramundi with the slight shifts in texture and bite. Oh, and the carrots with garlic yoghurt are extraordinary.
A couple of constants on the menu are there for good reason, with the crudo reflecting what was looking best at the fish markets that morning. The blue fin tuna in particular is outstanding, as is the mozzarella, which is paired with radicchio, agrodolce and spiced walnuts that have a warming trace of vanilla oil. A terrine option is another constant favourite with the duck terrine proving a robust densely textured and flavoursome portion laced with spice, fruit and nuts. Similarly robust, the paté en croute was a heady mix of venison, foie gras and blueberry. The deserts are richly indulgent and while seasonal, the ice cream sambo with orange, wattle-seed and macadamia is so good it tends to stay on the menu through winter.
Swinging Bridge
In the world of cold climate wines, the Swinging Bridge name is familiar for very good reason. Award-winning wines abound, as does Winemaker and Viticulturist Tom Ward’s passion and reputation for making some exceptional wines. Championing both his vineyard and the region, Swinging Bridge won Best Exhibitor 2022 & 2023 and Best Wine of Show 2023 & 2024 at the Orange Wine Show, and has gained a 5 Red Star rating with the Halliday Wine Companion. A family-owned winery at the forefront of the new guard in premium, cool-climate winemaking, the vineyard, cellar door and restaurant are situated 900 metres above sea level on south-facing, late-ripening slopes with ancient volcanic soils. Fully engaged with the terroir, the wines are exceptional, as is the five-course degustation lunch, with food paired to the wines. Wine tastings with or without hand crafted canapés featuring local produce are also on offer (obviously with is better). Make a booking in advance as sunny days are quickly filled and it is one of the best views in the region.
Hey Rosey
Arguably the hippest spot in Orange, Hey Rosey is a lovely and lively space with excellent food and an extensive selection of wines from around the world, including little known wines from Portugal. Leigh Oliver is a knowledgeable and charming host, keeping the mood lively or chill with a carefully curated record collection. He is also a host in the true sense of putting his guest at ease, and presenting different wines to expand the experience of his regulars. Hey Rosey’s chef Hugh Piper brings a solid fanbase and expertise from his time at Dear Sainte Éloise in Sydney. The menu is Spanish-ish, with each substantial bite a small but delicious portion. Favourites include the beef tartare with condiments that are smoky, spicy and extremely tasty. The anchovies are exceptional, as is the Monday roast. As a former locksmith, the venue is tiny, so do book.
Bills Beans
As the name suggests, it’s all about the coffee, house-roasted and authentic. But then, the polenta porridge with rhubarb compote and quince is deliciously decadent, almost dessert-like for breakfast, total heaven. Cool vibes, great tunes, welcoming service and cosy inside when chilly out, or on sunny days, nice to perch on the street corner. It’s a bustling spot for lunch or breakfast with the homemade granola served with seasonal fruit (berries for winter) and yoghurt that is mild on the palette, and might just be the best yoghurt available.
With a great pastry counter (the brûlée tart is everything a crème brûlée should be, silky and rich, but in a light crispy shell that sits cleanly in the hand) and takeaway options, the daily fresh fruit muffins sell out quickly, while the breakfast burrito and bacon and egg rolls fly out the door. You can’t book, and you might have to line up, but it is definitely worth it. A local farmers market is right next door every Saturday morning with pink and purple potatoes from Dug the farmer – a local produce you will find in all of Orange’s best restaurants – available to take home. Grab some of the best eggs you will ever come across while you are there.
ChaLou Wines
One of the most picturesque of winery experiences, ChaLou is a vineyard of absolute expertise that has increasingly gained recognition for its cold weather wines, including the 2025 Dark Horse Award (Halladay Wine Company Awards). Named Young Winemaker of the Year in 2022, Nadja Wallington, with partner Steve Mobbs, are leading the way with an authentic bud-to-bottle experience (meaning that the wine is grown and crafted on-site). As both the owners and vignerons, Nadja and Steve are second-generation winegrowers with a strong connection to the land and a genuine love for viticulture. Wallington Wines with its unique straw bale cellar door in Canowindra belonged to Nadja’s family, while Steve’s family vineyard is Bargo Vineyards on the North Coast of NSW.
Raku Izakaya
Once, the idea of a good Japanese restaurant in a country town was a thing of legend. To some extent it still is, but the ones that stand out are astoundingly good. Raku Izakaya is a perennial favourite for very good reason with some of the freshest, melt in the mouth sashimi, delicate broths and extraordinary delicacies. The miso hotate is almost as gorgeous as it is delicious with fire seared scallops topped with bonnets of shredded fried potato. The bitter sauce is delicate and pushes the slight briny nuances of the scallops. The agedashi tofo is incredibly light with just the right balance between the finely coated silky tofu, daikon broth and bonito flakes. Likewise, the balance is perfect with the salty sweet Nasu dengaku pairing a delicate yuzu miso sauce with eggplant and almonds.
Lunchtimes are lively with huge bowls of ramen, bento boxes and donburi paired with Asahi on tap. Evenings are a fun mix of date-night and get-togethers, it is an izakaya so it can get noisy, but it’s never offensive. They do take walk-ins, but only if they can, so book.
Shopping
For vintage and antiques, Revive and Dirty Janes are the go-to locations. Revive is slightly out of town with a vast selection of antique furniture, objects and glass. Dirty Janes takes on the Parisienne model of a shared space housing an assortment of vendors. Retro and vintage rather than antiques, but some lovely finds to be had.
Hawks General Store is increasingly a café as just about every local makes it their meeting spot. The coffee is great, but so too is the store with interesting fashion (Nishiguchi Kutsushita, Cable Melbourne, Maison Fanli, etc), jewellery and homewares (Ukiverse, Klippan, etc).
The White Place is a house of homewares where each room has a slightly different mood. It is a curated and excellent selection with some interesting fashions from elms + King, Joey the Label, Once Was and Holiday.
The best bakery in Orange is Racine and the best treat at Racine is the Basque cheesecake. Light and creamy, with a rich, caramelized outer crust that gives way to a wonderfully creamy, slightly airy centre. Bliss.
Culture
The Orange Regional Gallery is hitting well above its weight thanks to the fearless drive of Gallery Director Bradley Hammond. Recent significant exhibitions of note include English sculptor Lawrence Edwards, David Serisier, William Kentridge and Brett Whiteley. The incredible Nike Savvas will be filling the main gallery with a bespoke version of her Atomic: full of love, full of wonder installation in June of 2026.
Arguably the best regional chamber music festival in Australia, the Orange Chamber Music Festival, happening every March, makes the most of the cool autumn weather to introduce audiences to exceptional talent and incredible composers. This is not a boring affair, but a chance to experience some super interesting work such as the Lamentatio by Giovanni Sollima, which the cello player Noah Oshiro played as a surprise piece for last year’s opening lunch. Meanwhile, Food week is an Orange institution for good reason. The foraging events book out early so get in quick, as do the long lunches and chef tables.
Orange is pretty well always wine week, but the official Wine Festival, starting in late October, is a chance to meet all the wine makers of the region in a short space of time. The night festival is not an ideal way to experience the wine, but it will give you a quick insight into each vineyard’s offering so you can plan a proper tour of the vineyards. The best ones have long lines. Go with friends and have fun. The better course of action it to take part in the events such as the Vintners Table, which will have you dining with the region’s best wine makers.