We had the degustation in the winter of 2011 at it was an awesome experience shared by us both. Stayed the night to enjoy the experience properly and enjoyed running up Mount Abrupt. It's great to taste some of the freshest and highest quality foods on offer in a regional setting, and it opens your mind to some simply fantastic creations, lots of the wow factor here! Love to come again with friends for a special event.

My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary by visiting your beautiful restaurant. There were a number of locations we could have chosen from both near and far to celebrate this event, but we chose The Royal Mail Hotel. Sooooo glad that we did! I could go on and on about the beautiful mountain view room that we shared and the friendly service but what I really want to comment about is the absolutely amazing meal we had in the restaurant. Every element of the degusttion was superb. There were combinations that we never thought possible and yet as we closed our eyes to savour every mouthful we knew that something very special was going on in that kitchen! In fact and I know that this will probably be the strangest comment that anyone could make, but the food was like no-one on earth could have possibly created!!!

Weird huh!! Thank-you for putting some (extra) excitement back into 20 years of marriage!

Had my fortieth at the Royal Mail Bistro & 12 of us stayed overnight in the Homestead. A truly memorable experience & set a very high bar for those with birthdays to follow. Will never forget the weekend!

Having stayed at the Royal Mail Hotel several times over the last few years and experienced true hospitality from welcoming staff and dining to die for, we wanted our friends to share the experience we so raved about. In spring this year, we organised a 3-day Retreat with 10 of us staying in the Station Homestead. The awe of the mountains, the magnificence of the wildflowers, the serenity of the surroundings, the feeling of connection with people of generations past, back to the original inhabitants enabled us to experience a time of soul renewal far beyond expectation.

Yet without the kindness and care of the staff and the superb dining with food lovingly prepared, our experience would have been the less.

What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, evening and morning. The accommodation was just gorgeous with its expansive room, lovely Aesop products and a view that keeps you from reading!

The a la carte meal was sumptuous and just right in terms of quantity. The wine list had a great selection of high range quality wines by the glass. Attentive, knowledgeable and friendly service.

The breakfast could have had a some gluten free muesli but after the feast the night before we certainly did not leave hungry!

A lovely relaxing occasion - we will return!

The Royal Mail Hotel is an absolute winner. My husband and I loved our stay at the hotel so much we decided to have our wedding reception there and it was sensational. If you don't feel like trying the degustation menu, we can highly recommend the food in both the bistro and pub sections.

What a ideallic place to stay. It is so relaxing and the views of the Grampians are brilliant. The accomodation and the service was great. The restaurant was fantastic - the menu superb.

It was a special celebration for us and we were made to feel special. Room perfect with fabulous view. Bistro meals delish but pub meals even more enjoyable with friendly, noisy, welcoming country pub atmosphere, comfy couches around the fireplace etc. Location A1 with walks, wildflowers, views and history at Dunkeld, and the short drive to Halls Gap for more hikes. Probably appeals most to couples, but it was nice that there were some families staying there while we were there to round out our experience.

My husband and I have been coming up to Dunkeld and The Grampians for over 30 years. What a bonus when The Royal Mail opened. We have been fortunate to stay in the Garden Room and The Mt. Sturgeon cottages. The ambience and service have been impeccable - the degustation meal is to die for and the views!! We cannot wait for another opportunity to stay and dine in such a heavenly spot.

The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld is a fantastic all round experience!

Wow, what an amazing experience. The twelve course degustation with matching wines at Royal Mail is simply one of the best meals I've ever had. Fantastic rooms too and great views of the Grampians adds that special touch!

What an experience of the senses - a must for all foodies. We will be making this a yearly pilgrimage.

Arguably the best way to come to Dunkeld is with no expectation at all. Quite hard to do when punk rock celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was in fact speechless part way through the degustation. But the less name dropping the better. Royal Mail doesn't need it. Breathtaking scenery is worth the price of admission alone. Instantly justifying the drive through nihilistic farmland. Accommodation across the road is a very reasonable $140 - $200 and the rooms are excellent value. Despite that, the biggest surprise is even the pub grub at the Royal Mail is par excellence - so too the bistro menu. The 10 course degustation you ask? Do you really have to? It quite simply can't be faulted. While the staff, all locals, really know their fare. Sublime.

Our stay at your hotel on a Sunday evening was just what we needed after having spent the 2 nights prior in Warnambool in a leaky tent as part of our long weekend getaway. My Husband and I had such a wonderful time. The Garden View Room was superb, spacious and the staff at reception and in the bistro very accommodating and friendly. The meals that we had in the Bistro were delicious; the slow cooked lamb that my husband ordered he commented as 'one of the best meals he has had in a long time'. The NZ Sauv Blanc we ordered was the perfect complement to our meals.

I will definitely be recommending your hotel to others who are looking to get out of town and see the spectacular Grampians.

Overall a very memorable experience.

Thanks again.

We spent the weekend at the Royal Mail by starting off with booking into our mountain view room, then a superb lunch, a leisure walk and my husband participating in the wine cellar tour while I relaxed in our room before the evening meal. What a way to start the weekend! Dinner what can I say! It was just the ultimate experience that we have been describing to friends and family for the past 7 months and planning our return visit. We could not find a fault in anything for the whole weekend. Congratulations to Dan Hunter and his team for giving Victoria the Royal Mail Hotel and hope it stays for many years to come.

We went to Dunkeld last December to see where my uncle had spent time in his childhood and to celebrate his birthday. We had not visited the Royal Mail before, but knew its high reputation. We stayed overnight in mountain view rooms, which lived up to their name. They were well-designed, comfortable, clean and contemporary. We enjoyed a wonderful meal in the restaurant with matching village wines. My mother and I were a little anxious because my uncle and husband are both former chefs and sharp critics. When the first dish arrived, we knew we could rest easy. The staff were professional and friendly, the food and wine was superb. The former-chefs were very impressed by the kitchen staff using tweezers to create their works of art!

What a tranquil setting under the watch of Mt Sturgeon. The rooms are stylish and comfortable. Being able to stroll along the creek before dinner prepares one for the special meal. Welcoming staff and attentive waiters added to the enjoyment of our experience at The Royal Mail Hotel.

Attention to exquisite presentation, flavours and originality and the use of regional ingredients all made the experience very memorable. The selection of wines was extensive and exciting. I loved the flower arrangements picked from the hotel gardens and the atmosphere in the restaurant was cheery and relaxing. I certainly can recommend Dunkeld Royal Mail Hotel for a pleasant break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Ooh! The food is brilliant - clever, challenging, witty (if food can be) and even tastes nice. The wine is better - perfectly matched from a cellar the envy of any. Aah!? The service was a little off which is forgivable given the location, but not the price or reputation. It was after a long day on the road, but all (staff) attempts at humour failed, glasses were slow to be topped, and we seemed to have multiple waiters on a quiet night. Last, and least, was the atmosphere. We sat, alone, in one dim half of the restaurant, feeling the chill of an empty room more than the chill of the winter night. Maybe on quiet nights, part of the restaurant can be partitioned away. Would I return? Yes, with the hope of the same meal and a better vibe.

Last year I ate in San Sebastian. This year I ate in Dunkeld. There are many parallels; supreme levels of cooking, ingredients, presentation and innovation. The most important however is that, like the best 3 star in Spain, The Royal Mail captures the essence of its place, and does so in such simple yet brilliant and surprising, yet unpretentious ways. Choose your own superlative; I can't think of one to do it justice.

Yes I will return to stay and dine at the Royal Mail Hotel. What could be better than having a 3 1/2 hr drive back to Melbourne to make you stay overnight and really enjoy one of Australia's best collections of burgundy and bordeaux! The rooms with views of Mt Sturgeon are classically simple with the focus on the feature; the changing colors of the Grampians through full width floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open to a neat little deck from your room. Taa-daa! Now Mt Sturgeon is in your room.

The most relaxing mini break I've ever had. The food was amazing, the room so warm and inviting. We were so comfortable - we had trouble leaving! Highly recommend the 10 course tasting menu followed by a relaxing night in a mountain view room. The staff were friendly, the mountain view room was spotless, but warm and inviting. We will most certainly be back.

The Royal Mail Hotel was the ultimate hotel to stay at. The service was exemplary and the accommodation itself was exceptional. The rooms were better than some of the city hotels and the food served at the restaurant was delicious. Along with the terrific atmosphere of a small country hotel and the close proximity to the Grampians the hotel also provided a romantic backdrop to the weekend. I would thoroughly recommend staying at the Royal Mail Hotel to anyone who would like to experience a little taste of luxury with some intimacy.

For years my mother and I have read various food and accommodation magazines. In November 09 we had the opportunity to take a 3 day road trip and we spent a night at the Royal Mail Hotel and had the degustation menu in the restaurant. Our Garden room was quiet, very restful with comfy beds and large comfy couches. The meal we had was one I will rave about for years - fresh vibrant flavours and textures that delighted my taste buds. A wonderful experience that I will remember fondly.

My husband and I return again and again to the Royal Mail for the exceptional hospitality, welcoming staff, awe-inspiring mountain views, amazing wine list and the best, most soul-nurturing food in Australia.

This is Australia's only real example of high-end destination dining. Take a group of friends and stay in the luxurious 6-bedroom homestead - a Mercedes Van collects you for dinner - and you'll feel like royalty.