7 ways to recreate Victoria's restaurant and bar experiences at home

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There's no getting around it: lockdown is tough. Lucky, then, that the Victorian hospitality industry is no shrinking violet, with restaurants, bars and drinks-makers across the state recreating Melbourne and Victoria's epicurean experiences at home.

Here are seven of our favourites.

Fine dine with Atlas Dining

Atlas Dining was one of the first restaurants to really embrace the virtual cooking experience this year, and they are still leading the charge with their Masterclasses. Each week, Atlas meal boxes take you to a different part of the world – one week it could be Singapore, the next Sri Lanka.

Each box contains ingredients for three meals, for between one and six people per meal. Cook alongside head chef Charlie Carrington in their video tutorials, use the recipes available online, or go onto Atlas' Instagram Live at 6.15pm every Wednesday to ask Charlie any burning questions you might have.

MYO gin with Bass & Flinders Distillery

Breathe in a little of the Mornington Peninsula with Bass & Flinders Distillery gin kits, available to buy on their website. In the At Home Gin Experience Kits you get a choice of 4 x 50ml bottles of gin, with Fever Tree tonic, tasting notes and cocktail suggestions from the team.

For true aficionados go for the At Home Gin Masterclass Kit, where you will blend your own gin depending to your taste. Two weeks later, expect a 500ml bottle of gin in the post – made according to your recipe at the distillery.

Eat in with Make-Out Meals

Make-Out Meals has just launched – it's a meal kit delivery service that has teamed up with popular Melbourne restaurants so you can make their dishes from your kitchen. Maybe you've been missing Ish's butter chicken, or Fancy Hank's smoked brisket, or maybe it's Tipico's eggplant parmie you've got a hankering for.

They'll deliver the ingredients, then you can choose from using the provided recipes cards, or cooking alongside the chefs in their online tutorials. And if you get stuck mid-cook, just message the team on their website, and they promise to get back to you in mere moments.

Sample local spirits with Fossey's

Even if you can't get to Mildura right now, you can still do a guided tour of the delightful gins, whiskies, vodkas and rums of its very own Fossey's Distillery via Facebook tastings. Fossey's gin comes in many weird and wonderful flavours meaning there's something for everyone – ranging from the original blend to the likes of desert lime, Christmas pudding and chilli.

Purchase the tasting pack from their site – make sure it's for the correct session, as you'll be tasting different spirits at each one – and then go onto Facebook Live at the allotted time, and taste alongside the distillery experts. You even might get to try yet-to-be-released ranges. Keep an eye on Fossey's Facebook page for session timings.

Learn new cuisines with Foodie Trails

Foodie Trails have replaced their Melbourne food tours with online cooking classes. They are offering live online lessons in everything from French and Thai food to East African and Indian cuisine, plus a few curve-balls in there like ice cream-making. The expert cook is with you, live, to answer your questions and keep things running smoothly, ensuring dinner ends up perfect.

Wine and shine with Silver Spoon Estate

We are all missing weekends at the winery sipping their acclaimed spicy shiraz, so Heathcote's Silver Spoon Estate have transported the cellar door to your couch, delivering wine flights direct to your home. Go for the Winemaker's Heathcote Shiraz Collection 2020 to sample five of the winery's classics.

For the more adventurous, try The Emerging Stars of Heathcote flight, which includes unusual drops like Viognier and Mourvèdre. Each pack caters for two people, with 5 x 120ml bottles, tasting notes and links to wine tasting videos hosted by the winemakers, plus discount codes for future wine purchases.

Do cocktail hour at home with Bar Americano

An upside to lockdown? You no longer have to fight for a spot in multi-award-winning, classic-cocktails-only Bar Americano. Now, they'll come to you.

Resident mixologists are making up a range of 'Hometender Bottled' cocktails, which they'll drop off at your house, ready to serve. Think Negronis, Brooklyns and various riffs on the Americano, from 100ml–500ml bottles, each just as delicious as the next. They'll even sell you the fancy glassware. Get the list here.

For more ways to get the best of Victoria delivered to your door, head to https://www.visitvictoria.com/clickforvic