Chef Emma Handley opens Templar Lodge in Tawonga

Chef Emma Handley has given Victorians yet another reason to head to the north-east to dine, opening her first solo restaurant in the alpine town of Tawonga.

Templar Lodge opened in an old Masonic hall, "one of the oldest and best-known buildings in the area", says Handley, in July. A fresh lick of paint and new lights and wine racks from Winding Road Studios in Bright were all Handley had time to install before she opened the 35-seat restaurant. A larger kitchen renovation is planned for late October.

Handley – the former executive chef at Huski Dining in Falls Creek, and before that at the hatted Villa Gusto in the Buckland Valley – has put together a casual, seasonal menu.

There's a strong snack section featuring fried and stuffed green olives, and taleggio and mortadella croquettes, and local producers such as Milawa chicken and Harrietville trout feature on the main dishes. Many of the herbs and vegetables are grown nearby on Handley's cattle farm.

Sommelier Ben Edwards has pulled together the drinks list, which includes local labels such as Fighting Gully Road, Mayford and Feathertop, but also extends further afield to Burgundy and Beaujolais. "We're trying to feature a few internationals that aren't often seen in the north-east," says Handley.

At the moment, Templar Lodge is open for dinner Thursday to Sunday but Handley plans to open longer when the kitchen renovation is completed and the weather warms up. A function centre attached to the restaurant is yet to be utilised, too.

Open Thu-Sun 6pm-late.

181-183 Kiewa Valley Highway, Tawonga, 03 5754 4415, templarlodge.com.au