Clock by the Bay
The former post office on Cliff Street, its clock tower fronting Portland Harbour, now holds one of the town's more considered kitchens. Under head chef Matthew Lipscombe the menu reads modern Australian with a French inflection: a beef Wellington that appears through the colder months, house-made gnocchi, and whatever local seafood the boats bring in when the weather turns. The dining room keeps things restrained, with blond timber settings, tall arched windows framing the water, and tables set outside when it is warm enough. A list of local and international wine rounds it out. In a port town long defined by pub counters and fish-and-chip windows, this is the address locals book for an occasion, and it sits consistently among Portland's highest-rated dining rooms.