Festival
Visiting Sorrento
Where to eat, drink, stay, and take a seat in and around your Sorrento Writers Festival weekend.
Coffee & breakfast
Stringers
When it’s sunny, take coffee in the courtyard. When it’s raining, sidle up to a booth. When you’re in a rush, head to their deli next door and grab yourself some takeaway.
2-8 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Flt Blk
Great coffee, cakes, and other delicacies served in a unique spot that feels like home, if your home in fact housed a tram.
138 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Sorrento Social
Coffee, smoothies, bowls, juices and food that’s bursting with colour.
119-125 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Honey & Sol
A favourite among locals who go for the coffee and stay for sandwiches, sweets, and unique goods to shop in store.
3 George St, Sorrento
The Sisters
Eat breakfast among the gardens of this much-loved cafe. The perfect place to while away some time with a coffee and book on a perfect Autumn morning.
149-151 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
St Paul’s
The local hangout for great takeaway coffee and food just a few minutes away from festival happenings.
69 St Pauls Rd, Sorrento
Le Capucin
Locals and holidayers alike flock to the cafe by the bay for good food and coffee, located across the road from our Portsea Village venue.
3770 Point Nepean Rd, Portsea
Lunch & dinner
Bistro Elba
Go for oyster hour, stay for exceptional wine, a beautiful setting, and the very best of southern French cuisine.
100-102 Ocean Beach Rd
CeeCee’s Dining Room
CeeCee’s is the social heart of The Continental Sorrento, with Italian inspired plates served under the vaulted glass ceiling.
1 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
The Conti
The buzzing place to meet up for a meal and a drink, expect classic pub fare served right in the heart of the Sorrento Writers Festival.
1 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Ember
A bold, new and elevated dining experience set within The Continental, Ember is all about fire-led flavours.
1 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Sage
A warm, casual and coastal pizza house on your way to Sorrento’s beautiful ocean beach.
182 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Hotel Sorrento
Whether it’s a beer at the front bar, a cocktail on the rooftop or an elevated pub meal at this iconic establishment, Sorrento Hotel has something for everyone.
5/15 Hotham Rd, Sorrento
Shihuishi
Set in Hotel Sorrento’s original ballroom, Shi Hui Shi is Sorrento’s answer to a bold, bustling, and intimate modern Asian restaurant.
5/15 Hotham Rd, Sorrento
Koonya Hotel
Order some share plates and watch the ferry come in at this beautiful, open spot.
1 Esplanade, Sorrento
Onda
A new addition at the Sorrento Ferry terminal, Onda celebrates Mediterranean flavours in a setting to match.
At the ferry terminal.
Portsea Hotel
A large, sprawling pub and restaurant with one of the best outdoor areas for all ages, Portsea Hotel has it all.
3746 Point Nepean Rd, Portsea
Sorrento Thai at the RSL
Locals love Sorrento Thai for traditional Thai flavours in a relaxed setting. Buy a drink next door at the RSL and tuck into coconut prawns, Pad Thai, and fried rice.
3 Hurley St, Sorrento
The Baths
With arguably the best view in the area, The Baths is Sorrento’s iconic beachfront venue.
3278 Point Nepean Rd, Sorrento
Itali.co
A lively restaurant that celebrates authentic Italian flavours just by the bay.
1 Esplanade, Sorrento
Loquat
Discretely set back from the bay with spectacular food and wine, Loquat has become somewhat of a stalwart of Sorrento’s restaurant scene.
3183 Point Nepean Rd, Sorrento
To stay
InterContinental Sorrento
Our principal accommodation partner, InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula offers luxury and convenience, with many of our events to be held at The Continental next door.
23 Constitution Hill Rd, Sorrento
Hotel Sorrento
We also recommend Hotel Sorrento, also wonderful supporters and friends of our Festival. The hotel has recently opened newly-renovated rooms and facilities, with bars and restaurants available to guests across the four-day weekend.
5/15 Hotham Rd, Sorrento
Holiday rentals
We also encourage visitors to check various rental sites such as booking.com and Airbnb as well as with our local real estate partner Kay & Burton in Sorrento.
Sorrento is a 10-15-minute drive from Blairgowrie and Rye, and 20-30 minutes from the St Andrews Beach-Cape Schanck region. These areas, as well as Main Ridge and Red Hill, offer beautiful stay-away venues that are off the beaten track.
The options are endless
Across the Peninsula, options including Mercure Portsea, Portsea Village Resort, Port Phillip Estate, RACV Cape Schanck Resort, Flinders Hotel, ALBA Thermal Springs, & Art Motel and The Keith Motel offer stays to suit every style and budget. We recommend booking early, as Sorrento and surrounding areas fill quickly across the Festival weekend.
To all Bellarine friends, remember the SeaRoad ferry service. Park at Queenscliff Marina and be on Main Street Sorrento in under an hour — a peaceful ocean cruise is the perfect way to begin and end your Festival stay.
For further advice and information we suggest visiting:
Sorrento Beachside Tourism: https://www.morningtonpeninsulatourism.com.au/
Visit Mornington Peninsula: https://www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org/
Visit Victoria: https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/mornington-peninsula