Giant Steps / Innocent Bystanders

336 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville

Just 64 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, in the heart of the Yarra Valley, is the beautiful little town of Healsville, a picturesque community that is alive with visitors and locals alike. Healsville also happens to be home to one of my favourite wineries in Victoria, Innocent Bystanders. By taking a quick glance around at the crowd that it draws it appears I am not the only one that has fallen in love with their wine and food and the laid back, casual ambience that is on offer.

The design concept of Innocent Bystanders cellar door and restaurant stems from the Little Creatures enterprise that has spread across the Nullarbor with great success. Innocent Bystanders remains loyal to its roots with the use of a large shed like building with concrete floors and high ceilings. This, combined with glass walls looking into the cellar, creates a perfect atmosphere to enjoy a casual and relaxed afternoon. Great wine needs great food, and sharing the space with the cellar door and restaurant area is an open kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven, artisan bakery, cheese room and provedore. 

It is my third visit today and although there is a large menu on offer, in my eyes it is all about the pizza, a signature of Innocent Bystander’s and well worth the hours drive!

We start by ordering a bottle of Pinot and a couple of Little Creatures beers for the boys, yes that’s right; they serve beer which is a rare gem amongst wineries. After this it is straight onto the pizzas and feeling puckish, we decide on four to share and wait with eager anticipation for them to arrive.

The order reads as follows:

1 x Pumpkin pizza with roasted garlic, barrel aged feta, walnuts and parsley;

1 x Calabrese salami, san marzano tomato, oregano & buffalo mozzarella;

1 x Italian buffalo mozzarella, san marzano tomato, basil & olive oil; and

1 x Puttanesca ‐ spanish white anchovies, capers, black olives & buffalo mozzarella

Each pizza is cooked to perfection; the sough dough bases are thin and crispy yet also slightly chewy, and have been rolled in semolina to give them an extra dimension of texture. The san marzano tomato sauce, the melting Shaw River buffalo mozzarella and the fresh, local herbs bring each pizza to life and I can’t seem to stop. YUM.

Taking our time to enjoy the afternoon we order a cheese tasting plate served with apple jelly, walnuts & Parisian baguette as well as the goat’s curd cheese cake with a strawberry salad & pistachio nut praline for the sweet tooth amongst us. The cheese is matured in-house and the accompaniments are also all made on the premises, they really have thought of everything.

Unfortunately the time does come to leave and once again I bid a reluctant farewell. With a full tummy and a happy heart we head back to Melbourne. While on the drive home I quickly flick through my diary to see when next we can visit this lovely little town.

Rated 17 O’s out of 20