What it is
Surf Hotel is the restaurant and bar on the ground floor of a new boutique hotel at 35 The Esplanade, looking over Torquay's Front Beach. It opened in 2026 and it's led by Jo Barrett, one of the better-known chefs on this stretch of coast.
It's not a white-tablecloth place. Broadsheet's listing says the menu reads like a fancy pub's, and that's about right: oysters and snacks on the deck, a fish finger sandwich, a venison schnitzel, a steak. The difference is in the sourcing. The kitchen is built around what local farms and growers have that week, and the menu says so.
It's a good one to have up your sleeve because it covers a lot of situations. A late-arvo beer on the deck. A long lunch on the weekend. A proper dinner when you can't get into anywhere else.
The story
The building was the Surf City Motel, and the restaurant space was Zeallys Bar & Grill. Blackwood Hotels, the venture run by Melbourne developers Jack Davis and George Robinson, reworked the whole lot into Surf Hotel. Broadsheet reported that the restaurant opened at Easter 2026, with the hotel rooms following in May. There are 16 rooms and suites upstairs, plus a four-bedroom penthouse.
Jo Barrett is best known down here for Little Picket in Lorne, which closed a couple of years before Surf Hotel opened, and before that for cooking at Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley. The head chef, Aaron Brodie, worked alongside Jo at Oakridge. Jo's kitchens have a reputation for low-waste cooking, and Jo also runs Wildpie, which makes pastries from invasive wild game.
"As much as we're a hotel, we're for the locals, too," Jo told Broadsheet in May 2026. That shows in the room: it's set up for a drink as much as a meal.
The room and the deck
The front deck was extended and raised for more room and better ocean views, and it's hard to miss under its red awning. Inside, the dining room has doors and windows that open up to the breeze, there's a lounge with a restored tiled fireplace, and a long American-walnut bar.
On a warm afternoon the deck's the spot. On a typical Torquay spring day, when the wind's doing its thing, you'll probably be glad of a table inside.
What's on the menu
The menu changes with the season and what's available, so take these from the October 2026 sample menu as a guide. The published menu doesn't list prices, so check when you sit down.
From the deck
A shorter snack menu for drinks: oysters with grapefruit mignonette, fish crudo with saltbush, wild boar dim sims with chilli oil, fried king oyster mushroom with cashew and aged fenugreek, a fish finger sandwich, and chips with rosemary salt.
The main menu
Focaccia with wakame butter, a chicken and pistachio terrine, trout and beetroot "tonnato", BBQ quail with chickpeas and preserved lemon, wild venison schnitzel with parsley sauce, and a butcher's cut steak with charred brassicas. Broadsheet reported the schnitzel was outselling the steak frites in the early weeks. There are vegetable dishes and salads too, and desserts like a warm ginger cake with whiskey caramel.
Seafood
The menu states that every piece of seafood is Australian, caught or farmed in Australian waters.
Drinks
Pots and schooners include a house draught and a Bells Beach session ale, and there's a short cocktail list. The wines by the glass lean Victorian, with a Jan Juc semillon and a Surf Coast rosé on the October list. Broadsheet mentioned $9 happy-hour beers in May 2026; check what's running when you visit.
Photo: Surf Hotel,
used with permission 
Photo: Surf Hotel,
used with permission Hours and bookings
When it's open
The official site lists the restaurant and bar as open Wednesday and Thursday from 3pm until late, and Friday to Sunday from 11:30am until late. Monday and Tuesday aren't listed. Hours shift with the seasons, so check the website before you go.
Booking a table
Bookings are through OpenTable, linked from surfhotel.com.au, or call (03) 5261 2503. For a weekend dinner in summer, book. For a drink on the deck on a quiet weekday, you can probably just turn up.
Kids and dogs
The website doesn't mention a kids' menu or a dog policy. If either matters to you, ask when you book.
Getting there from Holyday House
The Esplanade is about five minutes' drive from the house. Parking is on the street and in the foreshore car parks, and it fills up fast on summer weekends.
You can walk it. It's about 25 minutes' walk along the foreshore into town (Whites Beach is 400m from the house). That's a nice way to get there for lunch. Coming home after a few drinks in the dark, a taxi or a lift is the easier option.
Making a day of it
Surf Hotel sits on the same short stretch of The Esplanade as Fisho's, Bomboras and Pond Cafe, so brekkie at one, a swim at Front Beach and a late lunch here is an easy day. Front Beach is patrolled in season and right over the road.
For a more formal night out, Samesyn on Bell Street is the other low-waste kitchen in town. Ela, a little further along The Esplanade, does modern Greek.
Surf Hotel FAQ
Who's the chef at Surf Hotel?
The restaurant is led by Jo Barrett (formerly of Little Picket in Lorne and Oakridge Wines), with Aaron Brodie as head chef, according to Broadsheet.
Do I have to be staying at the hotel to eat there?
No. The restaurant and bar are open to everyone, and the chef has said it's meant for locals as much as hotel guests.
Is it open for lunch?
Friday to Sunday, from 11:30am on the current official hours. On Wednesday and Thursday it opens at 3pm. Check the website before you go.
How do I book?
Online through OpenTable via surfhotel.com.au, or by calling (03) 5261 2503.
What was there before?
The building was the Surf City Motel, and the restaurant space was Zeallys Bar & Grill. It reopened as Surf Hotel in 2026.
This is an independent guide; menus, prices and hours change, so check Surf Hotel's website before you go. For more places to eat, see our Torquay restaurants guide. The Torquay beaches guide covers Front Beach and the rest, and if you're after more beer than food, try the breweries guide. Want a base in north Torquay with a hot tub to come home to? Check dates and send us an enquiry.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Restaurant — Surf Hotel
- Sample menu, October 2026 (PDF) — Surf Hotel
- Torquay's New Surf Hotel Is a Beachfront Diner for All Occasions, by Top Chef Jo Barrett — Broadsheet
- First Look: Surf Hotel, a Refurbed '80s Motel Redefining Seaside Chic in Torquay — Broadsheet
- The Surf Hotel (venue listing) — Broadsheet