The Chocolateries Great Ocean Road

At Bellbrae, The Chocolateries Great Ocean Road is a chocolate-making, tasting and café stop on the Great Ocean Road, with a showroom and landscaped grounds. Keep it on your list when chocolate is part of the outing: the milk, dark and white chocolate pastilles make it easy to sample before choosing a treat. You can also drop in for ice cream or hot chocolate, but this is a specialist food stop rather than a broad outdoor attraction.

The showroom features hundreds of chocolate creations, and a viewing window lets you watch the chocolatiers at work. Start with the samples, then browse the range if you want to take something along; watching the making gives the stop more to it than a quick shop visit.

The all-day café serves breakfast and lunch as well as pastries, desserts, house-made ice cream and hot chocolate. It works as a proper meal stop or a shorter treat break, depending on what you want from the drive. Visitors often make a point of the ice cream and hot chocolate, while the café food and service have drawn mixed reports.

Landscaped gardens and lawns give you room to stretch your legs between the showroom and café. Dogs are welcome outdoors on a lead, including in the outdoor café area. The operator lists wheelchair ramps, accessible parking and toilets; full access across the whole site is less clear, so check the route ahead of time if step-free access matters.