A suburban gin distillery in Mitcham has become one of Melbourne's more compelling dining destinations, with Dutch Rules Distilling Co earning a 14/20 Critics' Pick rating in the Good Food Guide — recognition that reflects a venue firing on all cylinders since a significant change in the kitchen.
A Prize-Winning Chef Transforms the Menu
The catalyst for much of the excitement surrounding Dutch Rules is Viveik Vinoharan, the Good Food Guide's 2026 Young Chef of the Year, who took up residence behind the pans in April. Since his arrival, the distillery bar has drawn a growing crowd of locals eager to experience his distinctly Sri Lankan approach to bar food — and word is spreading well beyond the neighbourhood.
Vinoharan previously cooked at Lilac Wine before joining Dutch Rules founder Danny Perera at the Mitcham venue. His food is rooted in the Sri Lankan cuisine he grew up with, and the results are anything but ordinary. Highlights from the menu include a lamb biryani sausage made from Flinders Island lamb shoulder, combined with preserved lemon, fermented chilli, sultanas and rice — a dish that encapsulates his instinct for layering culture and technique.
Lamb belly is marinated in a peppery spice blend, slow-cooked, pressed onto a skewer and then flame-licked to order. Elsewhere, lime-infused cabbage is charred and plated over a Jerusalem artichoke curry, while gorgeous crudités arrive alongside whipped lentil curry styled like hummus. The pasta course is equally unexpected: house-made rigatoni, extruded in-house, is served with a minced wallaby and pig skin curry topped with grana padano.
Gin at the Heart of Dutch Rules
The kitchen doesn't operate in isolation from the distillery. Gin is the backbone of the Dutch Rules operation, and Vinoharan's food draws direct flavour connections to what's being produced at the rear of the venue. The house gin is available in cocktails or as part of tasting flights priced at $40, and the cocktail list leans into local botanicals and creative combinations — among them a Thai Ceylon mandarin martini and a Welcome to Mitcham cocktail.
Dessert continues in the same spirit, quite literally, with a gin granita rounding out the meal. The food and drink program feel genuinely integrated rather than coincidental, which is part of what sets Dutch Rules apart from a standard bar-with-food setup.
The Space and the Vibe
Dutch Rules occupies a space that feels more like a dining hall than a polished restaurant. Sport plays on screens, vinyl spins on turntables, and the working gin distillery sits prominently at the back — a visible reminder of what the venue is fundamentally about. It is casual and convivial, with charcuterie on the bar snacks menu and a crowd that feels at home there.
The venue is a short walk from Mitcham Station, making it accessible for anyone willing to venture to the outer suburbs for a meal worth talking about. The combination of an award-winning chef, a functioning artisan distillery, and a menu infused with genuine narrative and cultural identity gives Dutch Rules a character that is difficult to replicate.
Why Dutch Rules Is Worth Seeking Out
For a venue that could easily have remained a quiet local secret, Dutch Rules is accumulating serious culinary credentials. The Good Food Guide's Critics' Pick designation signals that this is not merely a neighbourhood gem — it is a destination restaurant in its own right, housed inside a gin distillery, and guided by a chef with a clear point of view and the skill to execute it.
Whether you're drawn by the cocktails, the Sri Lankan-inflected cooking, or the novelty of dining beside a working still, Dutch Rules Distilling Co delivers an experience that is energetic, original and increasingly hard to overlook.
