The real name is Langtree Avenue, but  where once there might have been cheap Chinese takeaways and  Chiko rolls, now you can hardly move for upmarket wine bars, fancy delis, cool cafes and really good restaurants.

Unsurprisingly, the towns along the Murray have reinvented themselves as a gastronome's playground. After all, the Murray region is described as the food basket of Australia. This river "grows" around half of the country's cereals, fruits, vegetables, grains, grapes, wine and milk - not to mention a large proportion of its lamb and beef.

Amazingly, the Murray has never really succeeded in promoting itself as a foodie destination but the  unofficial Murray River Food and Wine Trail is open for business. The tables have been laid, the cooks are busy in the kitchens, and the waiting staff are itching to serve you.

MILDURA

STEFANO'S CELLAR/MILDURA BREWERY

The Grand Hotel is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the Murray region. Like the neighbouring former Astor Theatre (now home to the Mildura Brewery), it is owned by Don Carrazza, who is the father-in-law of celebrity chef Stefano de Pieri. With de Pieri's wife, Donata Carrazza, they've made these two splendid buildings the cornerstone of Mildura's culinary reputation.

In 1991, di Pieri opened Stefano's Restaurant in the basement of The Grand. After a year in the hands of his friend, Mildura-born  Jim McDougall (who used to cook at Melbourne's Vue de Monde), de Pieri is re-opening his eponymous restaurant in the basement on March 9, serving a  four- or five-course menu of simple Italian food for $80.

You'll also find Stefano's food next door at the Mildura Brewery, a beautifully converted 1924 art deco cinema which opened in its new guise in 2004. You can see the  boutique brewery from "the pub" and taste any of the six beers made on the premises while sampling di Pieri's cuisine. See stefano.com.au.

COBRAM

THE BEACH CAFE

This cafe/restaurant overlooks what is billed as "the biggest inland beach" in Australia. Opened in 2009 by Paul Gemmill, it features food by Harry Angus under a canopy of red gums. See thebeachcafecobram.com.au

SWAN HILL

SPOONS RIVERSIDE

Swan Hill's only riverside restaurant is  next to the town's historic Pioneer Settlement with its antique paddle steamers, heritage shops, and Industrial Revolution memorabilia. But the setting is lovely, again beneath red gums. And the Angus beef eye fillet, patatas bravas and saffron aioli with a native pink peppercorn sauce, was outstanding. See spoonsriverside.com.au.

CALDWELL

RESTDOWN WINES

There are many more famous wineries in the Murray - particularly around Rutherglen - but Restdown, established by Don and Jo Hearn in 1993 when they arrived back from a European adventure with "a backpack of dirty clothes and two Turkish rugs", comes highly recommended as an authentic Murray experience. There's a walking trail, an award-winning semillon, and  it's a key stop-off on the Backroads Trail. See restdown.com.au; backroadstrail.com.au.

ECHUCA

If Mildura has its "Feast Street", Echuca has its "Fine Dining District". Nowhere else on the Murray has a more extensive concentration of good restaurants, great cafes and fascinating food outlets - plus so many fabulous wineries within a 40-minute drive.

The American Hotel claims to be the oldest pub in Echuca, established in 1865. Apparently it got its name from the American riverboat men who stayed here in its early days.

It has recently reopened as a pub/live music venue with a fine dining restaurant called Oscar W's Dining Room. That's a difficult combination to pull off, and on the busy holiday weekend night we visited, not everyone was satisfied.

Oscar W's Wharfside Redgum Grill and Deck Bar, overlooking the Murray, was an institution, but is closed for renovations.  At the American Hotel incarnation, the food and service are excellent - though there is only one other table occupied when we eat. See americanhotelechuca.com.au.

Ceres  is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a heavily Mediterranean-influenced menu - lots  of pasta, risottos, meatballs, steaks - and a double roasted duck on creamy mash with sauteed spinach and quince jus that comes highly recommended. See ceresechuca.com.au.

Also in the area: Office 3564 (in the Old Post Office) for its homemade cakes.  Three Black Sheep, next to the Silverfox Winery, with great pizzas and a pulled pork roll with home made coleslaw, rosemary and sea salt fries, and a children's play lawn. The Black Pudding Licensed Cafe, a local favourite - open for breakfast and lunch, with a secluded courtyard on the Campaspe River. The Mill Echuca -  a  landmark, built as a five-storey flour mill in 1881. Now open from breakfast to a la carte restaurant in the evening.

ALBURY WODONGA

Oh dear! The biggest urban conurbation on the Murray, and what has it got to offer, food-wise? Lots of restaurants in  hotel chains. But try Broadgauge in Wodonga's former railway station, with diners sitting on what used to be the main platform. The menu focuses on local produce and a sense of adventure - the Steak Tartare charcuterie, the "Tin of Mussels in spicy pickled sauce", or Rabbit Terrine as entrees?

But "BG", as it badges itself, is best known for its steaks. The unappetisingly named Cape Grim Eye Filet is a bargain at $33, while the Sher Wagyu Sirloin  at $45 is the splash-out "I just got promoted!" option.

Be warned. Reviews are mixed, with locals generally loving it and out-of-towners either damning or highly enthusiastic. See broadgauge.com.au.

TRIP NOTES

More information

visitthemurray.com.au

GETTING THERE

Qantas, Virgin Australia and Rex Regional Express fly to Mildura and Albury from Sydney and Melbourne. See qantas.com.au; virginaustralia.com; rex.com.au.

STAYING THERE

For Mildura, consider Sunraysia Resort; see sunraysia-resort.com.au. In Swan Hill, try Murray Downs Golf Resort; see murraydownsresort.com.au. In Echuca, Quest Apartments is close to all the main attractions; see questapartments.com.au.

 The writer was a guest of Murray Regional Tourism.