Fresh Oysters, Port StephensCredit: Destination NSW
Lemon being squeezed on a freshly opened oyster in Port Stephens.
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A New South Wales oyster may be one of the best you’ll ever devour – the state’s extensive bivalve producers regularly take home awards for their creaminess and distinct flavour. Discover the unique characteristics of NSW oysters, and where to sample them, with this comprehensive list of some of the state’s best producers from north to south.
Oyster 101
Complex flavours and lingering sweetness are just two of the reasons Sydney Rock oysters are regularly voted among the best in the world. Native to Australia, these molluscs have been cultivated since the late 1800s, and can now be found up and down the state’s coastline.
Also native to Australia is the Angasi, a flat oyster that’s full-bodied and game-like. These tasty morsels are incredibly rare (due to historical over-harvesting), so if you find one, don’t miss your opportunity to sample something special.
While Pacific oysters are a relative newcomer to Australia’s waters, introduced from Japan in the 1940s, they’re one of the country’s most farmed varieties. There’s a reason for their popularity: slightly larger and firmer than Sydney Rocks, Pacific oysters are fresh, sweet and briny.
Sydney
There are dozens of places to sample oysters in Sydney, but one can’t go past the perennially bustling Sydney Fish Market for a selection of the state’s finest (alongside everything else from the sea). Pick up a dozen and head for a bench outside to enjoy them overlooking the water.
Fresh oysters Credit: Mark Sherborne; Destination NSW
Fresh natural oysters served at Waterfront Restaurant, The Rocks
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Fresh oysters Credit: Mark Sherborne; Destination NSW
Fresh natural oysters served at Waterfront Restaurant, The Rocks
Sydney Fish Market Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont
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Sydney Fish Market Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont
Heading south
The southern coastline of NSW is oyster heaven – the coastline is characterised by oyster sheds, wharves, markets and restaurants where sampling freshly shucked produce should be the most essential part of visiting the region.
Shuckers don’t get much faster than loud-shirt-wearing Jim of Jim Wild’s Oysters, an oyster shack at Greenwell Point near Nowra (160km south of Sydney). The estuary of the Crookhaven River is the breeding ground for Jim’s distinctive Sydney Rock and Pacific oysters.
Travel south a further 115km to discover The Farm Gate and Oyster Shed on Wray Street and Pearly Oyster Bar and Farm on the banks of the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. Order shucked Sydney Rocks and Angasi oysters while soaking up sublime views. If you’re keen to hit the very water they’re grown in, consider Region X’s Oyster Tasting Kayak Tour where, over a two-hour tour, punters kayak the river, sample delicacies and meet a fourth-generation oyster farmer.
If you time your visit to popular South Coast town Narooma in May, you’ll encounter the Narooma Oyster Festival, an annual festivity where local growers, shellars and shuckers gather to celebrate the Sydney Rock oyster. While you’re there, be sure to drop into The Oyster Farmers Daughter, an outdoor bar serving cocktails and seafood on the shore of the Wagonga Inlet.
At Tathra Oysters try Sydney Rocks grown in the waters of Nelson’s Lake in Mimosa Rocks National Park. From here, drive 30km to The Oyster Barn, a pristine farm gate located on Merimbula Lake. A little further on, at Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Pambula, you can take a guided tour of the oyster factory. And at Broadwater Oysters you can grab and go, sit in and relax by the lake, or go to ‘oyster school’, led by an expert. If you’d prefer to get among the oyster action, book in to Navigate Expeditions’ Kayak and Shuck tour where you’ll paddle the Pambula River and learn all about oysters and how to shuck them at Broadwater Oysters. Wonboyn Rock Oysters is the furthest south, a 47km drive from Eden on the Sapphire Coast. Here sample Sydney Rocks from the pristine waters of one of NSW's most remote estuaries: Wonboyn Lake.
Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay.
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Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay.
Narooma Oyster Festival, Narooma Credit: Narooma Oyster Festival
A plate of freshly shucked oysters by the water, Narooma Oyster Festival
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Narooma Oyster Festival, Narooma Credit: Narooma Oyster Festival
A plate of freshly shucked oysters by the water, Narooma Oyster Festival
Heading north
The northern coastline of NSW is just as treasure-filled for oyster lovers. Just an hour’s drive from Sydney, the Hawkesbury River boasts a thriving oyster industry. The Floating Oyster Wine Bar in Brooklyn allows guests to sit back and relax on a river cruise, all while sampling the region’s finest.
In the town of Mooney Mooney, the Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed is a small local oyster farm supplying molluscs straight from the source. Just next door, you’ll find Broken Bay Pearl Farm, a special ‘shellar door’ offering an array of oyster farm tours, as well as the opportunity to try Broken Bay Akoya pearl oysters, a first in NSW. Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, also in Mooney Mooney, is a unique experience where visitors can don waders and try oysters right in the water to truly appreciate the merroir. A little further north, in Woy Woy the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival takes place every November, a day-long festival where oysters, food and wine are at the forefront.
Further up the coast, the Soldiers Point peninsula juts from the southern shore of Port Stephens. It’s here you’ll find family-owned Holberts Oyster Farm, where you can enjoy a dozen or so at a waterside table with a bottle of wine.
In Forster sample the produce of Graham Barclay Oysters, believed to be the state’s largest supplier of Sydney Rocks. A little further north, part of the Great Lakes area where you can surf, fish, swim and kayak around crystal-clear waters, you’ll find Brighton Oysters, an oyster farm experience on the Manning River offering boat tours and education sessions. Nearby, just outside of Taree, Stones Oysters and Shed Takeaway is the ultimate place to stock up on fresh oysters, prawns, lobsters, crabs and just-caught fish.
Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney oyster farm tours offer oyster farm tours 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD. Their tours take participants on a boat ride out to the oyster leases to learn about the evolution of farming and see the current cultivation methods they use to bring you the beautiful Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters you love.
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Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney oyster farm tours offer oyster farm tours 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD. Their tours take participants on a boat ride out to the oyster leases to learn about the evolution of farming and see the current cultivation methods they use to bring you the beautiful Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters you love.
Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink with views across Brisbane Water at Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy.
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Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink with views across Brisbane Water at Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy.
More Inspirational Stories
Margarita Daze, Umina BeachCredit: Destination NSW
Delicious meals on available at Margarita Daze, Umina Beach.
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This small region punches above its weight when it comes to dining out, with a wealth of excellent cafes and restaurants as well as many passionate producers, partly due to the influx in recent years of ex-big city hospitality pros looking for a better work-life balance. Just an hour north of Sydney (or a 30-minute ferry ride from Palm Beach), the Central Coast makes a convenient weekend destination, where you can sip and snack your way through cruisy seaside towns and the buzzy centre of Gosford. From a garden distillery to bright seaside diners, here’s where to dine on the Central Coast.
The Box on the Water, Ettalong Beach
For a memorable meal, have lunch at Ettalong Beach’s restaurant The Box on the Water – with floor-to-ceiling windows that let the sea breeze in on warm days as you dine, you’ll feel relaxed immediately. Have a picnic on the sand with an egg and bacon roll or fish and chips from the beach kiosk or dine at the light-filled restaurant for Sydney rock oysters followed by Goan fish curry or Thai-flavoured black mussels, all while enjoying panoramic views of idyllic Broken Bay. Watch the water turn slowly golden on Fridays to Sundays between 3pm and 5.30pm with happy hour drinks and a box of prawns or a cheese plate.
The Boathouse Patonga Hotel
Catch the ferry from Palm Beach and a sea of white umbrellas beckons you as you approach Patonga Wharf. Overlooking the postcard-worthy sleepy bay, Boathouse Patonga Hotel houses a laidback pub serving classics as well as prawn linguine with lumpfish caviar, tiger prawns and oysters – the perfect place to kill a sunny afternoon. If you’re passing through, grab a simple breakfast or takeaway fish and chips from the kiosk, but staying the night is highly recommended. The chic boutique apartments nod to the town’s fishing history with tasteful nautical touches and in-room dining.
The BOX on the Water, Ettalong Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying evening drinks at The BOX on the Water restaurant and bar, Ettalong Beach.
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The BOX on the Water, Ettalong Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying evening drinks at The BOX on the Water restaurant and bar, Ettalong Beach.
Patonga Wharf, Patonga Credit: Destination Central Coast
Aerial overlooking Paronga Wharf, Patonga.
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Patonga Wharf, Patonga Credit: Destination Central Coast
Aerial overlooking Paronga Wharf, Patonga.
Distillery Botanica, Erina
Tucked away in a bushy pocket of Erina, a 10-minute drive from Gosford, Distillery Botanica is the birthplace of Moore’s Dry Gin (the first Australian gin to win gold at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition) and Mr Black coffee liqueur, creations of herbalist and distiller Philip Moore. Pop in for a tasting or join a garden and distillery tour that takes you through the unique plants and botanicals grown on site. Stick around for lunch in the onsite cocktail bar, Bar Botanica (there’s live jazz on the weekend) and leave room for a Mr Goaty Gelato, which is churned on site, or an affogato using housemade liqueurs.
Six String Brewing Co, Erina
In walking distance from Distillery Botanica, find independent brewery Six String Brewing Co, a culmination of the owners’ two loves: beer and rock’n’roll. As well as a core range of six ales, lagers and IPAs, Six String produces seasonal one-offs, as well as hard lemonade. Tours are run every Saturday at 11am (bookings essential) where you can get into the nitty gritty of brewing and sample the beers. Beer needs hearty bar food, and the kitchen delivers: burgers are made with wagyu beef and snacks include a basket of wings or loaded fries.
Distillery Botanica, Erina Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying ice-creams at Distillery Botanica, Erina.
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Distillery Botanica, Erina Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying ice-creams at Distillery Botanica, Erina.
Six String Brewing Company, Erina Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying beer tastings at the Six String Brewing Company brewery in Erina.
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Six String Brewing Company, Erina Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying beer tastings at the Six String Brewing Company brewery in Erina.
Lago Cucina, Budgewoi
Located on level one of the Budgewoi Hotel, Lago Cucina is a chic addition to the sleepy lakeside town. With terrazzo counters, rattan chairs and whitewashed walls, this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant is Italian at its best. Try dishes that let produce sing such as handmade burrata with cherry tomatoes, zucchini flowers, truffle and mushroom raviolo, and sample local seafood through dishes including crab linguine and calamari fritti. With a selection of woodfired pizzas, a kid’s menu and a bespoke cocktail list, it ticks all the boxes, whether you’re meeting up with friends or bringing the whole family.
Burnt Honey Bakery, Copacabana and Long Jetty
First opening in 2019 in Copacabana, Burnt Honey Bakery quickly gained a cult following due to its wide range of sourdough bread, perfect croissants and community-minded approach. That popularity led them to open Burnt Honey Bakers Pantry at Long Jetty, which sells a curated selection of cookbooks, specialised baking ingredients, tools and pantry goods alongside pastries. Try one of their famous brown sugar cinnamon buns with burnt butter glaze and take home a few loaves of sourdough and a jar of sour cherry and almond biscotti. Keep an eye on their website for pastry masterclasses so you can recreate these delectable treats at home.
Burnt Honey, Copacabana Credit: Nikki To
Fresh pastries available from Burnt Honey cafe, Copacobana on the Central Coast.
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Burnt Honey, Copacabana Credit: Nikki To
Fresh pastries available from Burnt Honey cafe, Copacobana on the Central Coast.