Summer in SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
The Boathouse at Palm Beach: dining with a coastal view on the Northern Beaches.
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Wharfside restaurants, historic seaside institutions, kiosks by the waves and escapist dining that makes you feel like a high roller in The Great Gatsby: Sydney’s Northern Beaches has everything, and your mealtime is often served with a scenic coastal backdrop. Hop on the ferry or drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and discover what this part of Sydney has to offer.
Manly Wharf
You needn’t venture too far to find Manly’s hottest dining precinct: step off the ferry from Circular Quay and you’re essentially there. Manly Wharf is home to new outposts for already popular restaurants, which is good news if you’re looking for trend-driven Japanese cuisine (Saké Restaurant & Bar, with its sashimi tacos and popcorn shrimp with yuzu and mayonnaise). Or family-friendly pizza and Italian fare (Fratelli Fresh and its Neapolitan slices and wild mushroom gnocchi) or fun and leftfield Tex-Mex (El Camino Cantina, which offers cheeseburger tacos and ‘Cadillac’ margaritas enhanced with Grand Marnier). Also wharfside: Queen Chow, which serves its own take on Chinese food: the prawn toast gets an executive-level remix, thanks to the luxe addition of caviar. The brightly coloured Manly Greenhouse nearby presents bar snacks and porchetta sandwiches on its laidback rooftop level, while offering more substantial beach-friendly fare below (yellowfin tuna tartare, pan-roasted hapuka).
Palm Beach
Barrenjoey House recently celebrated its 100th birthday, but there’s nothing outdated about this Palm Beach favourite an hour’s drive north of the city centre. Sure, it has quite a history (it was the first place in town to install a telephone, and the armed forces liked to socialise here during World War II), but a revamp in 2018 has thoughtfully updated the building, while still preserving the venue’s original character. It looks lighter and brighter — and the seafood-focused menu retains its currency, too. The dishes are classic yet still relevantThink lobster ravioli, Fraser Isle crab toast and a refreshing take on the prawn cocktail. Barrenjoey House’s renovation is courtesy of Pip and Andrew Goldsmith, the team behind the runaway success of The Boathouse Palm Beach. They launched that café back in late 2008, and they’ve perfected the formula: offer a relaxed, beach-friendly menu within a charismatic coastal setting. You'll want to run along the jetty for the fish pie with mashed potato, fish and chips with Boathouse tartare and the smoked salmon fritters.
Summer in Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Manly ferry from Circular Quay arriving at Manly wharf.
#ilovesydney
Summer in Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Manly ferry from Circular Quay arriving at Manly wharf.
Summer in Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Jetty leading to The Boathouse Palm Beach, Sydney
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Summer in Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Jetty leading to The Boathouse Palm Beach, Sydney
Avalon
Alma in Avalon, just south of Palm Beach, serves tacos and burritos, so its culinary inspiration is from the other side of the world. But the restaurant still keenly celebrates local seafood, with the escabeche getting its punch from marinated Clarence River octopus, for instance, while the zingy aguachile is made with Australian prawns. The restaurant’s relaxed setting is perfect for the breezy menu, but if you want to dine even closer to Avalon’s waves, Beach House is right on the shore and literally footsteps away from the sand. The casual, coastal kiosk downstairs sells tempura fish and chips and beach burgers, while the more refined restaurant area serves plates of Japanese-Hawaiian dishes, such as teriyaki beef bowls, grilled barramundi with sansho pepper and salmon tartare with mirin, soy and togarashi.
Newport
When Bert’s in Newport, south of Avalon, opened in 2018, it did so to a blaze of good reviews and Best New Restaurant nominations. It’s easy to see why the bar and brasserie entranced critics: the dazzling, light-filled interiors evoke an ‘Hamptons in the 1930s’ atmosphere and Jordan Toft’s menu is as elegant and decadent. Here, you can channel your Jay Gatsby and order $295 of caviar with butter and toast, or spend nearly as much on slow-grilled Eastern rock lobster. For a more casual approach, head to The Newport, its neighbouring sister venue. The kiosk section sells shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken and pork belly banh mi; the Vinnie’s Pizza area serves Neapolitan wood-fired slices for both kids and adults; and the burger shack offers classic patties, wings, battered seafood and salads.
Avalon Beach, Avalon Credit: Destination NSW
Go body surfing off Avalon Beach, Avalon on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
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Avalon Beach, Avalon Credit: Destination NSW
Go body surfing off Avalon Beach, Avalon on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Bert's Bar & Brasserie, Newport Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoy food and drink at Bert's Bar & Brasserie restaurant within The Newport, Newport.
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Bert's Bar & Brasserie, Newport Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoy food and drink at Bert's Bar & Brasserie restaurant within The Newport, Newport.
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.