As a new generation of ambitious chefs make organic and artisanal produce their focus, inspired regional restaurants are popping up across the state. And what does that mean for us? Two words: destination dining. We’ve scoured the NSW countryside for the regional eats you can’t afford to miss.
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Zin House is located on the biodynamic and organic Tinja farmlands of Mudgee. You won’t find foams, droplets, smears or deconstructed dishes on the menu here. The kitchen is about serving real food cooked freshly, from scratch. Seating is all communal, at large farmhouse tables, with plenty of personal space and a long leisurely approach to dining.Read more -
‘Fresh-off-the-boat’ seafood and a warm South Coast charm are the draw cards at Mollymook’s Rick Stein at Bannisters. Blending classic French and English seafood dishes with hallmark Mediterranean and Asian ingredients, the only thing that may trump the menu are the ocean views.Read more -
Perched on the edge of the magnificent Jamison Valley and overlooking the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park is Darley's Restaurant. The fine diner is located inside the luxurious Lilianfels Resort & Spa, and the dining room has a reputation for being both elegant and comfortable, with warm plates and open fires to keep the mountain chill at bay.Read more -
Read moreOsborne House is a beautifully restored and styled 5-star luxury boutique hotel in peaceful Bundanoon, 30 minutes drive from Bowral in the Southern Highlands. There are two restaurants. Georges is more relaxed with views from the terrace and bar over Morton National Park. Warm up by the fire and enjoy seasonal dishes for lunch or dinner, featuring local produce. Dinah’s is the stunning formal dining room that is only open for dinner to hotel guests.
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Just 90 minutes from Sydney, the quaint village of Berrima is home to Eschalot, one of NSW’s finest restaurants. Housed in an historic sandstone cottage, the art-filled dining room delivers an innovative French-inspired Modern Australian menu.Read more -
Read moreSaddles Eatery and Bakehouse is located just north of Sydney, in the picturesque and rural bushland area of Mt White. It is operated by Cameron & Hayley Cansdell. Together, owners of two other fine Central Coast restaurants including bombini restaurant at Avoca Beach and fish dining at Point Frederick. It is a unique venue with saddle chairs for the dining room's brass-scalloped bar and and a pretty outlook over the property's lake.
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Read moreBendooley Estate’s restaurant in the Southern Highland is housed within The Book Barn whilst the Cellar Door is where you can enjoy a wine tasting by day overlooking the vineyard, dinner with friends enjoying their tasting menu, or host your next special event in their private dining room. The Cellar Door is open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a menu designed to be shared with those around the table.
Restaurant: Lunch Mon-Thu from 12pm and Fri-Sun from 11.30am
Cellar door: Dinner Thur-Sat from 6.30pm
Cellar door tastings daily 10am-5pm
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Set in a former surfer motel on Cabarita Beach, Paper Daisy is the in-house restaurant of boutique hotel Halcyon House. Overlooking the resort pool, the airy dining room is graced with views of the beach and its spiky pandanus trees. Coastal fare and earthy dishes from the wood fire grill feature on Ben Devlin’s Modern Australian menu.Read more -
A relative newcomer to the restaurant scene, Bombini is quickly making a mark on the North Coast food scene with its modern Italian fare and home-grown ingredients. Chef Cameron Cansdell (formerly the head chef at Bells at Killcare), together with his wife Hayley Hardcastle (who ran front of house at Bells), have perfected a classy but casual atmosphere inside an old weatherboard house in Avoca.Read more -
Read moreThe Northern Rivers region of NSW is abundant with fresh produce and creative chefs, something which you will find at Pippit Restaurant in Pottsville. Embracing the local farms full of produce and wood fire cooking techniques, the menu is seasonal and clever. The chefs embrace a sustainable approach, adhering to the AMCF Good Fish Guide when sourcing seafood, and minimising waste by using methods of fermentation and preserving. The dining room and kitchen melt into one creating an open space to interact with the whole cooking experience.
Photography: Courtesy of Pipit
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Read moreFiring up all the Turkish favourites in their 150 year old oven is the inviting and chic Ates Blackheath, located in the cosy Blue Mountains village of Blackheath. A simplistic and modern decor is bought to life with a menu influenced by the flavours of the iconic woodfire. Ignite the tastebuds with a selection of small plates that vary from roasted octopus and raw beef to larger dishes of cherry wood-roasted duck and fresh fish of the day.
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Read moreNestled in the food rich township of Orange in NSW's central west is the relaxed flavours of Charred Kitchen & Bar. As the name of the restaurant suggest, fire plays a major component in the menu and shaping of flavours here, with dishes infused with a delicate and aromatic smokiness. A warm ambience with country charm and just the right amount of city chic is crafted through the contemporary decor and welcoming hospitality.
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Read moreWillow Tree, the tiny town on the New England Highway is full of surprises, especially for the gourmet traveller. Halfway between Tamworth and Scone, the restaurant at Graze at the Willow Tree Inn exudes a country-style elegance with iron bark timber fittings and earthy tones. The main attraction here is Colly Creek Angus beef with 220 gram and 800 gram dry aged options.
