SA Weekend restaurant review | 1802

This regional SA restaurant – with its strong focus on perfectly cooked seafood – is well worth the drive. And it has one dish you could expect in any city spot.

Dining on the deck, looking out to the water, at 1802 in Coffin Bay.

Some winter days in Coffin Bay, it might seem there are more emus wandering the main drag than people. Holiday crowds are a distant memory. It’s a shame because the local oysters are in peak condition in the cooler months and the bay, when ravaged by wind and rain, is a magnificent spectacle.

For many of the business owners in the little town at the bottom of the Eyre Peninsula, these quiet times can make life tough. Take the young British couple who have channelled all their considerable energy into making their restaurant, 1802, the best it can possibly be.

Andy Williams, the chef, and manager Clare Martin came to Australia eight years ago as part of a backpacking holiday and ended up staying. After a stint on Kangaroo Island, they headed to Coffin Bay to take up roles at 1802 for the previous owner. Four years ago they bought the business and, since then, have managed to navigate both the pandemic and the ups and downs of the changing seasons.

Clam linguine, cherry tomatoes and spicy nduja at 1802.

On this particularly grim, wet evening, with an empty deck and the view across the bay faded to black, the challenges are obvious, but the dining room of 1802 is still an appealing place to settle. An open fire dispels the chill and adds to the welcome. Banquettes and other furnishings are finished with a contemporary natural palette, while a selection of photos, maps and a display of knots offers a nod to seafarers.

Williams has put together a menu with plenty of flexible, snack-sized serves and a tighter selection of larger choices. Given this setting, and the reputation of the region, a strong focus on seafood makes sense (though some plates can be adapted – the surf removed from the turf for instance – particularly with notice).

Starters might be as simple as local oysters in 10 different guises, a “hotdog” of poached and charred octopus with kraut and lemon mayo, or a potato skin filled with a mousse of smoked knifejaw topped with sour cream and capers.

Wild bluefin tuna and beetroot at 1802.

Wild blue fin tuna, caught using traditional bamboo poles aboard the historic boat Tacoma, is the hero of a more sophisticated presentation, with cubes of the raw fish and matching pieces of roasted beetroot creating a medley of pinks and purples. Pickled muntries add a sweet/sour pop of flavour, while a golden confetti of cured egg yolk provides the seasoning.

Large Spencer Gulf king prawns are stripped of shell to show their meaty midriffs and grilled over a charcoal fire hot enough to blacken the tips of their feelers while leaving the flesh sweet and springy. A few corn kernels and a miso butter finish the job.

Barbecued prawn, charred corn and miso butter at 1802.

Remember those potato skins? Well, once baked, the potatoes are hollowed out and the inners used to make gnocchi that is poached, then briefly fried. They aren’t the lightest but combined with pumpkin, spaghetti squash, pepitas and an avalanche of shredded parmesan, all those roasty toasty flavours are satisfying.

Clam linguine, cherry tomatoes, spicy nduja at 1802.

From there it is seafood. More knifejaw is used for the fish and chips with a yoghurt-based tartare, while mussels are prepared in classic moules marinieres style.

Dry-aged kingfish, a signature of the restaurant, takes things to another level. Flying in the face of the fresh-is-best credo for seafood, this fish has been kept in hay for more than a week, so the moisture can slowly dissipate, allowing the flesh to become a denser, tighter texture and the skin, when put into a hot pan, to bubble and crisp like a piscine crackle. With shaved fennel, a white bean puree, smoked tomato consomme and a basil oil, it has the kind of ambition one might expect at a high-flying city restaurant.

Dry-aged kingfish, fennel and white bean puree at 1802.

For dessert, a “cheesecake” doesn’t benefit from being deconstructed, with a burnt butter crumb rather than a base, and an incongruous scoop of strawberry sorbet. Cannoli filled with whipped ricotta, pistachios and rum-soaked raisins is a better bet.

1802 has been closed for the past couple of months, while its owners visited family in the UK and then ran a pop-up in Queensland. They will re-open early in September, so start planning a visit. And do say hello to the emus.