1802 Oyster Bar — a winter delight
Winter on Eyre Peninsula is something to behold. In and around Coffin Bay, everything is lush, the natural coastline is pristine and the 1802 Oyster Bar offers the best of the region.
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Winter on Eyre Peninsula is something to behold. In and around Coffin Bay, everything is lush and the natural coastline is as pristine as ever. We even spot a whale from nearby cliffs.
Emus and their chicks totter in the bush, and roos with their joeys graze lazily in town at dawn and dusk.
We’re inspired to rug up and do some grazing of our own on this clear Friday night, when we can make dinner a progressive thing from caravan park to adjacent café to nearby restaurant, enjoying millpond-calm waters and a spectacular sunset.
We start on the deck of the Beachcomber café with beers, wine and mixed natural, Thai and Japanese oysters, and a bucket of SA prawns in the sun. Main course is at the 1802 Oyster Bar curry night, an easy walk down the road.
Some are braving the chill on 1802’s deck, but we head in for a table with the fire at our backs and windows framing the twilight setting. Curries are $20 on Fridays, or you can graze the regular menu. We do a little of both.
This is oyster territory, so yes, more please. The treatments here are different, including baked, Welsh-Rarebit style, blue cheese, gin and tonic and more.
A giant bowl of mussels and vongole swimming in a creamy base of bacon, leeks and cider is also perfect to share over beer or a nice, crisp riesling.
Tonight’s seafood curry has local mussels, prawns and fish in a punchy sauce that delivers a delicate hit of heat.
The gummy shark fish in crunchy batter is good, but ask for the chips to be on the side, because they are soon soggy in an old-school presentation underneath.
A toasty curly edge apple tarte tatin is a hit across the table where good manners are remembered just short of licking that plate.
Deconstructed cheesecake is another hearty serve, the creamy piped cheese not too sweet, but big on comfort when scooped with berries and tasty almond and matcha crumb.