Thirroul revealed as top foodie destination in delicious. 100

It’s a small coastal town with a growing tourism reputation, and it has the dining delicacies to match. Thirroul - a town of 6000 people has two entries in the delicious. 100. Vote now.

The small town of Thirroul, just 10 minutes north of Wollongong, has emerged as one of the state’s top foodie destinations in this year’s delicious. 100.

The town of 6000 has two entries in the annual review guide, which this year revolves around the 100 best eats and treats in NSW.

South Sailor, a fish bar on the main road and just 150 metres from Thirroul Beach, serves some of the best sushi in New South Wales. A little further down the road, Franco Pizza Bar is up for best pizza.

Thirroul is a quaint little stretch of coastline south of Sydney, where the rugged and winding Bulli Pass flattens out of the national park and past sunny weatherboard houses, past beachside scenes of zinc-painted children with boards and buckets. Thirroul props up against well-heeled Austinmer and Wombarra, and locals are a blend of always-here and Sydneysiders who took their tree-change coastal.

The Point, McCauleys Beach at Thirroul.

The train trip from Central Station is only an hour and half, and the route is scattered with ocean and bush views. The drive is easy, and includes the last-minute thrill of the Sea Cliff Bridge, a car, bike and pedestrian accessible road that hovers about 40 metres above the ocean and winds around the cliff face; a futuristic structure to behold.

A pepperoni pizza at Franco Pizza Bar. Picture: Supplied

Thirroul also has one of the best pizza shops in New South Wales, turning out 72-hour proved sourdough bases topped with the likes of prawn, chilli, fior di latte and gremolata, or - true story - ham and pineapple, but with a contemporary jalapeño spin. At Franco Pizza Bar, owner Sam Jones says he is serving a small clientele well-tuned to what makes a good pizza. There’s also some smashing antipasti on the menu. Think: wagyu bresaola, or buffalo mozzarella with roast grapes, Jervis Bay mussels marinated in spiced oil and served with mussel cream, pickled peppers, and potato crisps.

Bar Franco Pizza

“Thirroul is a family-oriented place. We have musicians and surfers and people who have moved from Sydney and Canberra, who are now working from home and who know what good pizza is. It’s a little quieter here in the northern end of the Illawarra. The regulars are beautiful, it’s a community,” says Jones.

Jones is ex-Bentley Group and ex-The Wine Library, he worked at Monopole before moving on to Tequila Mockingbird. He knows his hospitality, he knows his bars, and now Thirroul is his playground much to the luck of its epicurean locals.

Before he opened the doors at Franco, the team spent months perfecting the pizza dough, and continued the refining process even after it opened in 2021. “It’s still evolving, but we’re happy with it. And now the team has it down, it’s consistently good,” he says.

Pizza here can be gluten-free or vegan, or both, and there are pizzas that have been on the menu since day dot because the locals love them - like the signature Franco topped with tomato, pork fennel sausage, ‘nduja, fior di latte, mushroom and olives - and the team tries new things that can be “a little crazy, but good”, says Jones.

The offerings at South Sailor

A moment’s barefooted walk from Thirroul Beach, South Sailor sits in the spot fondly remembered by locals as Jim’s Fish Cafe, with roots dating back to 1946. Some locals still call it that. But South Sailor has far from relied on its famous heritage, and now produces some of the most immaculately fresh, crowd-pleasing yet elevated sushi in NSW.

The seafood-focused menu at South Sailor spans seafood paella, fish and chips, and Osetra black caviar with blinis and cured salmon.

There are excellent Baja fish tacos made with saltwater barramundi. But eyes should be on the raw bar to start.

Signature sushi rolls are filled with scallop and tempura prawn, or tempura tuna and salmon sesame tartare.

The poke bowls include a miso tuna topping with sesame and nori, or salmon with spicy ponzu. It’s simply excellent sushi.

Both South Sailor and Franco Pizza are open for lunch and dinner, so you can switch it up depending on the day. Fill the hours between at sparkling Thirroul Beach, a dip in ocean-water-filled Thirroul Olympic Pool, and a vintage homewares hunt at Wombat antiques or local gem Few and Far. A day trip to Thirroul is filled with treasures to be found.

View the delicious. 100 and vote for your favourites now at delicious100.com.au.