Sydney Eat Street: Restaurants, cafes in NSW Southern Highlands
Put work aside for the weekend and take a drive to the NSW Southern Highlands for fresh country air, farm fresh foods — and follow the scent of sweet and savoury pies.
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OPERA AT THE LOCH
1960s rock band The Who solidified the rock opera-genre with their smash Broadway hit, Tommy, now there’s Loch Opera – without The Who, of course, or wattage – right here in NSW.
Amid the rolling valleys of the Southern Highlands, sits The Loch an elegantly refurbished farmhouse and barn that offers both boutique accommodation and true paddock-to-plate experiences, including Opera at The Loch, set for the end of January.
“The Southern Highlands is such an easy short break from Sydney, Canberra or the south coast and people are loving the live performance/lunch and dinner collaborations between The Loch and great Australian talent,” says owner Brigid Kennedy.
“Guests are seated alfresco out in the farm gardens beneath a beautiful pavilion, and we create a bit of food adventure using what we harvest from the farm gardens and the best seasonal produce from surrounding farms, like Thirlmere Poultry, and I make my own cheese using fresh milk from Woodlands Dairy down the road.”
Set to perform is International opera singer Richard Lane, noted for major tenor roles of Puccini, Verdi, Wagner, Strauss and Beethoven, along with Catherine Bouchier and John Martin who together will be performing operatic arias, duets and operetta.
Complimenting the magical event is a menu that includes the likes of duck parfait on fennel croute with grapes and cornichons, Pot au Feu beef with puff-pastry lid and a Paris mash, and crispy skin trout with dill kipflers.
If you can’t make it for the big event, fear not, as there more performances being added to the calendar, plus The Loch’s tasting room is open on Sundays for a two-course lunch and afternoon tea.
Opera at The Loch has two sessions: dinner on Saturday, January 30 ($185pp) and lunch on Sunday, January 31 ($185pp) with drinks available on request.
— 581 Greenhills Rd, Berrima; theloch.net.au
GRAND BISTRO
The country air has been good for Justine and Damien Monley, who used to own the popular cafe Flat White in posh Sydney suburb, Woollahra.
They left the high-pressure hospitality life of the big smoke for a quieter life in 2014, moving to the Southern Highlands and a sprawling vineyard with rustic-chic tasting room and more space for growing family. But they are now busier than ever.
Their business outgrew the tasting room, so they opened Grand Bistro in Bowral with “honest relatable food, has a healthy bias, uses premium ingredients”, Damien says.
“There’s something for everyone, no dots, smears, foams, just good honest, tasty food delivered with a warm smile.”
They have integrated some variations of Flat White favourites into the menu, such as their crispy pork or lamb sandwich “with Nan’s relish, aioli and rocket” which have proved to be equally popular down south.
Besides delicious food, Justine and Damien are adamant about supporting and showcasing local producers.
“We use local Eggs from Nixons at Picton (30 minutes away), and we grow a lot of our produce in our Poly tunnels at Howards Lane,” Damien says.
When not in their restaurant, the pair also oversees the boutique accommodation at Howards Lane Vineyard, Grand Bistro’s catering and pop-up ventures, and even a new restaurant in London as well as new projects on the horizon.
— Grand Bistro; The Grand Arcade, 295-297 Bong Bong St, Bowral; grandbistro.com.au
— Howards Lane Vineyard; 91 Howards Lane, Mittagong; facebook.com/howardslanevineyard/
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PIE TRAIL
They say there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow but is there anything more Australian than a pie at the end of every trail? Surely not.
The Southern Highlands Pie Trail is a real treat. There are 30 outlets on the map, with more being added all the time.
Stop at one of the Gumnut Patisserie locations (Berrima, Bowral and Mittagong) for their signature pie made with beef slow-cooked in beer from neighbouring Eden Brewery.
Another fave is the award-winning Robertson Pie Shop, a family-owned business since 1961 that boasts 24 varieties of savoury and sweet pies.
For a true country experience, head to the Exeter General store, a cute cafe where you can get both a pie and the day’s groceries.
Though they’re technically not on the trail yet, The Glass Cafe, offers some monster-sized meat pies and, when available, super-tasty ones made with lean alpaca meat. Happy trails.
— For more details, go to visitsouthernhighlands.com.au
ESCHALOT
Eat a lot at Eschalot! Or not. It’s up to you and to make sure you enjoy your visit to this elegant restaurant, a historic Colonial stone cottage that dates back to 1834, chef and co-owner Matty Roberts has created a menu that suits every palette and dining preference.
The dishes here are the epitome of a seasonal menu. Much of what’s placed on the table has come straight from their expansive kitchen garden; what they can’t grow comes from local producers.
Guests have the option of ordering ala carte, indulging in a five-course degustation, or you can just leave it in Matty’s capable hands and go with the “Feed Me” menu, a generous three-course shared-plate feast that is essentially the best of what the Southern Highlands has to offer.
While Eschalot is a rather chic venue with dark woods and midnight blue upholstery, the food is creative, but not fussy.
Try the roasted gnocchi with peas, zucchini, brassicas and tendrils; or the pan-roasted lamb rack, green olive, and burnt lemon pesto with sumac and white beans.
Be sure to leave room for dessert — lavender and hibiscus panna cotta with oat crumble and orange blossom syrup. With warmer weather, take advantage of Eschalot’s outdoor dining area, which is where they also host a monthly Argentinian BBQs … under the clear night skies of the Southern Highlands.
— 24 Old Hume Hwy, Berrima; eschalot.com.au
THE GLASS CAFE
There’s a sense of familiarity at this family-owned cafe and restaurant. Even if you haven’t stopped in before, the happy chatter and gregarious staff both inside and outside on the expansive patio, make this place feel like a good friend’s home.
The food here, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, has a homemade quality to it with generous portions of family favourites such as hotcakes, bacon and egg rolls, salads, burgers and much more.
Dinner, which is served Wednesday through to Saturday, ranged from house-made pizzas and parmis to Scotch fillets to seafood platter.
And it’s all fresh as can be since owner, Leanne Ferreira’s, insistence on using local producers and suppliers, which includes, when available, lean alpaca meat.
— 84 Main St, Mittagong; glasscafe.com.au
REDLEAF FARM
It started with a tree change to accommodate the growing family, which shortly after arriving, included chickens for eggs. Not long after that, Katrina and Sam Sparke added pigs and lamb to the property.
It was that meat which caught the attention of hatted chef, James Viles (Biota) and eventually, other renowned chefs from the Southern Highlands and Greater Sydney region.
Realising they had a unique story to tell, they went about creating an equally unique farm-stay experience, providing guests with some insight into their healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
They did, however, kick it up a notch and rather than offering a simple room for rent, they converted vintage carriages into onsite accommodation with all the glamour of a boutique hotel, complete with a welcome basket of rustic bread, homemade muesli, jams and of course, fresh eggs.
— Redhills Rd, Fitzroy Falls; redleaf-farm.com
PEPPERGREEN ESTATE
When Hank Chiu and Katrina Liao and moved to the Southern Highlands in 2013, they loved everything about it, but for them, one thing was missing: high-quality olives.
So passionate were they about this mission that they planted 55,000 olive trees and built an olive mill onsite to achieve the highest quality possible Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).
It was one of the things that led them to be recognised as a premium provider, not just of their coveted olives but also, refined wines, an impressive cellar door with a tasting room on par with any hatted-restaurant.
— PepperGreen Estates Cellar Door; 13 Market Place, Berrima; peppergreenestate.com.au
EXETER GENERAL STORE
To find the centre of this Southern Highlands country town, just head towards Exeter General Store.
While it’s listed as a cafe, this sun-drenched place, where locals and visitors alike, sit at rustic communal tables chatting over meals, is essentially the heart of Exeter considering that it’s also where residents pick-up their mail, shop for groceries, and if they’re in the mood for a good read, borrow one of the hundreds of preloved books that line the floor to ceiling shelves.
It’s the perfect place to for a quick cuppa or settle in and stay a bit longer with an acai bowl and yoghurt topped with muesli or something a bit heartier for lunch.
— 1 Exeter Rd, Exeter
BERNIE’S DINER
A short 90-minute drive to Moss Vale will take you all the way back to 1950 or at least the red vinyl booths of a classic American-style diner reminiscent of the era.
Bernie’s itself dates back to 1927, changing hands many times since, but current owner Ioannis Benardos whose grandfather first opened the place has refashioned it into a fun and nostalgic 50s diner.
Though big burgers, crunchy fries and rich milkshakes seem the obvious choice, don’t miss the pastrami sandwich with meat that has been slow-cooked in a Budweiser Beer base then served on rye bread with homemade pickles.
— 402-404 Argyle St, Moss Vale; berniesdiner.com.au
WHAT’S FRESH
SOPRA
As owners of La Bamba, a popular Spanish and Mediterranean restaurant in Potts Point, Nick Stone and Aparna Gehlot are always looking for ways to enhance their customers’ experience, so when they considered adding a proper bar, they were a bit discouraged when it didn’t quite fit.
But out of adversity comes opportunity, so they subsequently opened Sopra, a contemporary European cocktail and wine bar serving small bites in lieu for big meals.
Try the whitefish Crudo with pickle chilli and tajin spice; or Appellation Sydney rock oysters, roasted Yamba prawns and trout caviar with Pepe Saya crème fraiche, however, if you do want something a bit heartier, try their lamb rump with cracked wheat pomegranate salad and quince aioli.
— Shop 4, 65 Macleay St, Potts Point; barsopra.com.au
Winter warmers to celebrate the season
Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
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Save the best for last. As truffle season comes to a close, be sure to indulge in some sweet treats featuring the annual earthy gem.