Sydney Eat Street: Where and what to eat in Mittagong
A mere 90 minutes from Sydney, Mittagong is considered the gateway to the Southern Highlands, and with so many fabulous foodie finds, it’s an ideal place to start your culinary journey of this country region.
Take a trip to Mittagong, in the NSW Southern Highlands, where you can enjoy great food with some breathtaking views.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram. #SydneyEatStreet
EDEN BREWERY
It’s a divine match at this working brewery — good beer and goodwill — and both are done with an equal amount of passion.
Hailing from Texas, co-owner, founder and brewer Jacob Newman began home-brewing at 18, picking up the skill from YouTube.
It was a hobby that stayed with him as he travelled the world from Papua New Guinea to Juarez, Mexico as an aid worker.
Along the way he met his future wife Deb, who hailing from Hornsby, was the impetus for their move back to Australia and subsequently, their foray in Jacob’s other love, craft beer, only now he had more time and access to more ingredients.
“I didn’t want to make a beer that I can just go and buy,” Jacob says.
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He now uses ingredients like chocolate and honeycomb or grilled pineapple and smoked bacon.
“Nothing more polarising than pineapple and bacon but then again some of the best things in the world are polarising,” he says.
While he has fun with some of the crazier concoction, at the heart of this endeavour is a continuation of their earlier work and a commitment to “being a positive influence in our local community as well as the world at large”.
There’s no food for sale here, but you’re welcome to bring in your own, though Jacob suggests picking up some meat pies from neighbouring Gumnut Patisserie.
This goes well with their popular Palm Pale, which includes some local ingredients as well as passionfruit from up north.
While there are three beers that are staples on tap (Birch Wit, a nod to his Texas roots; Phoenix D. Kottbusser, a honey wheat beer; and the Palm Pale) throughout the year he also partners with local businesses to produce unique brews such as the Yule Ale one he made specifically to go with Gumnut Patisserie’s fruit mince pies, with 10 per cent of profits going to Oxfam and a recent initiative, the small batch brew “The Good Ale”, in which everyone involved donates their services, ingredients are bought at cost with 100 per cent of profits going to Forever Projects, an organisation that helps families in impoverished countries become self-sufficient.
When in Mittagong, swing by for a tasting paddle of five beers for $20. It’s sure to be a heavenly experience.
— 1/19 Cavendish St; edenbrewery.beer
THE OLD BANK HOTEL
At the lovingly-restored Old Bank Hotel, you’ll be welcomed with the charm and warmth of good ol’ southern hospitality.
At this boutique accommodation, you can see the meticulous attention that was involved in bringing this grand place, which was on the verge of destruction, back to its former glory.
After a night’s slumber in one of the luxurious rooms or roomy cottages, head down to the dining area or outside on the patio for some freshly-squeezed juice from the fruit that owners Barbara Whitehouse and Warwick Wainberg bring from the trees growing on their property.
Barb is happy to make coffee, but once you see the truly delightful (and rather extravagant) tea cosies, you’ll be keen for a pot instead.
Breakfast is light but in true southern style, quite comforting with filling homemade porridges, muesli and the ever-nostalgic, Humpty Dumpty soft-boiled egg and toast soldiers.
The transformation is fit for royalty. Literally, as both Prince Harry and Prince William have been guests, as have other A-list celebs, but that doesn’t seem to sway their welcome.
Here you get the impression Barb and Warrick follow the old saying: “There are no strangers, just friends we haven’t met yet.”
— 83 Main St; oldbankhotel.com.au
THE GLASS CAFE
It was a bit of indecision that led Leanne Ferreira to do a lap of the markets, only to circle back to the first food stall she’d passed to pick up lunch — a moist and tender burger that was curiously made with alpaca meat.
“The flavour was fantastic,” Leanne says.
“It was served with beetroot relish, and you could tell it wasn’t just a basic mince patty.”
Intrigued, she did a bit of research to see how this amazingly lean meat would suit the menu of her busy local eatery, which in addition to cafe classics includes popular choices such as lambs fry, steak sandwiches and lighter meals, as well as $10 tradies brekkie (bacon and egg roll with coffee) specials and space for mothers’ groups over the school holidays.
For this, she brought Glass Cafe head chef, Pete Oakley, direct to Prime Alpaca in Berry where they learned to prepare this delicate meat, which because of its limited fat content can become dry unless cooked properly under low heat.
The results were dishes that include kofta, tartare and ravioli as well as their now famous meat pies and a charcuterie board.
They’ve even put together an annual alpaca degustation dinner with local wine, beer and spirits pairings that will have you coming in curious and leaving converted. glasscafe.com.au)
— 84 Main St; glasscafe.com.au
THE SHAGGY COW
It took a while, seven years actually, before restaurateur Mark Wilson, who had moved to area in 2006, finally gave up the commute to Sydney, severed ties with his five Bar Ristretto Cafes and went all-in on what in the past six years has become one of Mittagong’s most popular and respected eateries.
As the former owner of acclaimed restaurants The Bower in Manly and Watermark in Balmoral, it’s easy to see how Mark, along with his partner Elouise McCallum, brought the fine-dining experience to The Shaggy Cow, (a nickname for the Southern Highlands cattle featured in the Tony Shepherd photo canvases on the wall) by merely offering a more casual approach to impressive food and impeccable service.
“Wherever you are, you need to build a relationship with the customer,” Mark says.
“At the end of the day, it’s about making sure they walk out of the door happy.”
In the kitchen, it’s head chef Jerad Dunnohew who is putting out the food, which has diners coming back, again and again, be it for a hearty breakfast of eggs Benedict with house-made sourdough or something sweeter such as French toast with brioche.
For lunch, try the Sicilian swordfish or a colourful salad with smoked trout. To really keep things interesting, every six weeks, The Shaggy Cow holds an elegant degustation dinner.
On those nights, this is where Jerad gets to work magic with seasonal ingredients and flavourful spices.
“A chef’s soul isn’t fed if he can’t be creative,” Mark says.
Fortunately for those of us who can’t make it to dinner, many of Jerad’s concoctions get turned into daytime dishes such as the honey caramel pork belly with shelf scallops, fresh nectarines, macadamia nuts and bitter greens which quickly became a signature item and admittedly, one of Mark’s favourites.
— 112 Main St; theshaggycow.com.au
FOUR SEASONS BISTRO
In an area known for its beef and pork, a plant-based cafe may seem like an odd choice until you take a peek over the fences and throughout the vineyards and you’ll note an abundance of citrus trees, grapevines, herb hardens and practically any sort of vegetable imaginable.
What chef wouldn’t want to use all that fresh produce? Well, that was actually a valid point for Derek and Sue Hamlen, owners of Four Seasons Bistro.
Having lived in the area for more than 25 years working at various venues and running a catering business, they developed a reputation for their “fresh and clean” produce.
“People just started asking for more vegetarian food,” Derek says.
So the two of them heeded the call and opened a cafe offering vegetarian, vegan and rawist food. Judging by the queue for breakfast and lunch, it is clear they made the right choice.
The dishes are as tasty as they are colourful — think vibrant yellow lemon tarts made with the lemons freshly plucked from a customer’s tree or the deep green hues that only come from truly seasonal and vitamin-rich kale.
It’s not uncommon, says Derek, for the ingredients locals bring in, such as the makings of his beetroot relish, that then be featured on the menu or at least the specials board.
— 24 Bowral Rd; fourseasonsbistro.com.au
MUST TRY
FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST
Drop in for a cup of their house-roasted coffee but don’t be surprised if you leave with a turntable and vinyl.
Here, owner Steve Evans’ passions take centre stage with musical instruments, 45’s (look it up Millennials) and album covers on the walls, reflecting his 50 years in the music industry.
The menu harks to his London heritage and includes more than 20 different kinds of tea, a Full English breakfast complete with blood pudding and on weekends, the love-it-or-leave-it Chip Butty, hot chips between two pieces of white bread slathered with butter.
— Brewsters Coffee House and Record Bar; 18 Bowral Rd
STURT COFFEE & THE GALLERY
Home to Australia’s oldest craft centre, Sturt warmly welcomes visitors to its tranquil property with boasts a lush lawn, outdoor sculptures, gallery, shop and design courses.
But to truly appreciate the serenity, have a seat at one of the outdoor wooden tables and order something to eat from Sturt Coffee.
The cafe owner, Kat Luck, along with chef Teena Crooks, have developed a menu that is filled with housemade cakes, soups and salads from local suppliers and growers.
Teena’s pork, chicken and pistachio terrine is not to be missed.
— Sturt Gallery & Studios; Cnr Range Rd & Waverley Pde
WHISKY TASTING
A heritage site, the Fitzroy Inn was built in 1836 as a “Travellers’ Inn”. It later served as a school, guesthouse and private residence before being restored to once again welcome guests for weddings, conferences or just a weekend away in their boutique accommodation.
A bonus to your stay is the option of partaking in a tasting of five spirits from locally based Joadja Distillery.
It includes generous nips of The Whiskey, The Outlaw (moonshine/white whiskey), The Anis, The Gin and The Ximenes (a fortified wine) along with a cheeseboard.
The tastings have become so popular that later in the year, they’ll be offering it as part of the upcoming dinners.
— Fitzroy Inn Historic Guest House; 1 Ferguson Crescent
RACK PORK
Walk through the small red door tucked and be amazed by the expansive space that lies beyond.
Equally impressive is the menu, which in addition to the place’s Italian roots, blends foods and wines from France, Lebanon and the Mediterranean region.
A house-favourite is the seasoned rack pork with parsnip puree, fried sprouts and a honey mustard sauce.
— Fire Drum, 79 Main St
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