Dining review: The Boathouse Group has opened a smaller version on Sydney’s northern beaches, called Whale Beach Deli

Whale Beach Deli is a casual little cafe perched above Whale Beach. It is also part of the stylish Boathouse Group.

Yum...Whale Beach Deli and its assortment of cakes.

• The god of all burgers
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Whale Beach Deli is a little bit of a baby Boathouse and big local secret.

With three Boathouses in the group, Andrew Goldsmith and wife Pip Robb have turned the little venue next to Moby Dicks, their wedding and function venue, into a deli-cum-cafe.

Distinguished by a different name, Whale Beach Deli quietly opened its freshly painted white french windows to the public in January.

Breakfast muesli from the all-day menu.

Don’t despair Instagrammers, it still has elements of that quintessential Hamptons-meets-the-beach decor.

This time around it’s just done on a much smaller scale.

Smaller but just as stylish. Whale Beach Deli has pops of blue and white, fishing pot light shades, oversized glass baubles hanging from branches, rowing boats mounted above the front veranda and a pretty outdoor water dispenser.

There’s little indoor seating — apart from the bench running along the wall. It is the only spot in the house with water views. The downside is that with the views, comes the loo.

Most customers and their well-behaved designer dogs (darling, this is Whale Beach) are content to grab a seat under one of the umbrellas at an outside table. OK, there aren’t the views Shelly Beach, Palmy and Balmoral all have, but it does have that casual, easygoing vibe.

The Boathouse Group opened Whale Beach Deli in January.

Head inside and order at the counter, and in the lull between brunch and lunch, scones, jam and cream, that old-fashioned favourite are the thing to have. Buttermilk scones and fresh strawberries somehow make this more contemporary, and add a Boathouse twist.

Whale Beach Deli has simple Boathouse favourites, but it also has its own identity courtesy of an all-day brunch menu.

Early starters can tuck into fruit salad and toasted banana bread with Pepe Saya butter, or ham and cheese croissants and egg and bacon rolls shape up as savoury alternatives.

Smoked trout bagel with the trimmings.

Something sweet? Then there are an assortment cakes and muffins, which are baked on the premises for the Boathouse Group. Move towards lunch and the impressive veggie burger, filled with avocado, tomato, yoghurt, salad and crisps is popular with customers.

For something exclusively Whale Beach Deli — you can’t go wrong with either the smoked trout bagel with rocket, cream cheese and capers, or the prosciutto baguette.

So is the sausage sandwich. Don’t think school barbie and white flannel bread — this is a sophisticated snag in a roll.

Bloke heaven is a Haverick Meats’ pork and fennel chipolata served with caramelised onion, manchego, fresh basil and a perky chilli sauce.

That’s breakfast and lunch sorted.

Buttermilk scones with cream, jam and fresh strawberries. Photos Martin Lange.

And if you love the coffee — as we did — you can take home a kilo bag of Single O Killer-Bee, along with a small selection of deli goods and Sonoma bread — just don’t forget your perfectly behaved pooch.

TWITTER: @beverley_hudec

ESSENTIALS

Whale Beach Deli

1/231 Whale Beach Rd, Whale Beach

Phone: [phone]

Open: Daily, 7am-3pm

Go for: Sausage sandwich, $13; veggie burger, $17; smoked trout bagel, $16

Coffee: Single O Killer Bee

Vibe: Baby Boatie McBoathouse

Bottom line: $43 for two