Cullen Bay Darwin: Chef owner Kerry Brown debuts Fin & Tonic, replacing doomed cafe La Beach

“We’re passionate about supporting the local seafood industry”: A seafood chef with a long history of leading successful venues in both the NT and WA has debuted a casual restaurant at a Darwin dining hotspot.

Fin & Tonic, Cullen Bay. Picture: Facebook

Fish and chips are back on the menu at Cullen Bay Marina, after the respected seafood chef behind a popular Darwin food van successfully launched his permanent restaurant, Fin & Tonic.

Fin & Tonic, helmed by head chef Kerry Brown, takes the place of La Beach, which closed in late 2023 amid financial difficulties faced by the former owners.

Mr Brown said since opening on Wednesday, customers so far had been “amazed at the changes that have been made”.

“The existing business was very run down and everything needed to be replaced,” he said.

“We didn’t want a new fancy establishment, as we wanted to keep it family friendly and make sure it had a relaxed vibe.”

The new restaurant features a seafood heavy menu – locally caught barramundi, Spanish mackerel and Goldband snapper are the stars, cooked either battered or grilled – that also takes in favourites such as Moroccan lamb, scotch fillet, beef burger and Mediterranean chicken linguine.

Chef Kerry Brown, who is behind Fin & Tonic. Picture: Rescue Me Food Services

Mr Brown, who Territorians would know as the owner of popular seafood van Rescue Me Food Services, said his philosophy is simple when it comes to the ocean’s bounty.

“We’re passionate about supporting the local seafood industry – our fish will always be locally caught in the NT,” he said.

“Local fishermen deliver direct to us.

“We will have things on the menu that aren’t [local] – scallops at the moment are very difficult to get anything caught in Australia of quality, but rest assured as soon as I can get some, they will be on the menu, perhaps from Western Australia or Tasmania – but they will still be Australian.”

“We look for a supplier that treats their product with respect, is sustainable and delivers an end product that is as fresh as it can be.

Fin & Tonic owner Kerry Brown during the renovations. Picture: Facebook

While business so far has been split 50–50 between dine-in and takeaway, Mr Brown said he expected the takeaway option to become increasingly popular.

“I expect the takeaway to exceed dine-in as we have such a gorgeous lawn area and the sunset vista is very attractive and popular,” Mr Brown said.

Fin & Tonic is fully licensed, stocked with five taps of local beer (Beaver, One Mile and Darwin Brewing Co), spirits, wines and cocktails, and Mr Brown said he expected the bar to become an important part of the overall experience.

Fin & Tonic will open for dinner five nights a week initially, before expanding to lunch service at a later date.

Speaking to the NT News previously, Mr Brown voiced his desire to hive off Rescue Me under new ownership, in order to focus on Fin & Tonic, but now revealed he has changed his mind, with the van to return to service once he has found a chef to lead the business.