Where to eat and drink on the NSW Central Coast
From bakeries to oyster farms to winery restaurants, we have found the top ten delicious places to visit.
A wave of artisanal producers, star chefs, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs is putting the beaches, bays and bush of the Central Coast on the radar of food-loving travellers with homegrown ingredients, local tipples and a chance to hold shimmering pearls from the mighty Hawkesbury in your palm. The region’s beaches and hinterland may seem a world away yet are just less than 90 minutes by car north of Sydney. A government-funded Central Coast Makers Trail covers a broad array of delicious discoveries and activities.
1. Broken Bay Pearl Farm
NSW’s only pearl farm offers a tour of the Lower Hawkesbury River and a chance to linger over the precious Akoya pearls that are sustainably harvested by local farmers. The wittily named Shellar Door at riverfront Mooney Mooney has an industrial, marine feel. Pelicans look on as our cruiser passes Spectacle Island and sails under the historic Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge. The guide lifts vertical baskets of oyster shells dripping algae, like briny pirate treasure, recounting tales of how these are nurtured to maturity. Back at the Shellar Door, there’s the mesmerising spectacle of grading as an expert plucks $200,000 worth of loose, lustrous Akoya pearls, 1000 times rarer than diamonds, from a tray to demonstrate industry “virtues”, such as size and lustre. “Half a millimetre in the pearl world is huge,” explains our guide. Farm cruise, $50; pearl grading experience, $25.
2. Burnt Honey Bakery
This artisanal business beside Copacabana Beach hums with devoted locals queuing for pastries that transcend the old-style vanilla slices of yesteryear. Sourdough loaves have a juicy, salty burst of olive; specialty breads such as cheesy fougasse with slashed crusts are almost too pretty to eat, while the cauliflower, almond tahini and chilli peanut pickle bun is a meal in itself. Gingerbread comes in a jar and customers can take away their chai tea in pottery mugs on an honour system. There’s also an outlet on The Entrance Road, Long Jetty, and the visionary concept of Burnt Honey’s operators, Jo and Hayley, stands tall in an era of bland bakery chains.
3. Distillery Botanica and Six String Brewery
Distillery Botanica’s master herbalist, Phillip Moore, embraces the Central Coast’s retro Australiana flavour by creating spirits that evoke summer in a beach shack garden (cue the cicadas): Lemon Myrtle Liqueur captures the eucalyptus/citrus kick of the fragrant native plant; Roots & Leaves Gin adds a contemporary twist with kaffir lime. Herbs and botanicals are extracted by a gentle, centuries-old technique known as enfleurage and harvested from the adjoining garden. Bar Botanica shows how these award-winning vodkas, gins and liqueurs enliven craft cocktails (Wednesday-Sunday). Also at Erina, Six String Brewing’s atmospheric tap pump room serves cult favourites such as Coastie Lager at an intimate wooden bar, surrounded by the gleaming vats of a brewery in action. Polished concrete floors and posters supporting local gigs echo the brand’s down-to-earth appeal. The ever-changing canned range of ciders; soft blends of yuzu, pomegranate and hibiscus; and pale ales make refreshing take-home souvenirs.
4. Meribella
Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific kicks off 2024 with contemporary avant-garde dining at Meribella, a new venue for head chef Joshua Mason. Forresters Beach-raised and with global experience, he’s back to join the coast’s reinvigorated foodie scene. “The menu is a flavour reunion of my childhood, with fresh seafood that screams summer, and herbs from nearby gardens,” he says.
Meribella’s conservatory windows overlook The Esplanade’s parade of Norfolk pines; local performers set the mood with live music on weekends. Terrigal’s waters provide a game-fishing haven, and the long NSW snapper season (September to May) is the perfect time to try Mason’s velvet-textured crudo, cured with salt and sugar. Oysters and prawns come from Hawkesbury River farms; hand-picked citrus is sourced from a third-generation farm, East Coast Juice, in the hinterland north of Mangrove Mountain. Mandarin cuts through creamy white chocolate in a champagne-and-vanilla sponge with ricotta; preserved lemon adds tangy intensity to rum-and-raisin ice cream.
The menu may have the dazzle of fine dining, with signatures such as caviar and gold leaf tart, but Mason, a former player for the Terrigal Sharks rugby league team, is still a coastie at heart.
5. Little Creek Cheese Factory
This family-run boutique cheesery, located in the repurposed, heritage-listed Wyong Milk Factory, offers niche, unexpectedly flavoured cheeses such as gin cheddar and a criminally decadent goat feta with “Aussie bush” twists of lemon myrtle and mountain pepper. This David to the Goliaths of the industry hosts samplings and cheese-making classes, where guests can try their hand at ricotta to take home. Products are also available at Fresko Fruit (Kincumber) and selected bottle shops/cellars.
7. Firescreek Botanical Winery
This cellar door in semi-rural Holgate, northeast of Gosford, is set in picture-pretty parkland, where winemaker Nadia O’Connell creates next-generation fruit wine, overhauling the kitschy image of this style with delicious updates, such as blends of coffee, chocolate and blackcurrant; raspberry and apple; and lemon and elderflower. O’Connell is a meet-and-greet-style organic farmer who runs family-friendly foraging tours and group workshops, demonstrating permaculture techniques first-hand.
7. Saddles at Mount White
This homestead-style restaurant overlooks a dam on a broader rural estate. There’s indoor-outdoor seating on a wide veranda and equestrian touches in the decor. Head chef Kodi Southgate is at the helm and lunch and dinner slots get booked well ahead but breakfast is also offered seven days, with options built around exceptionally tasty “high welfare” free-range eggs from Mountain Pride Farms at Peats Ridge. Consider an eggy dish baked with chilli and chorizo; dressed up as a burnt butter omelette with blue swimmer crab; sweetened with mascarpone cream and berries atop French toast; or as a “Saddle Up” big brekky with the works, including pork sausages and beans. There’s an on-site nursery and bakery for morning treats (try the cinnamon Portuguese tarts) plus lunchtime takeaways and regular Sundowners at Saddles events over summer.
8. Shhmoakesys Pies
A Central Coast institution known for the homemade richness of smoked meat, Shhmoakesys’ brisket-and-gravy, chicken, lamb and pork flavours first gained attention at Long Jetty Markets (last Saturday of the month), where 1000 premium pies have been known to sell out in an hour. But the brand is now available at about 30 cafes and outlets around the coast for an average of $12. Preservative-free and packed with 250g of meat (also options such as veg green curry and gluten-free). The Seaside Emporium patisserie on Ocean View Rd, Ettalong offers a good range but, as elsewhere, it sells out fast.
9. Osteria Il Coccia
Occupying a prime corner venue at seaside Ettalong, Neapolitan chef Nico Coccia (who’s done stints at the famed El Bulli, Quay and Otto) gives his native Italian fare a Central Coast twist based around woodfire cooking. Diners can see into the open kitchen where meat sizzles on flames; even the cultured cream butter is smoked. His locavore ingredients come from land and sea, including lobster from McMasters Beach and lamb from Mangrove Mountain. Wild greens and edible saltbush are used as flavourings for local pipis, fire-grilled, then tossed with a creamy, spicy pork butter. Italian-French Alexandra Coccia, Nico’s wife, oversees the excellent wine list. The restaurant was recently awarded one-hat status for the second consecutive year by the SMH Good Food Guide.
10. Pullman Magenta Shores
Where to stay? The five-star Pullman Magenta Shores resort sits on a finger-like stretch of its 18-hole golf course estate, between the ocean and Tuggerah Lakes. Self-contained villas are spacious, with a second dining nook upstairs, Nespresso machines and balcony views over tropical gardens or pool. The airy, low-rise architecture and grounds are sprawling, with restaurants and picnic tables close at hand. Formal restaurant Barretts and bistro-style Shallows Bar have stunning vistas overlooking the fairway. Vie Spa’s pretty, palm-fringed treatment rooms and Vichy Spa are ideal for down time. There’s a decompressing, wild beauty here that makes for a true getaway. King Studios, $192; three-bedroom villas, $302; seasonal variations apply.
Gleo Gyde was a guest of Broken Bay Pearl Farm, Saddles at Mount White, Osteria Il Coccia and Pullman Magenta Shores.
