Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens review: it’s a classic

It’s like being with Rick on his world meanderings.

Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens. Picture: Melinda Hird.

The trouble with being someone who enjoys the stimulation of new places is that, inevitably, the futility of it all sets in. There’s only so much of the world any of us can ever see. You come to a place like Port Stephens, a magnificent body of water north of Newcastle, bigger than Sydney Harbour and surrounded by pristine bush, sandy beaches and rocky headlands, and you can’t help wondering: how much more of the world’s loveliness have I missed?

If that sounds a little glass-half-empty, there’s a nice restaurant at Soldiers Point where you can fill it. Carrying the name of Cornwall’s most celebrated celebrity, Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens is our idea of a good hotel restaurant: broad enough in its pitch to cover the diverse base of hotel guests, good enough to make a case for itself in its own right. The avuncular Stein is, of course, an honorary Australian anway, having married a local and invested in restaurants. He’s here a lot. Sadly, not tonight, but his spirit presides: a library of Stein books is on display.

The restaurant is a big, modern space at one end of the host hotel, a gussied up one-time Aussie motel on an amazing site. The foreshore and a lovely jetty for fishing are immediately below the restaurant’s vast timber deck. It’s a magic spot. The dining room is a cathedral of timber and terracotta, kitchen at one end, nice marble bar at the centre. With so much natural light, the restaurant inevitably has more mood by night, and one of the semi-circular, leather-upholstered “nooks” is where you want to be.

Bannisters’ fish stew with charred sourdough. Picture: Melinda Hird.

The menu and wine list are fairly conservative, pricey but well done. Seafood is the thing. Mostly. It’s like being with Rick on his world meanderings: a Spanish-leaning shellfish entree (for this is a cold snacks/entree/main/dessert format); mussels that speak of the Mekong; a soup made for Provençal rosé…

We get Japanese with sashimi of very high quality fish, expertly sliced: Mooloolaba yellowfin, farmed (SA) kingfish, Tasmanian Atlantic salmon and Spencer Gulf snapper, served with a little wakame/sesame/daikon salad and the usual condiments. I’d like a little more local provenance.

Small, sweet and quite excellent salt-boiled Mooloolaba king prawns are served classically, on ice, in an alloy dish with a mustard mayo and lemon cheeks. We could be anywhere on the Med, except the prawns wouldn’t be this good. Local (2 Bobs) sourdough is served, belatedly, with whipped butter. And really great house-made linguine – elastic, firm, silken – is simply served, as in southern Italy, with local-ish spanner crab, cherry tomato, parsley and a hint of chilli. It’s all predictable, crowd-pleasing and executed very well.

“Cioppino”, a fish stew originating in San Francisco, is related to various regional Italian fish soups and stews: tomatoey/fish stock base, lots of lovely fresh seafood, charred sourdough. I found Stein’s a little on the sweet side, but what’s not to like?

“Bannisters Fish Pie” almost certainly has a cousin in Padstow: arriving in a terracotta dish with a gratin top, it is delicately rich with prawn, mushroom, mussels, salmon and mahi mahi in a creamy white wine veloute. It’s served super-hot.

To finish, a good tarte tatin with sour cream ice cream: classic. It’s a nice night out. There are snappier wait staff elsewhere but warmth and friendliness go a long way and by 9.25pm, we’re the only diners left. Port Stephens is lovely… and quiet. All part of the appeal, I reckon.

Rick Stein at Bannisters Port at a glance

Address: 147 Soldiers Point Rd, Soldiers Point, NSW

Contact: [phone]; bannisters.com.au

Hours: Lunch Fri-Sun; Dinner daily

Typical prices: Entrees $28; mains $44; desserts $16

Like this? Try… North Bondi Fish

Summary: Coastal catch

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars