BEST Regional Restaurants in New South Wales

The iconic Rick Stein at Bannisters Mollymook has offered guests seafood excellence for over a decade. Located in coastal Mollymook, a scenic 3-hour drive from Sydney or 2.5 hours from Canberra, Head Chef Remi Lachiaille and his team have curated a menu of culinary delights, focusing on locally sourced seafood cooked in Rick Stein’s signature style. A truly memorable dining experience awaits.

Perched on the edge of the magnificent Jamison Valley and overlooking the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park is Darley's Restaurant. Located inside the luxurious Lilianfels Resort & Spa, this long-standing fine-diner is elegant and comfortable, with warm plates and open fires to keep the mountain chill at bay. Lilianfels is the ideal setting for corporate and social events including product launches, weddings, board meetings or intimate cocktails. 

The award winning restaurant Zin House lies on the Lowe Family Wine Co property and enjoys views across Lowe’s iconic Zinfandel vines - from which it gains its name. Head chef Nathaniel Destefano continues owner Kim Currie’s guiding principles of authenticity, generosity and quality as he prepares seasonal dishes with what they and their neighbours grow. The five course set menu hero’s real food, made from scratch, balanced with a refined and technique driven approach. Start with a wine tasting at the popular Lowe Cellar Door before wandering 100 meters to the Zin House, with views overlooking the property and to the Mudgee hills in the distance.

The Zin House serves lunch Friday-Monday from 12pm and dinner Friday-Saturday from 6pm

Cellar door open daily 10am-5pm

Bookings are essential.

***Please visit the website link on this listing and go to news/events for an exciting line up of events at Lowe Estate, including Twilight Tapas, and special dinners and lunches hosted by David and Kim. 

Photography: Courtesy of The Zin House

Osborne House is a beautifully restored and styled 5-star luxury boutique hotel in peaceful Bundanoon, 30 minutes drive from Bowral in the Southern Highlands. There are two restaurants. Georges is more relaxed with views from the terrace and bar over Morton National Park. Warm up by the fire and enjoy seasonal dishes for lunch or dinner, featuring local produce.  Dinah’s is the stunning formal dining room that is only open for dinner to hotel guests. 

Just 90 minutes from Sydney, the quaint village of Berrima is home to Eschalot. There are a number of reasons why Eschalot is an award-winning restaurant; its dining room is one of Berrima's most beautiful heritage buildings and the service is warm and polished, but its Eschalot's French-Australian menu that has sealed its reputation. Dishes are developed with the seasons in mind, as is the service; guests enjoy a view to the garden in summer and pre-dinner drinks are served by the open fire in winter.

Saddles Eatery and Bakehouse is located just north of Sydney, in the picturesque and rural bushland area of Mt White. It is operated by Cameron & Hayley Cansdell. Together, owners of two other fine Central Coast restaurants including bombini restaurant at Avoca Beach and fish dining at Point Frederick. It is a unique venue with saddle chairs for the dining room’s brass-scalloped bar and and a pretty outlook over the property's lake.

Bendooley Estate’s restaurant in the Southern Highland is housed within The Book Barn whilst the Cellar Door is where you can enjoy a wine tasting by day overlooking the vineyard, dinner with friends enjoying their tasting menu, or host your next special event in their private dining room. The Cellar Door is open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a menu designed to be shared with those around the table.

Restaurant: Lunch Mon-Thu from 12pm and Fri-Sun from 11.30am

Cellar door: Dinner Thur-Sat from 6.30pm

Cellar door tastings daily 10am-5pm

Paper Daisy is the in-house restaurant of boutique hotel Halcyon House, which is set in an old Cabarita Beach surfer motel, that's been remodelled into a chic beach getaway. The restaurant overlooks the resort pool and the dining room is graced with views of the beach and spiky pandanus trees. Ben Devlin, ex-Noma and Esquire, leads the kitchen with a Modern Australian menu with plenty of coastal fare and earthiness from the woodfire grill. The menu for lunch and dinner is fixed price for 2,3, or 4 courses.

Shady Palms restaurant at Avoca on the Central Coast is quickly making its mark for its modern Italian fare made with home-grown ingredients. The restaurant also has a lovely outdoor patio to revel in the sunshine and admire the country surrounds.

The Northern Rivers region of NSW is abundant with fresh produce and creative chefs, something which you will find at Pippit Restaurant in Pottsville. Embracing the local farms full of produce and wood fire cooking techniques, the menu is seasonal and clever. The chefs embrace a sustainable approach, adhering to the AMCF Good Fish Guide when sourcing seafood, and minimising waste by using methods of fermentation and preserving. The dining room and kitchen melt into one creating an open space to interact with the whole cooking experience.

Photography: Courtesy of Pipit