The Good Meals information to Merimbula and Narooma

Relying on who you ask, Justin Hemmes is both one of the best or worst factor to occur to Narooma. The chief govt of Sydney-based hospitality group Merivale (which additionally owns Italian-inspired Totti’s, Mr Wong and dozens of different venues) has referred to as the South Coast city a second house for the previous seven years, after shopping for a number of hectares of residential property within the space. Extra lately, nonetheless, Hemmes has been buying previous Narooma lodges and motels and opening hatted eating places.

“Extra yuppies shifting south!” one native exclaimed to us on the Narooma Lodge (a pub with a terrific view out to Wagonga Head, however not but owned by Hemmes). “He’s carried out a superb job on The Whale, although,” retorted his mate, who rapidly went again to watching Keno. We received’t weigh into any of that, however we are going to say that the meals at Lynch’s Lodge (the opposite Narooma pub, with out a lot of a view) is actually much more scrumptious since Hemmes picked it up in 2022. Attempt the native fish pie with fennel and radish salad.

In the event you’re staying in Narooma, Merimbula is a 90-minute drive away, however the two really feel very very like sister cities, linked by world-class oysters and sapphire-blue waters. Merimbula is not any slouch within the meals and booze area both, with an growing variety of venues providing the chance to order a martini and name charcuterie dinner. One or two nights in each Narooma and Merimbula makes for a superb weekend, with a quick cease in Bermagui for a kardemummabullar (we’ll clarify later).

For breakfast

Perched at one finish of Merimbula’s boardwalk path, Sunny’s Kiosk is a welcome reward for weary travellers. Energiser bunnies can rent kayaks or paddleboards from the lakeside cafe. Others merely savour the expansive views, homely furnishings and well-balanced brews from Seven Miles Espresso Roasters. The eclectic menu caters for all tastes (or BMIs), from large previous bacon and egg rolls to Japanese pancakes with pork stomach. Sunny’s additionally opens as a wine bar over summer time nights, which is an ideal option to watch the sundown over water.

68 Lakewood Drive, Merimbula; sunnyskiosk.com.au

For oysters

Visiting the Sapphire Coast and never consuming oysters is sort of a child receiving a brand new toy at Christmas and retaining it within the field. Various bivalve fanatics will inform you that Merimbula rock oysters are particularly glorious for his or her daring mineral zing and fruity end. Among the many mangroves at The Oyster Barn, you may expertise them virtually straight off the lease with prawn rolls and native crayfish besides. Or if you wish to choose up a dozen oysters and take them to the seashore with a bottle of BYO Bollinger, that may be facilitated too.

49 Oyster Monitor, Millingandi; merimbulagourmetoysters.com.au

For a protracted lunch

Arriving by seaplane is up there with cruffins and the lambada as issues to expertise a minimum of as soon as in a lifetime. In the event you’re going to splash out on the service, you would possibly as effectively splash out on the Quarterdeck, a former boat shed on Wagonga Inlet the place plane taxi friends to the again door. Inside is dolled up like a tiki hut, with a thatched grass bar serving slushie-style pina coladas that ought to include a spoon. A Mexican-inspired menu fits the festive really feel, that includes fish tacos topped with vibrant pico de gallo salsa, and fried squash flowers with crumbled queso fresco and pickled onion rings. Ruby-red tuna tostadas topped with spicy salsa matcha are good for the setting, and cider-splashed mussels are made for heat afternoons by the open home windows. When the view’s this good, who cares if the return flight is delayed?

13 Riverside Drive, Narooma; merivale.com/venues/quarterdeck-narooma

For nation consolation

The super-thick vault door to the wine room at Banksia Restaurant is a clue to the constructing’s origin as a financial institution, when it saved bundles of money reasonably than bottles of cabernet sauvignon. Timber-panelled partitions, pressed steel and an open hearth add to the restaurant’s old-world really feel in picturesque Pambula, a 10-minute drive from Merimbula. Hosts Huw and Renee Jones take advantage of their intimate area with a beneficiant three-course set menu, and the weekly altering choices would possibly characteristic tacky ox-tail rarebit served with richly flavoured consomme, or creamy buttermilk mash topped with peppered yellowfin tuna and a daring beurre blanc sauce. Department, a extra informal eating room, has simply opened on the website, too. Anticipate an a la carte providing of share-plates resembling wagyu tri-tip with wasabi, and chorizo-stuffed olives.

22 Quondola Road, Pambula; banksiarestaurant.com.au

For a bells-and-whistles dinner

Amongst different inalienable truths, resembling oysters want chablis, is that cocktails go higher with confectionery. At Valentina, an quaint made with darkish rum is served with house-made macadamia praline for a splendid mix of robust and candy. It’s a pleasant opener for a restaurant that nary places a foot fallacious. Full-length home windows overlook oyster beds, nevertheless it’s what’s inside that counts (one other fact). The hand-plastered partitions and pastel colors are a positive motive to linger, as is a light-weight and beautiful tumble of native squid with peas and crisp shards of hen pores and skin, and charred octopus with punchy sobrasada oil. Pan-seared blue eye with onion rings is fantastically balanced, and parmesan-crumbed cauliflower with sage and creamy kale places pub schnitzels to disgrace. Tender wagyu rump with bone marrow butter, in the meantime, reveals there’s extra to the Sapphire Coast than seafood. True that.

2 Market Road, Merimbula; valentinamerimbula.com

For wine

Ryde Pennefather hung out in Sydney and Thirroul earlier than returning to his hometown of Merimbula 4 years in the past. He then helped launch Valentina, earlier than leaving to open pure wine-focused Bar Superette in September. Good Meals hasn’t had an opportunity to go to Bar Superette but, nevertheless it’s very excessive on the to-do checklist as a consequence of its funk and groove-heavy data and fancy tinned fish, and wines extra frequent to bars in Surry Hills, Fitzroy and the eleventh arrondissement. The brief menu of extra substantial objects sounds terrific (hash browns with trout roe; steak frites; witlof salad with duck, peach and gruyere) and wine can be obtainable at retail costs from Superette’s delicatessen and bottle-shop cabinets. Seize a lunchtime sandwich to go when you’re purchasing.

16/20 Market Road, Merimbula; superettesuperette.com

For bread and pastries

Since 2015, among the finest causes to remain at a vacation home in Bermagui (in addition to the simple ocean pool entry) has been the chance to get up and stroll all the way down to Honorbread for considered one of its glorious sourdoughs contemporary from the oven. The bakery remains to be a really positive incentive to set your GPS for the seaside village, however now close by Narooma has an outpost of Honorbread too. The brand new store opened in December, and all of the hits are accounted for together with black tahini scrolls, ache au chocolat and the kardemummabullar, everybody’s favorite Swedish cardamom bun. Down Merimbula and Pambula means, Wild Rye’s Baking Co is the ticket for house-roasted espresso, assorted sourdoughs and Basque cheesecake, plus a straight-up scrumptious, no-funny-business steak pie.

8 Bunga Road, Bermagui and a pair of/114 Wagonga Road, Narooma; honorbread.com

26 Quondola Road, Pambula; wildryes.com.au

For pizza and pasta

Monitoring down good pizza in regional NSW is like attempting to find sushi within the desert, however it may be discovered. Living proof is Bar Monti, which opened in late 2022 and rocks a fantastically puffy-crusted margherita, plus a pepperoni pizza and white-sauce porchetta quantity with braised fennel and crimson onion. Fussy children might be well-fed with spaghetti bolognese or mortadella meatballs, whereas dad and mom have their alternative of house-made pastas resembling rigatoni with lamb ragu, peas and pecorino, or fettuccine with mushrooms and smoked speck.

Store 6/11 Merimbula Drive, Merimbula; barmonti.com

For an old-fashioned burger

Merimbula’s greatest burgers and craft beer vary might be discovered at Dulcie’s Cottage, an historic weatherboard refurbished by the identical group behind Valentina. Seats might be arduous to land at peak instances should you don’t have a reserving, however alternative cocktails and coastal bric-a-brac make Dulice’s a straightforward place to face till a desk might be pounced upon. Burgers are milk bar model, made with native produce resembling Wild Rye’s natural buns and beef from Goodall’s High quality Meats, one block over, and the kitchen is open from midday every day. Households are additionally made to really feel greater than welcome, however ought to word that anybody beneath 18-years-old might want to vacate the cottage earlier than 8pm. Dulcie likes to celebration.

60 Foremost Road, Merimbula; dulcies.com.au

For native lobster

Don’t be fooled by Queen Chow’s lazy susans, multicoloured carpet and placemat-size menus. Merivale’s Cantonese restaurant at The Whale Inn isn’t your customary small-town Chinese language. Arrive round sundown on the wood-panelled bar and take within the ocean view with a crimson jasmine negroni in a well-cushioned cane chair. Additionally price savouring are the plump seafood dumplings and kingfish sashimi with tangy orange ponzu and chilli. Particular fried rice is the right companion to a roast meat platter loaded with char siu, spatchcock and duck, however with the ocean so shut, it’s arduous to go previous steamed native lobster in a handy guide a rough sauce of white soy, ginger and shallots.

102 Wagonga Road, Narooma; merivale.com/venues/queen-chow-narooma