Sydney Surrounds
Barrington Tops Over 1,200 sq km of unspoilt wilderness, from subtropical rainforest to...
Blue Mountains Experience the spectacular blue-hazed cliffs and canyons of the Blue Mountains.
Central Coast Pristine beaches backed by a lush hinterland.
Hawkesbury River A fascinating mix of natural attractions and a peaceful country ambience.
Hawkesbury Valley The Hawkesbury River winds its way through a fertile valley.
Hunter Valley World-class wines complemented by superb cuisine and boutique accommodation.
Kiama Shellharbour and Surrounds A string of dazzling beaches at the end of the Grand Pacific Drive.
Lake Macquarie and Surrounds A vast aquatic playground four times the size of Sydney Harbour.
Newcastle A vibrant cosmopolitan city perched between a working harbour and beautiful beaches.
Port Stephens, Forster and Surrounds Golden beaches, a picturesque bay and inlets
Southern Highlands The Highland's gentle green hills produce excellent wines and beautiful formal gardens.
Upper Hunter Endowed with rolling plains and rugged mountains, the Upper Hunter has a taste for the good life.
Wollongong and Surrounds The State’s third largest city has reinvented itself as an escape...
Dining well in regional NSW
Fast facts
- Dining in unique and seductive country settings
- The Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley were New South Wales’ breakthrough regional dining destinations, followed by the North Coast and Central West
- Southern Highlands, South Coast, the Capital Country around Canberra and the cities of Newcastle and Wollongong are making their mark
Why go there
The sophistication of regional dining in NSW has become such that great food isn’t so much a surprise as a sure bet. Rising interest in the paddock-to-plate approach to fine dining, too, means that the restaurants and cafes you’re visiting are supporters of local farmers and growers. The opportunities to see production for yourself are greater than ever. What better way to experience it than by taking fork and glass in hand?
Things to do
Design a food tour for yourself, driving from Sydney to the restaurants of the Blue Mountains, for instance, then onto the wineries and producers of the Central West.
Combine a visit to the Hunter Valley with a glammed-up beach stay visiting the best of North Coast dining and bars.
Visit farmers’ markets on Saturday mornings for great characters and even better food and produce, straight from the source.
Don’t miss
- Brilliant food cooked almost entirely in an old bakery oven at Blackheath’s Vulcans, followed by some of the nation’s best desserts.
- Clyde River oysters in XO sauce or olive oil-poached Lake Hume trout and almond potatoes at Albury’s Source Dining.
- All the pleasures of country comfort food in an old mud-brick home with all the mod-cons at Lynwood Café in the one-horse town of Collector near Goulburn.
- A pumping night out in the city of Newcastle, fuelled by the tea-smoked quail with spicy eggplant salad and pomegranate dressing from Restaurant II.
- The meeting of the Tuscan countryside and the Central West at Orange’s Lolli Redini.
- A lazy afternoon over duck pie, local wine and the sunshine of big sky country at Tonic in the village of Millthorpe.
- Matching the ocean views from the terrace of Bannister’s in Mollymook with a luscious cocktail and pizza.
