A guide to eating and drinking on the Central Coast

While incorrigible city slickers feel like they’ve left Sydney as soon as they hit the upper north shore, you haven’t technically left the city until you’re on the motorway. From here, just after you cross over the Mooney Mooney Bridge, it’s well worth taking a detour off the freeway to Mount White where you’ll find Saddles, a beautiful country town bakery and restaurant channeling some Americana ranch vibes. Here you’ll find still-warm sourdough loaves, flaky sausage rolls with housemade tomato sauce, and one of best (and fanciest) meat pies we’ve ever had, packed out with rich, slow-cooked beef hunks and button mushrooms. No expense has been spared on the fitout here – there are sprawling marble tables, a custom-built lake, an old-school pianola and a grand sandstone-lined fireplace. In a nod the the name, you’ll find several intricate leather-bound horse saddles that double as bar chairs. Add in a mini larder selling local cheeses, freshly picked organic veggies, a dog-friendly deck and a mini gardening shop, and you’ve got a day-trip destination well worth hitting the motorway for.

The Cowrie has been open for more than 30 years, making it a long-time Terrigal local. Executive chef/co-owner Dimitris Aronis took over the reins post-Covid. The fine diner is perched on a hill overlooking Terrigal Beach. If you can manage to snag a seat outside – and we really recommend that you do – you’ll be rewarded with lush hinterland views and the ocean that sparkles like one of JLo’s diamond rings on a sunny dayThe Cowrie’s menu is seasonal; guests can opt for two-, three- or four-course meals, and there are extra additions plus matching wines for fun. Reserving The Cowrie just for a special occasion would be a mistake. With warm service, local produce, and those views, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place for a long lunch on the Central Coast.

Burnt Honey Bakery, our favourite carb shop on the Central Coast, can be found on the main drag in Long Jetty. The passionate and talented team bakes everything from scratch on-site, including picture-perfect pastries, gorgeous cakes, rustic pizza focaccia topped with plump salty olives and fresh herbs, and loaves of sourdough asking to be lathered in butter. Their Portuguese custard egg tarts are textbook, with a burnished  top, crisp and flaky pastry, and a smooth and creamy filling. Enjoy one now and take one for the road. Read more here.

Osteria il Coccia is impressive for a bunch of reasons, but mostly because it’s one of the few kitchens in Australia to be built around a fire. Everything here is cooked exclusively over flames, fuelled by iron bark, stone fruit and olive wood timbers, giving the dishes character. Situated across from Ettalong Beach, this rustic fine diner is led by Italian-born chef Nicola Coccia and his wife, Alexandra. Inside is all creamy tiles, terracotta accents, fresh linen curtains and light timber, channelling understated coastal elegance with a nod to Tuscany. Coccia and his team bring the warmth and love of Italy to the Central Coast and we’re better off for it. If the octopus is on the menu, go for that. This is date-night stuff.

If you’re after one of the best BLATs on the Central Coast then Green Tangerine needs to be on your map. The classic breakfast sandwich may be simple, but this corner bakery café does a ripper version, packed with a housebaked, not-too-sweet brioche bun, bacon that’s equal parts crisp and soft, loads of avo mash, garlicky aioli and slices of fresh tomato. In fact, all of the breakfast sandos here are great, courtesy of all the different kinds of bread (baps, brioche and thick cut loaf slices), which each acts as a vehicle for capturing runny egg, oozy cheese and baked beans. Coffee comes by the way of Little Marionette in Sydney, and is served by staff members with seriously big smiles. Green Tangerine was one of the first cafés to help earn Long Jetty its ‘Newtown of the Central Coast’ status. Moreover, it has cemented itself as a must-visit in its own right thanks to excellent and tasty bakery offerings. Read more here.

Terrigal is now home to Meribella, an oceanfront restaurant with a side of old-world glamour. Located on the first floor of Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific and housed in a seriously impressive glass conservatory, the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant laps up the Grid-worthy views thanks to its grand arched windows. Smart, earthy-toned furniture, Art Deco-style lights and pops of greenery complete the space. Top chef Joshua Mason – who earned his stripes working at San Francisco's two Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn, and also owns Sydney’s award-winning Quoi Dining – has returned to his hometown to create a menu that showcases the best of the land and sea.

This Woy Woy institution will let you do seafood in a number of ways – fish and chips from the kiosk, fresh market to go, or (our pick) head out the back to the restaurant. The light-filled dining room looks out onto the calm waters of Empire Bay, and has floor-to-ceiling windows so you can see pelicans zoom in and out. The creaminess of freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters is cut through with citrus vinaigrette. A rich coconut milk snapper ceviche comes served in a coconut shell, and barbecued prawns arrive riding a crisp taco shell with a chopped salad and chipotle mayo. You’ll also find mud crabs doused in a Singapore-style sauce, golden fried fish and chips, baskets of bright orange prawns and whole Szechuan salt-and-pepper snapper. This the sort of place you want to book in for a long lunch with a big group so you can taste a bit of everything by ordering loads of small plates and mains, or opting for a shared seafood platter. 

Helmed by chef Matty Bennett and his partner Rupert Noffs, this street-food inspired Southeast Asian diner is located in the picture-perfect village of Ettalong Beach. Bennett honed his skills at Surry Hills’ Longrain before moving to NY, where he cooked at the Fat Radish before striking out on his own with the encouragement of his partner. Now that they're back home on the Central Coast, it's by no means a downgrade. You’ll find many of the dishes that put the NY restaurant on the map, including numbers that throwback to Bennett’s early days at Longrain. One of these is the pork hock bao buns, which fuses a Taiwanese-style bao, with rendered down slow cooked pork; or the betel leaves, dotted with prawns, chilli and shrimp paste, toasted peanuts and slices of kicking fresh chilli. Pork larb is true to its northern Thai origins, offering a flavourful heated kick, while also nailing the Thai-fecta of flavours, balancing salty, sour and sweet. Read more here.

Gosford RSL has an impressive new clubhouse following a $50 million dollar development spanning two years of construction. Featuring five different food offerings including modern Australian, Asian fusion, an Argentinian grill, wood-fired pizzas, and a café, plus an on-site brewery and sports bar, there's plenty of fun, action, and delicious eating and drinking to be had here. If you're heading to the Central Coast for the weekend, it's well worth dropping in for a meal, and if you’re not the one driving (hello, passenger princess!), a couple of cold beers too. Read more here.

Known by locals as “Beachie'', in the past it’s fair to say the hotel’s reputation wasn’t as sparkling as the palm-fringed pool down below. That all changed when new owners snapped up the well-known Toukley spot for a cool $20 million. After extensive renovations, The Beachie reopened in 2021, now boasting Hamptons-style decor complete with a sparkling turquoise pool, sun-drenched alfresco area and tropical cabanas – and is ready for its next chapter. If you're after a casual place to catch-up with mates, consider the Beachie. With cracking pizzas, cold beers and a waterfront location, what more could you want?

Bryce Gleeson and Danielle Mills are responsible for this casual pasta bar and eatery on Woy Woy’s main drag. The partners in life (and dough) met at Bells at Killcare before moving to Sydney where they both worked at the Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay. Swing by Young Barons for providore-style delicacies, richly roasted coffee, and Italian lunches fashioned out of fresh egg pasta, to take away and sit with by the water. Oh, and make sure to try the house-made gelato while you're there.

Yellowtail is a seafood-focused fine diner in Terrigal where the presentation of dishes is nearly as pretty as the beach down the road. Intimate in size, the decor is stylish and chic with aqua splashes contrasting against jet-black tiles and walnut wooden furniture. Whether you're seeking a spot for a special family dinner, a catch-up with your best friends, or a romantic dinner with your lover, Yellowtail delivers. Read more here.

Taking its name from its prime position on Ettalong’s estuary, this beachy bistro offers panoramic views and Australian produce-focussed share plates and mains. With three glass-panelled walls and a stretch of waterfront outdoor seating, it’s hard to get a bad table here. Every dish has a matched glass of wine, so with your whole fried tamarind snapper you can enjoy a skin fermented Muddy Water Pinot Gris Chardonnay; while your roast pumpkin salad will go down nicely with a glass of organic chianti. While the atmosphere is like a jazzed-up beach kiosk the food is definitely restaurant standard. The confit octopus is so tender it takes on a slow-cooked meat-like texture, and comes seasoned with oregano and lemon; while the pork belly takes hunks of meat with just crisp skin and rendered down fat, and pairs it with sautéed red cabbage. Veggos don’t get left behind either, with a plate of roasted pumpkin, which is elevated by playing texture like creamy goat curd, zippy preserved lemon and crunchy hazelnuts. Read more here.

The Wild Flower Bar and Dining is nestled in the coastal-chic boutique hotel and spa at Bells at Killcare. In the springtime, the romantic hotel's orchard and vegetable garden is plush with herbs, kale and tomatoes; while summer turns the lush pool area and white wooden deck chairs into highly coveted real estate. Now, there's a five-star dining experience to add to the ultimate getaway, too. With views of nearby Bouddi National Park, the Wild Flower draws inspiration from its surroundings, homing in on a casual-luxe aesthetic that steers clear of pretension. Seafood in all its forms is the drawcard here: think freshly shucked, olive oil-doused oysters and crayfish dragged in from the nearby beach at Macmasters. The grounds of Bells provide ample opportunities for fresh produce to make its way to your plate – see if you can spot the olive trees and bee hives on a post-dessert digestive walk around the property.

A taste of craft beer can be found on the Central Coast by the way of Erina’s Six String Brewery. Inspired by a love of craft brewing and acoustic guitars, Chris Benson transferred his home brewing skills to a profession back in 2012 with the help of Adam Klasterka. Since launching, Six Strings have created a range of preservative-free and unfiltered brews that pay homage to the Coast’s beautiful beaches and the people that live here. If you head into the tasting room at the brewery you’ll be able to try their core range straight from the cask, like the Coastie Lager (a nickname given to locals) or the Tropical Pale Ale, along with one-off collabs and special kegs. If you really want an in-depth look (and taste) of the brewery, book in for one of the brewery tours, which include a tasting paddle, matched food and a guided walk through of the brewery. Read more here.