Best Restaurants in Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie's restaurant scene is one of the biggest surprises for first-time visitors. Fine dining with chef's hats, authentic Asian with front-row river views, modern Australian on the waterfront, a world-class wine and cheese bar, and a winery restaurant overlooking the vines — all within easy reach of each other. Here's the definitive local guide.
Best Restaurants in Port Macquarie: Quick Reference
Best fine dining: The Stunned Mullet, William Street
Best for date night: Banks Cafe, Birdrock or Little Shack.
Best steaks: Birdrock Bar & Grill, The Beachfront Bar & Grill, or Finnians Tavern.
Best winery restaurant: Taste at Cassegrain, Winery Drive
Best Thai restaurant: Mekong Thai Lao, Clarence St
Best wine and cheese experience: Florence Jones, Clarence Street
Best family dining: Drift Cafe at Port City Bowling Club, Panthers Kove Kitchen, Settlers Inn, & Tacking Point Tavern.
Best casual water-view dining: The Beachfront Bar & Grill, Aqua at Westport, Little Shack, Rocksalt, or The Beach House.
Best pub dining: Finnian’s Irish Tavern, and The Royal Hotel (Kew)
Best bottomless Brunch/Lunch: Birdrock Bar & Grill (Sat/Sun)
Best Seafood Restaurant: Bills Fish House & Bar, or Whalebone Wharf
Scroll on for the delish details!
Best Fine Dining in Port Macquarie: The Stunned Mullet
Sitting opposite Town Beach on William Street, The Stunned Mullet is Port Macquarie's signature fine dining experience. It holds a chef's hat and regularly appears on best restaurant lists for regional NSW. The aesthetic is casual-luxe with natural timber and banquette seating, and the acoustics are genuinely good, which matters more than people think. The menu is seriously good, the wine list is outstanding and the team pairs knowledge without the snobbery. Open for lunch and dinner, 6 days. Bookings essential. 24 William Street, Port Macquarie. thestunnedmullet.com.au
Best Restaurant for a Romantic Night Out: Banks Cafe, Birdrock Bar & Grill, or Little Shack
We’ve given you three options to impress here…Banks Cafe is a hidden gem sitting on the river at McInerney Park. The setting is sublime (popular for boutique weddings) and the food is fabulous. Now open for dinner - bookings essential.
Birdrock Bar & Grill takes modern Australian cuisine and applies French-inspired technique to premium local produce. The result is a dining experience that feels genuinely sophisticated without feeling intimidating. Handcrafted cocktails are a serious offering. Open 7 days for dinner and weekends for lunch. Have a drink at the bar, then move through to the restaurant. 103A William Street, Port Macquarie.
Little Shack is a buzzing, casual riverfront favourite sitting on Town Green. Festoon lighting and fringed umbrellas give it a retro-tiki feel. Great for people-watching and sunset drinks. Funky street food-style offerings.
Best Winery Restaurant: Taste at Cassegrain
Cassegrain Wines is Port Macquarie's flagship winery and the Taste Restaurant is the best reason to visit. Every dish on the refined menu is paired with two wines chosen by the award-winning winemaker. You're dining overlooking the vines, surrounded by local art, steps from the cellar door. In cooler months there's a fire. In warmer months there's a terrace. This is the Port Mac long lunch done properly. The cellar door is open 7 days from 10am to 5pm. 10 Winery Drive, Fernbank Creek (10 mins north of Port Mac CBD). cassegrainwines.com.au
Best Thai Restaurant: Mekong Thai Lao
Overlooking Town Wharf with front-row Hastings River views, Mekong Thai Lao is a local institution. The food is authentically Thai and Lao, the seafood is fresh and local, and the whole snapper and the curries are the dishes that keep people coming back. Fully licensed. Gets busy on weekends so book ahead. Eat in or take it away. Town Wharf area, Clarence St, Port Macquarie. mekongrestaurant.com.au
Best Wine and Cheese Experience: Florence Jones
Florence Jones is Port Macquarie's best kept secret and it shouldn't be. Owners Bronny and Suzanne have created a beautifully warm space overlooking Town Wharf where you build your own cheese and charcuterie board, choose from boutique wines and craft beers, and settle in. Over 25 years' combined experience means the recommendations are genuinely good. Also perfect for a takeaway picnic. Shop 4/74 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie. Open Wed to Thu 3pm to 8pm, Fri to Sat 12pm to 8pm, Sun 12pm to 6pm. florencejones.com.au // 0475 740 621
Best Family Dining: Panthers Kove Kitchen - tied with Drift at Port City Bowlo.
On the banks of the Hastings River at Bay Street, Panthers Kove Kitchen does modern Australian classics made from fresh local produce. Great for families because there's genuine variety on the menu, a fabulous playground (including a half-basketball court), and the weekend TAPP Bar next door with live music and woodfired pizza means everyone's happy. 1 Bay Street, Port Macquarie. Open 7 days. (02) 6580 2300.
Drift at Port City Bowling Club is another family favourite, with a great outdoor playground, excellent value menu with kids options, and daily specials. Another popular choice for families in town is Chop n Chill, thanks to its proximity to the Town Green playground and family-friendly vibe (including weekly ‘kids eat free’ options). Other local faves for the family include Settlers Inn on Hastings River Drive, Tacking Point Tavern at Lighthouse Beach, and Lake Cathie Tavern. All have playgrounds and decent kids menus.
Best Casual Waterview Dining: ‘Beachfront Bar & Grill’ at Port City Bowling Club - tied with ‘Aqua’ at The Westport Club
Port City Bowling Club has had a serious glow-up, and the headline act is The Beachfront Bar & Grill upstairs. Sweeping deck views across Oxley Beach, eight different cuts of premium steak, woodfired pizza and a wine list built for watching the sun go down. 4 Owen Street, Port Macquarie | Ph: 02 6583 1133
The Westport Club's Aqua restaurant does a fresh home-style menu with daily specials and those floor-to-ceiling expansive river views. For pre-dinner drinks, head upstairs to Jimmy's Bar and Lounge for over 100 whiskies, epic cocktails and a bar that works for date nights, girls' nights or any night. The club is a level walk from the town centre, just minutes from the airport. The Westport Club, Port Macquarie. thewestportclub.com.au
Best Pub Dining: Finnian’s Tavern, & The Royal Hotel, Kew
Finnians Irish Tavern is a local favourite on Gordon St in town, famous for its for mouth-watering char-grilled steaks and good craic. Warm hospitality, cold Guinness, and live music make for a lively atmosphere.
Thirty minutes south in the semi-rural village of Kew, The Royal Hotel has been serving cold beers since 1891 and after a full restoration it's now a destination pub. The bistro is family-friendly and the food is next-level, the beer garden is lush, weekends bring live music, and there are luxe rooms upstairs. A stone's throw from Camden Haven's best beaches, this gem brings people from far and wide and it’s easy to see why. 2 Ocean Drive, Kew NSW. royalhotelkew.com.au // (02) 6559 4099
Best Steaks
Another three-way tie between The Beachfront Bar & Grill, Birdrock Bar & Grill, and Finnians Tavern! The Beachfront and Birdrock are higher-end, and the steaks are outstanding. Finnians is a local favourite for hearty pub meals.
Birdrock
Aqua at the Westport Club
Finnians Tavern
The Beachfront Bar & Grill
Frequently Asked Questions
Restaurants in Port Macquarie
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The Stunned Mullet at 24 William Street is Port Macquarie's top fine dining restaurant, holding a chef's hat and known for its seafood-focused menu and exceptional wine list. For a special occasion dinner, it is the local first recommendation. Hot on it’s heels are two relative newcomers- Birdrock Bar & Grill, and The Beachfront Bar & Grill. Both in town, and both earning accolades and loyal fans with incredible steaks, wine lists and cocktails.
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The Beachfront Bar & Grill would be our pick, followed by Birdrock Bar and Grill. For more casual dining with river views, Aqua at the Westport Club, Rocksalt at the Marina or Little Shack work well with groups. Bookings essential.
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Mekong Thai Lao and Florence Jones both overlook Town Wharf and the river, with the Beach House overlooking Lady Nelson Wharf and Town Green. The Westport Club’s ‘Aqua’ restaurant and Hastings River Coffee Co has floor-to-ceiling river views. ‘The Beachfront Bar & Grill’ at Port City Bowling Club has views over Oxley Beach, and The Stunned Mullet has views over Town Beach. , Notable mentions - Rocksalt at the Marina, Zebu, The Point Cafe, The Boathouse, & Panthers. For beachfront elevated kiosk-style cafes - Salty Crew & Coast are our picks. Little Shack, Chop n Chill and The Beach House Hotel are all on Town Green and overlook the Hastings River.
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Yes. Taste at Cassegrain Wines on Winery Drive at Fernbank Creek is 10 minutes north of Port Mac's CBD. It is a refined wine-paired lunch experience open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. The cellar door is open 7 days.
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Fresh Seafood is in abundance. Our go-to spots are Port Fresh Seafoods (Short St) and The Big Oyster (Hastings River Drive). For seafood restaurants, Mekong Thai Lao on Clarence St serves locally sourced fresh seafood including whole snapper, prawns, oysters and crab. The Stunned Mullet also features exceptional local and imported seafood on a regularly changing menu. Bills Fish house & Bar is also very popular.
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Panthers Kove Kitchen at Bay Street is the top family choice, with a varied menu, river views and The Backyard playground on site (including basketball court!). Drift at Port City Bowling Club is fabulous and also has a playground. The Westport Club's Aqua restaurant is also family-friendly with daily specials and river views. Settlers Inn, Tacking Point Tavern and Lake Cathie Tavern are all popular with families with playgrounds and decent kids menus. Chop n Chill is right on Town Green with a playground right out front.
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Yes, plenty. Here are our favourites: The Royal Hotel in Kew is 30 minutes south-west of Port, and is a destination pub worth planning around. In Laurieton, Delizioso is our pick, and in Lake Cathie, Lake Cathie Tavern is freshly renovated. In Wauchope, The Hastings Hotel serves up authentic hearty pub meals, and try Terracotta Trattoria for authentic Italian. Just west of Wauchope is The Byabarra, perfect for a luxuriously long lunch overlooking the valley.
