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Eating around Port Macquarie, NSW

February 6, 2014 by Tania 13 Comments

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Eating around Port Macquarie

Eating around Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie’s Shelley Beach

Eating around Port Macquarie. (and other fun things)

Sometimes a road trip is all it takes to breath life back into a tired weary broken soul. That’s what I did in January. It was only a couple of days but early on Thursday morning we set off along the Pacific Highway towards Port Macquarie a 4  1/2 to 5 hour drive from Sydney. The time was certainly not a problem to my sister and I because we usually don’t get nearly enough time to finish a conversation. We thought it maybe a problem for her new puppy though.  A road trip with such a small baby could have been a disaster. Little did we know she would be the perfect passenger sleeping all the way there and back in her little spotty bed.

Eating around Port Macquarie

My sisters new Puppy

The two of us travelled north to stay with our eldest sister and our two nieces.  This really is all the entertainment we require these days, but the lure of food is never too far from all of our minds.  Because we had the very young Puppy with us we decided to start training her by leaving her for a couple of hours at a time. Lunches and cafes were the way to go and Port has quite a few to offer these days.  Each time we ventured out for a little longer and on our return there was lots of excited squealing from both the Puppy and us.

Rivermark Cafe: 261 Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie

Rivermark Cafe is on the banks of the Hastings River. There are tourist boats, Pelicans landing with the grace of a Concord and speedboats whizzing by as we sit in a kind of outdoor carport with loose stones underfoot. Saves having to wash the floor I suspect. There are simple tables dotted beneath the awning  several with umbrellas to fend off the ferocious sun. There is no table service here, a fact we learn  after waiting for quite a while and finally flagging down a wait person. We are swiftly dispatched to order our own meals at the front counter from a menu that reads like a who’s who of the cafe scene. Burgers, wraps, schnitzels, salads and fish and chips. We head straight for the bottom of the menu where there’s a selection of  seafood. From here Peppered soft shell Crab, mango, avocado and Asian salad for $27, “The Classic”- Grilled Perch, Calamari, Prawns, fries and salad $23.00. and Grilled Lime Perch, Asian salad with mango and mint salsa.$24. Mango puree seams to feature quite heavily as the salsa. It’s a bit like having a smoothie in your lunch.  There is a limited selection of wine by the glass and bottle at reasonable prices. Freshly cooked food, with a nice view but perhaps not straight from the market. They open at 8 and close strictly at 3pm.

Eating around Port Macquarie

Eating around Port Macquarie

Next morning after a bit of a Koala hunt with no luck we make a trip to the beach with the 10 week old Pup . She is so excited by the beach, the expanse of sand and digging, that it is almost cruel to take her back to her little bed while we once again ventured out to lunch.

Eating around Port Macquarie

Shelley Beach

Eating around Port Macquarie

Bittersweet Cafe

Bittersweet is very popular with the locals. Its’ a cafe / patisserie. Booking seems to be the only way we can be sure of a table and we are rewarded with a large table in the sunny outside of the cafe. It’s a shopfront in a small group of shops in a suburban corner a few blocks from Lighthouse beach.

I love a menu that offers a good selection of salads and Bittersweet has some beauties along with burgers and sandwiches. The draw card here though I suspect is the counter full of desserts and of course good coffee. The enticing mango and passion fruit smoothie is downed and given the thumbs up but we share it because it is so filling. We devour Beetroot, pumpkin and haloumi salad with candied walnuts, $ 17. A chicken schnitzel burger full of fresh salad and served with fine crispy sweet potato thins, $18. Salt and pepper squid with a red pepper herb and tomato salad offset with the crunch of fried noodles & a light  Asian “inspired” dressing, $18.  The sweet potato and goat cheese frittata has an extremely generous  portion of cheese within and comes with a julienne vegetable salad, housemade chutney and a slab of pan toasted sour dough.

Bittersweet cafe

Bittersweet cafe

eating around Port Macquarie

Beetroot and Haloumi Salad

eating around Port Macquarie

Salt and pepper squid with asian salad

Eating around Port Macquarie

Chicken schnitzel burger & sweet potato crisps

Eating around Port Macquarie

Sweet Potato and Goats cheese fritatta

Eating around Port Macquarie

The Dessert counter.

Banoffe Tart, baked Raisin rum cheesecake, Raw Pasionfruit Cheesecake with nut cocnut base and the sticky date served warm

Banoffe Tart, baked Raisin rum cheesecake, Raw Passionfruit Cheesecake with nut coconut base and the sticky date served warm

There are so many desserts, but amongst the selection are both baked and raw cheesecakes, chocolate tarts, pavlova rolls and a sticky date pudding served with an unusual whipped caramel icing. If I am to have this 80’s classic though I’d prefer it with the more traditional warm caramel sauce. Desserts from $3-9. Great cafe.

Milk bar cafe: 40 William St, Port Macquarie 

The next most talked about cafe in Port Macquarie is Milk bar. If lines out the door for people waiting on a take away coffee are any indication we are in the right place. The cafe is below The Observatory Hotel at Main Beach, ensuring a steady stream of diners. It’s a walk across a park to get to the water but the outlook is very pleasant and the fresh sea air inviting. Milkbar is small seating only about 15-20 inside with tables on the front walkway adding more seats. There are fridges full of milk and drinks along one wall, a counter with freshly baked cakes and breads and the front counter where you must stand in line with the crowds of coffee drinkers to order. If there is a downside to this cafe, this is it. The menu is short but quality driven. The coffee is a highlight. They aren’t scared to serve ungarnished, fresh ingredients . Scrambled eggs with gorgeous sliced avocado, spinach, and sour dough $12, Baked eggs with basil baked cherry tomatoes and mushrooms with toasted sour dough $12 and House baked bread french toast with strawberries, ricotta, roasted macadamias and maple syrup $12. There are muesli and fruit options and add on sides from $3. Simple quick and perfect.

Milk bar town Beach

 

Milkbar town beach

Eating around Port

Baked mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs $12

eating around Port Macquarie

French toast, ricotta, macadamias ans strawberries with a side of bacon $15

eating around Port

Scrambled eggs, spinach and avocado $12

eating around Port

The front counter

After our short time Eating around Port Macquarie we have to make the return journey. How sad it is to leave the beach and fresh air of a beachside town and our family.

We pack the car putting the pup on the backseat in her spotty bed and she falls asleep staying that way for the next 4 1/2 hours, fresh air will do that to you.

Eating Around Port

Puppy sleeping

eating around Port

Lighthouse Beach Port Macquarie

Looking for Koalas

Eating around Port Macquarie

Koalas crossing

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Filed Under: reviews, Travel Tagged With: bittersweet Cafe, Cafes in Port Macquarie, Eating around Port Macquaries, getaways, Milk Bar cafe, New South wales, NSW, Port Macquarie, River Mark cafe, travel

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ChgoJohn

    February 9, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    How nice that you two sisters could get away for a road trip. It seems you certainly chose a great destination, too. How I envy the way that the pupster traveled. My Max is fine for errand running around the city but, once we head to Michigan, he becomes very unsettled. 7 hours is a very long time to have a dog panting in your ear.

    Reply
  2. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    February 8, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    At frist I thought you got a new puppy! What a sweet lil thing. And we really enjoyed Milk Bar but Bittersweet is new to me. Next time! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    February 8, 2014 at 9:18 am

    What a delightful sounding trip with good food and family time.

    Reply
  4. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic

    February 7, 2014 at 6:10 am

    What a great road trip! I love banoffee 🙂

    Reply
  5. yummychunklet

    February 7, 2014 at 4:21 am

    I’m a fan of restaurants favored by locals. It means the place is pretty good!

    Reply
  6. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    February 7, 2014 at 12:48 am

    How cute is that puppy??? No name for this most favoured puppy?

    Looks like you had a lovely time with your family. It must be wonderful to have lots of sisters. 🙂 I’m hungry now.

    Reply
  7. Helen (Grab Your Fork)

    February 6, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    Those sweet potato crisps look so thin and crunchy! Looks like everyone had a great time, including Puppy 🙂

    Reply
  8. Krista

    February 6, 2014 at 4:07 pm

    I’m always amazed at the delicious food that you find on your travels. 🙂 It seems that no matter where you go, you ALWAYS find amazing food. 🙂

    Reply
  9. InTolerant Chef

    February 6, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    What an absolutely gorgeous photo Tania! I’m so glad that you could catch up with your sister and relax a little. Sure looks like you had fun 🙂

    Reply
  10. rebecca

    February 6, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    looks like a wonderful trip, and man you guys get good coffee hope you found koalas

    Reply
  11. Hotly Spiced

    February 6, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    It does seem like that must have been a very therapeutic time for you and how lovely to be able to spend all that time with two of your sisters. I love the puppy! How gorgeous is he and his bed is too cute. I love the northern coast of NSW – it’s very special and relaxing xx

    Reply
  12. Francesca

    February 6, 2014 at 11:17 am

    Road trips are great fun especially with sisters. I loved the line, ‘ pelicans landing with the grace of a Concord’- now that is exactly what I think every time I see these wonderful birds !!!

    Reply

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Tania Cusack Hi, I'm Tania and this is My Kitchen Stories. I share all kinds of recipes here. Most recipes are quick and easy, just perfect for families. BUT, you could also find vegan, cakes and desserts too. Come and have a look around Read More
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