9 delicious reasons you need a trip to the Clarence Valley

Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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For a family foodie trip that’ll tick everyone’s boxes, head straight for the Northern Rivers.

From seaside Yamba to riverside Grafton, the Clarence Valley food scene is positively booming, with its regional dishes making the best of not only farm-to-table dining but sea-to-plate as well. And if you’re planning a NSW North Coast family trip with everyone from the littlies to the grandparents, you’ll be making a mistake if you don’t stop for a nibble or three at its all-ages eateries.

Intrigued? We’ve lined up the best fine-dining restaurants, kid-friendly pubs, cafes, craft breweries and cocktail bars to add to your Clarence Valley must-visit list.

Clarence River sunset
Marvel at the views while tasting the best of Clarence Valley. (Image: My Clarence Valley)

New restaurants

If you find yourself drawn back to the Clarence Valley after some time away, you’ll be excited to hear that new restaurants have been popping up all over the shop.

One of the newer ones to watch? Yamba’s El Ocaso. Created by the minds behind the popular Barbarasco in Angourie (unfortunately now closed), El Ocaso serves up Mediterranean-style tapas that capitalise on local produce. Think romantic dates out on its deck, feasting on Yamba whiting croquettes with lemon zest and chilli aioli, or eye fillet carpaccio with truffle aioli, parmesan and mushrooms, finishing off with a dark chocolate and hazelnut tiramisu.

El Ocaso yamba
Get romantic at El Ocaso.

Searching for a laidback atmosphere with a cocktail in hand? Sunset and Wine in Iluka is the place to go. Perched on the edge of the Clarence River, this chilled-out spot serves nibbles and is the perfect venue for watching the sun sink over the water while enjoying champagne or cocktails with oysters.

Iluka Sunset and Wine, clarence valley restaurants
Stop in Iluka for a cocktail at Sunset and Wine.

Food tours and trails

Take your own crafty Yamba drinks tour to discover the local drops, starting in the industrial end of town at Yamba Distilling Co. This friendly distillery-meets-bar is a revamped space for the former Clarence Distillery, where you’ll find tipples such as lemon myrtle vodka, rosella gin and jacaranda-inspired liquor.

Yamba Distilling
Take a seat in the shaded garden at Yamba Distilling.

Arrive for a cocktail or two in the shaded garden with nibbles from their ‘serve yourself’ cheese and olive fridge, or enjoy a gin flight.

Yamba Distilling Merchandise
Taste lemon myrtle vodka, then take it home with you.

Next, make your way to Wobbly Chook Brewing Company, Yamba’s first craft brewery, in the centre of town. It has an extensive food menu that stretches from breakfast to dinner, with larger options like seafood baskets and schnitzel burgers, and bites that include crispy cauliflower and duck spring rolls.

Order a few plates to share with some pale ales, lagers and hoppy beers for the group. Want to make a night of it? The Wobbly Chook also has queen and family-sized rooms.

Wobbly Chook brewery yamba
Treat yourself to Yamba’s first craft brewery.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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Local favourites

For breakfast, it’s hard to go past the Clarence Kitchen Collective in South Grafton. This community space is a wholesome pitstop on your way up or down the Pacific Highway. As well as a yoga studio, workshop space and bulk food store, there’s an attached wholefoods cafe.

Snag a table before the morning rush and replenish yourself with freshly made granola, vegan treats, fruit and that well-earned cup of coffee. Make sure to keep an eye out for any talks and workshops held here, so you can refresh your mind as well as your body.

clarence valley restaurants, clarence valley kitchen collective
Join a yoga class then refuel at Clarence valley Kitchen Collective.

Craving some of that famous Clarence Valley seafood? Sandbar Yamba is one of the best places to go, with al fresco dining to boot.

Open from breakfast to dinner, this French-inspired beachside restaurant is nothing if not inventive. Favourites include a seaside twist on a classic eggs benedict, with prawns, salmon roe, hollandaise and poached eggs, as well as spanner crab spaghetti with champagne beurre blanc, and miso-glazed seared scallops.

Sandbar Yamba, Clarence Valley restaurants
Sit down to famous Clarence Valley seafood at Sandbar.

Take our advice: dive in for a beach swim beforehand to work up an appetite. You’ll need it to get through as many of these dishes as you can!

Places for a tipple

All this exploring can be thirsty work, and if you want to stop by one of the area’s most famous pubs, the Ulmarra Hotel is ready and waiting.

Its restaurant overlooks the Clarence River and serves up pub favourites like Cooper beer-battered fish and chips, chargrilled steaks, chicken parmis and a kids’ menu. There’s also a variety of pizzas, with toppings ranging from Yamba prawns to vegan cheese.

Ulmarra Hotel, clarence valley restaurants
Stop by Ulmarra Hotel for beer-battered fish and chips.

Afterwards, take a walk in the hotel’s garden or admire the vintage decor (the building itself dates back to 1912). This pretty pub also has three-star accommodation, with 10 bedrooms available.

With your nominated designated driver at the wheel, drive out towards Townsend to find Sanctus Brewing Company. As well as tours and beers, including pilsners, IPAs, lagers and alcoholic ginger beers, this craft brewery also serves up some Aussie-infused spirits like finger lime gin.

Expect a brewery-meets-distillery that’s ideal for all age groups, with indoor and outdoor seating, easy street food options (like tacos and pizzas), and plenty of outside space for the kids to enjoy.

Sanctus Brewing company clarence valley restaurants
Take a tour then enjoy the pizza at Sanctus Brewing Company.

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Fine dining

If romance is on the cards – or you simply want a special place to experience Yamba’s fine dining with the family – make a booking at Karrikin.

Take a seat in the tropical-style garden and wait on tenterhooks for their evolving and regional four-course set menu to arrive; inclusions are as wide-ranging as fresh tomato and prawn salad, rare spiced venison and Davidson plum black forest tart. Pair the courses with their range of natural wines and cocktails made from local spirits and you’ve got yourselves a gorgeous evening ahead.

karrakin clarence valley restaurants
Take dining to the next level at Karrikin.
Kate Bettes
Kate Bettes is a freelance travel writer. Whether having a picnic in Vietnamese jungle with new friends, or partying in the back of a limousine in Hollywood, Kate’s experiences have left her with the sneaking suspicion that the best travel memories happen when you least expect. It’s this feeling - and how to get it - that she loves to write about.
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8 ways to discover a new side of Port Stephens

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

    You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens, and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

    All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

    1. Stockton Sand Dunes

    Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands, a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

    Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

    Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape.
    Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

    2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head. Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

    History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

    Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens.
    Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

    3. Watch out for whales

    You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

    And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

    A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface.
    Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

    4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

    Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

    Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

    Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
    See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

    5. Diving Port Stephens

    Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

    Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

    At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

    A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure.
    Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

    6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

    Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

    Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

    Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay.
    Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

    7. Fish the estuaries

    Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

    If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

    three men fishing on a boat in port stephens
    Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

    8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

    With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

    Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

    Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

    A plate of fresh oysters.
    Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au.