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Our guide to the best Jervis Bay restaurants

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
The pull of a weekend getaway to the NSW South Coast has never been stronger thanks to a plethora of great places to eat and drink in and around Jervis Bay.

The ultimate guide to Jervis Bay restaurants narrows the field to focus on the seaside village of Huskisson. But it also zooms out to include the broader Shoalhaven coast region. Be it casual vibes at a low-key food truck, or a romantic candle-lit dinner hidden in the treetops, or a fine dining restaurant with rooms, here are the best restaurants in Jervis Bay and surrounds.

Hottest new opening: Peter Eva Gusto Italiano
Fine dining gem: Bangalay Dining
Hidden gem: The Gunyah @ Paperbark Camp
Family-friendly spot: The Huskisson Hotel
Great for special occasions: Cupitt’s Estate

Bangalay Dining

Bangalay Dining in Shoalhaven Heads
The elegant Bangalay Dining restaurant in Shoalhaven Heads. (Image: Anna Wiewiora)

Bangalay Dining is both destination diner and restaurant with rooms and one of the best places to eat and drink in the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast. The venue is a standout thanks to the stellar service, cracking wine list and care taken by head chef Simon Furley. Locals and visitors flock to the handsome restaurant to enjoy contemporary dishes such as kingfish with compressed grapes and whole butterflied fish with soured cream and Warrigal greens. Wander back along the boardwalk to your luxury villa.

Cuisine: Contemporary Australian
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: The elegant restaurant overlooks an up-lit pool that glows emerald in the evening light.
Location: 30 Staples St, Shoalhaven Heads

Peter Eva Gusto Italiano

A bowl of gnocchi
Tuck into hearty Italian dishes.

Peter Eva is the bricks-and-mortar version of the pizza truck husband-and-wife team Peter Sanna and Maria ‘Eva’ Guareri opened when they moved to Australia from Italy in 2020. The Jervis Bay restaurant was recently reimagined after the couple returned from a holiday to the Amalfi Coast, where they drew inspiration from the sunshine-yellow lemons of Sorrento. Plump for the pizza draped with prosciutto crudo with rucolo Parmigiano on the side. Bellissimo.

Cuisine: Traditional Italian (handmade gnocchi, woodfired pizza, pasta, antipasti)
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual and family-friendly
Location: 2/52 Owen St, Huskisson

Wildginger

dining at Wildginger, Jervis Bay
The menu pays homage to vibrant Southeast Asian cuisine. (Image: Wildginger)

Chef Alex Morvai designs inventive takes on Southeast Asian cuisine to an extremely appreciative audience at Wildginger. The menu, best enjoyed in banquet format, is a mix of vibrant options such as baked pumpkin jungle curry, colourful and crunchy pork loin katsu with wok-tossed greens and slow-roasted lamb betel leaf. Despite being in beachside Husky, the atmosphere is more reminiscent of an elegant upscale eatery in Bangkok.

Cuisine: Southeast Asian fusion
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: The dining room is upscale but welcoming.
Location: 44 Owen St, Huskisson NSW 2540

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Pasta Buoy

pasta bowls at Pasta Buoy, Jervis Bay
Give handmade pasta a twirl at Pasta Buoy.

The menu at Pasta Buoy is anchored to the seaside. And you’ve got to hand it to owners Steve and Jess Cantarakis as the nero di seppia (squid ink) spaghetti here presents like a dreamy ode to the Mediterranean. The ‘rock on’ symbol used in the branding for the informal Italian eatery ensures it’s much-loved by a mostly millennial crowd who flock here for Marg & Martini night and live DJ sets. The young, sun-kissed staff also work the floor with grace delivering dishes such as agnoletti filled with spinach and ricotta and rich, rustic wagyu lasagna.

Cuisine: Modern Mediterranean
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Fun and playful mod Med joint known for its good vibes.
Location: 60 Owen St, Huskisson

Cupitt’s Estate

countryside views at Cupitt’s Estate, Ulladulla
Charming countryside views at Cupitt’s Estate. (Image: Destination NSW)

Cupitt’s Estate is a winery, brewery, farm and restaurant. And it’s one of the compulsory pit stops when you’re road-tripping from Sydney to Jervis Bay. The colour of the landscape is lacquered crayon green after recent rains and the vineyard gazes down on the valley toward the sea. Book a table near the glass louvres so that you can drink in the scenery over a glass of Cupitt’s Estate fiano and Ulladulla yellowfin tuna crudo with tonnato dressing. The charred spring asparagus with pecorino custard and salted breadcrumbs also sings of the seasons. Loads to love here.

Cuisine: Mod Oz with Mediterranean accents
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Country charm turned up to full volume.
Location: 58 Washburton Road, Ulladulla

Jervis Bay Brewing Co.

friends enjoying drinks and board game at Jervis Bay Brewing Co.
Enjoy a pint over a board game. (Image: Grainger Films)

Australia’s booming craft beer scene has rolled into the regions. And one of the best places to eat and drink in Jervis Bay is Jervis Bay Brewing Co. The taphouse founded by four friends transformed a grey square of the town’s industrial estate into a fun, boisterous, beer garden that is ideal for kicking back on weekends. My husband has fallen headfirst into his obsession for craft beer and loves JBBC’s Bay of Plenty IPA. Check the menu at the 5 Little Pigs food truck ahead of your visit so you can decide in advance whether to order the pulled pork tacos or chargrilled cheeseburger.

Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Rowdy, boisterous, beer-lariously fun place for a Sunday sesh.
Location: 3 Duranbah Drive, Jervis Bay

The Huskisson Hotel

a seafood platter at The Huskisson Hotel, Jervis Bay
Indulge in a seafood platter at The Huskisson Hotel. (Image: Dee Kramer)

Pub barons looking to open a successful South Coast venture should study the Huskisson Hotel formula to see how things are done. The renovated hotel, known as ‘the Husky’ has a dreamy waterfront setting with an outdoor terrace. Start with a dozen of Jim Wild’s oysters in the waterfront bar. Follow up with fish and chips or roast lamb in the bistro. There’s a roster of live music and entertainment. And, best of all, you can stay the night if you haven’t got a superyacht moored out front. Few Jervis Bay pubs have been embraced with such fervour and the Husky deserves its best Jervis Bay pub mantle.

Cuisine: Solid pub grub
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: The pub is light, bright and breezy.
Location: 75 Owen St, Huskisson NSW 2540

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The Gunyah @ Paperbark Camp

a waiter holding a bottle of wine inside The Gunyah @ Paperbark Camp
Enjoy local produce against a bushland backdrop. (Image: The Gunyah @ Paperbark Camp)

Paperbark Camp is four kilometres as the eastern bristlebird flies from the pristine white-sand beaches and walking trails of Jervis Bay National Park. The camp has been at the forefront of ecotourism in Australia since it opened in 1999 and remains one of the best places to stay in Jervis Bay. Onsite eatery The Gunyah is also one of the best Jervis Bay restaurants. Enjoy a candlelit dinner that focuses on seasonal set menus that celebrate native ingredients. You can also pre-book a night of Indigenous storytelling with Gadhungal Murring under a starlit sky.

Cuisine: Innovative mod Oz cuisine with an emphasis on native ingredients
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: A whimsical dining experience; like being in the Magic Faraway Tree
Location: Paperbark Camp, 571 Woollamia Rd, Huskisson

Picnics Naturally Jervis Bay

Picnics Naturally Jervis Bay can help curate all these special moments by either setting up a picnic or dropping off a grazing board to your preferred picnic spot. The pull of a picnic in mystical jewel-coloured Jervis Bay has never been stronger. Bubbles anyone?

Cuisine: Grazing boards and cheese and charcuterie platters
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Choose your own adventure and bush or beach picnic spot
Location: At the world’s perfect picnic spot in Jervis Bay.

Mountain Ridge Wines

wine tasting at Mountain Ridge Wines, Coolangatta
Book a relaxed tasting at Mountain Ridge Wines. (Image: Destination NSW)

Mountain Ridge Wines is one of the best places to eat near Jervis Bay. This is not fancy fine dining. Instead, it’s all about rustic pizzas served at sunset and loaded with everything from hunks of vegetables to circles of salami and blobs of molten fior di latte. Wear your designer trackies with the elasticised waistband so you can tuck into pizzas with a few share plates on the side. Sign up for a tasting then close the deal with a Michelangelo pizza laden with feta, parmesan, pepperoni and flecked with chilli flakes and herbs, and a few glasses of vino.

Cuisine: Small plates, pizzas and grazing platters
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: The bucolic winery gazes down over the vines and valley.
Location 11 Coolangatta Road, Coolangatta

Discover the best cafes in Jervis Bay

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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After dark: 6 experiences along the Murray lighting up the night

(Credit: Serena Munro)

    Gemma Kaczerepa Gemma Kaczerepa
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    See the Murray region in an entirely different light by exploring its night-time experiences and attractions.

    By day, the mighty Murray River is a majestic and ever-changing sight, with river red gums and wetlands stretching along 2500 kilometres. But by night, its cities, towns, villages and landscapes totally transform.

    From Albury Wodonga to Mildura, and everywhere in between, you’ll be in for a multi-sensory and memorable treat encompassing mesmerising light shows, guided ghost tours and vibrant celebrations that capture the nocturnal magic of the river.

    This is no ordinary nighttime adventure; the region becomes an entirely different world when the sun sets. Discover six must-do activities along the Murray that can only be enjoyed after dark.

    1. Share in ghostly tales

    Port After Dark tour Murray at night
    Hold on to your nerve when learning local ghost stories. (Credit: Campaspe Shire Council)

    If you’re up for something a little more spine-tingling, Port After Dark in Echuca is your best bet. Rumour has it that the Port of Echuca Wharf and the buildings around it have long been home to lingering ghosts and mysterious events – like the vengeful woman said to haunt an old tramway bridge and spirits searching for stolen money through the town centre.

    You can hear all about them on this guided lantern tour, which takes place on Wednesday and Saturday nights after dark. The stories are atmospheric and intriguing – you may even spot a ghost or two yourself. If you’d like a more intimate experience, private tours are also available to groups of 15 or more.

    2. Wander art installations

    Bruce Munroe's Fibre Optic Symphoinic Orchestra Murray at night
    See Bruce Munro’s immersive art installation. (Credit: Serena Munro)

    Right near the Perry Sandhills, sits an experience that feels almost otherworldly. Artist Bruce Munro (of Uluru’s Field of Lights fame) has created a Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra, a network of 80 Hills Hoists illuminated with fibre optic light combined with the sounds of an orchestra. The clotheslines glow and pulse in time to the specially composed score, immersing you in a dreamscape of light and sound.

    For a different light experience, you’ll find stillness at Trail of Lights, also curated by Munro. Located just 30 minutes away on Lock Island in Mildura, thousands of lights stretch over the landscape, spotlighting both the river and a series of Munro’s sculptures. The trail is intended to be a peaceful and meditative setting for wandering and reflecting.

    3. Learn through lasers

    Heartbeat of the Murray at night
    Travel 30 million years into the Murray’s past at Heartbeat of the Murray. (Credit: Ewen Bell)

    Discover a fascinating history in this dual act of lights and projections on the banks of the Little Murray River. Legends of the Mallee is a multimedia show in Swan Hill combining lasers and lights, which tells the story of the region’s rich past. Learn about the Wamba Wamba and Wadi Wadi Peoples who first inhabited the area, as well as the figures and events that shaped the Mallee of today.

    The river steals the spotlight in the Heartbeat of the Murray, a multimedia spectacle inside the Pioneer Settlement encompassing lights, lasers, sound and special effects against the natural backdrop. Through a sequence of large-scale animated projections, you’ll go back 30 million years to explore the Murray River’s formation before travelling to the present to learn how it supports modern communities.

    4. Light up the lake

    Lake Mulwala Laser Light Show Murray at night
    Watch the lights and lasers of Lake Mulwala. (Credit: Mulwala Water Ski Club)

    Travelling with kids? Head to Yarrawonga Mulwala and nearby Lake Mulwala for the family-friendly Laser Light & Sound Show. Lights and lasers are projected over the lake and onto curtains of fog, creating a colourful and high-energy visual display. The show suits all ages and tastes, set to a mix of songs that everyone knows and loves.

    You can take in the spectacle from either the grassy banks of the lake or book a table at the Mulwala Water Ski Club’s Malibu Deck Cafe, serving pub-style food and refreshing drinks, including excellent classic cocktails. If you’re watching from the foreshore, the show is entirely free, making it a great budget-friendly option.

    5. Be captivated by local culture

    Bullanginya Dreaming Murray at night
    Soak in the culture of the Bangerang People. (Credit: Laser Vision)

    Set aside an evening to explore Bullanginya Dreaming in Cobram Barooga – you’ll want ample time to take in the stories and symbolism of this immersive laser light and sound trail. The 1.8-kilometre trail explores the storytelling and culture of the Bangerang People, who have long cared for the lands around Bullanginya Lagoon in Barooga. The trail features 12 activations – each telling a different story – and combines dramatic lights and lasers with water and fire.

    Intertwined with the visual displays are Bangerang narratives, giving you meaningful insight into the area’s Indigenous heritage. It’s designed to be explored over 90 or so minutes, encouraging you to move slowly and thoughtfully.

    6. Discover a winter glow

    winterglow festival
    See the streets of Albury Wodonga come to life after dark. (Credit: Visit Albury Wodonga)

    Albury Wodonga comes alive as the weather drops, with an annual celebration of the season on Saturday, 15 August. WinterGlow takes over the CBD and features a vibrant program of things to see, do, learn, eat and drink.

    Take part in hands-on workshops that let you try different art forms and crafts. Feast on street food and winter warmers from local eateries. Browse for artisan wares at the night markets. Watch musical acts on the main stage. Or get involved in different activations, including a silent disco and giant maze. Artificial snow will be falling to add to the festive atmosphere.

    Even wandering the streets and laneways and soaking up the late-night energy will leave you feeling enchanted.

    Start planning a day-to-night adventure along the Murray at visitthemurray.com.au.