Foodie guide: Where to eat & drink in Port Macquarie

Where to enjoy fine dining  

Port Macquarie’s The Stunned Mullet pulls in the accolades year after year. For good reason. Located on Town Beach, the light-filled dining room takes seafood seriously: it comes with a dedicated oyster menu, and seasonal highlights include seared scallops with corn salsa, crispy king prawns and glacier 51 toothfish. The wine list is also on par.  

Meanwhile, Bills Fishhouse and Bar is all about letting local produce shine through dishes like charred octopus and yellowfin tuna tacos. If you can’t decide, opt for the tasting menu. Water views are par for the course at venues such as The Boathouse Bar & Restaurant, where your outlook is the yachts of Port Macquarie Marina. Order a seafood tower, wagyu sirloins, truffle-roasted chicken and flash-fried squid. Then thank us later.  

The Boathouse Bar and Restaurant, Port Macquarie - Credit: The Boathouse Bar and Restaurant

Where to taste fresh produce & farm-to-plate goods 

Can’t get enough of Port Macquarie’s seafood? You can pick up local oysters harvested from the Hastings River and Camden Haven estuaries at fish shops and restaurants to take away. You can also purchase Camden Haven oysters directly from growers like Port Oyster Co – check out their social media for updates on their pop-up oyster bars – and Port Fresh Seafoods.  

Port Fresh Seafoods, Port Macquarie - Credit: Josh Moses

Pick the best strawberries you've ever tasted at Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries, a hydroponic farm near Port Macquarie. Taste the wares in treats like strawberry shortcake and scones-and-cream, or browse the onsite produce market where you can pick up fresh veggies and locally-made preserves. Meanwhile, the monthly Wauchope Farmers Market and annual Slice of Haven Festival (held every September) are local events that celebrate the region's produce. 

Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries, Port Macquarie

Where to grab a delicious coffee 

There are few places in Port Macquarie where you can get better coffee than at Social Grounds, a graffiti-covered hideaway where you accompany your brew with apple-pie porridge and breakfast tacos. Over at Crossroads Cafe, the coffee is strong, the baked goods homemade and the wraps and sandwiches bulging. Small wonder it’s a local favourite. Nearby in Wauchope, Baked Culture draws crowds with its delicious pastries, pies, cakes and sourdough. Follow your nose – the aroma of coffee wafts down the street. Or, begin your day with an epic sunrise and just as memorable coffee at Salty Crew Kiosk, smack bang on Town Beach.  

Salty Crew Kiosk, Port Macquarie - Credit: Salty Crew Kiosk

Where to go wine tasting 

The Cassegrain family, who trace their winemaking heritage back to 1643 in France, revitalised viticulture in the Port Macquarie area in the 1980s. Their Cassegrain Wines is a short drive west of town, and you can drop in to tour the winery, sit down to a tasting and then enjoy a fabulous paddock-to-plate meal at the highly-regarded Deux Garden restaurant overlooking the vines. 

Cassegrain Wines, Port Macquarie

For lovers of wine, cheese and chocolate, head to Bago Maze and Wine near Wauchope, a pretty storybook of a town. The young and young at heart can play hide and seek in the twists and turns of the 2km Bago Maze. It’s thirsty work – happily, you can retire to the cellar door to order a glass of wine and a platter of local goodies.  

Bago Maze and Winery, Wauchope

Meanwhile, Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard is the only volunteer-run organisation of its kind, preserving the property as a working museum and vineyard with wine tastings; while Long Point Vineyard has an art gallery and sculpture garden, which you can enjoy with a cheese platter and delicious wines and ginger beer. 

The Little Fish Cafe & Vineyard is another pretty spot to graze on food and wine while surrounded by vineyards embroidered into the hills.  

Long Point Vineyard, Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie

Where to find a great cocktail  

Hello Sailor occupies a prime perch on the Port Macquarie marina, with space to wine and dine in a restored mechanic’s shed as well as alfresco beside the water. Order killer cocktails, as well as street-food faves like loaded tacos. The concept at Stick Bar is simple: mix and shake great cocktails, and sate hungry punters with yakitori sticks grilled over an open flame. Bar Florian nods to Italy with woodfired pizzas and quality wines, not to mention cocktails that are both classic and creative.  

Bar Florian, Port Macquarie - Credit: Bar Florian

Where to order craft beers & local spirits 

Port Macquarie’s craft beer and spirits scene is booming, with delicious drops speaking of the flavours of the region. Check out Black Duck Brewery in Port Macquarie’s industrial area for handcrafted drops that change on a regular basis; visit on a Friday for themed specials and events, including pizza and movie nights. The Maria River Distillery in Crescent Head offers tours of its distillery, which includes tastings of small-batch limoncello and gin products infused with home-grown botanicals. 

Port Macquarie Distillery comes with a tasting room and bar showcasing the establishment’s diverse array of spirits. Sit down to a flight of distillations, or order an inspired cocktail using a housemade concoction. Feeling peckish? There are snack plates to enjoy alongside your beverage of choice.  

Black Duck Brewery, Port Macquarie

Where to indulge in a seafood feast 

Surrounded by water, Port Macquarie is a dream destination for lovers of seafood. Pick up Moreton Bay bugs, crabs, prawns and (of course) oysters to take away, or pull up a seat in the casual dining room, stilted over the water. More upscale is Whalebone Wharf, nestled on the banks of the Hastings River. The views alone are worth visiting for – the seafood offers reason to linger. Order seafood chowder, grilled octopus, ocean trout rillette – or go the whole hog with an over-the-top seafood platter.  

Whalebone Wharf, Port Macquarie

Where to enjoy a casual feed 

While there’s plenty to love about Port Macquarie’s upscale restaurants, there are just as many reasons to book a table at one of the town’s cheap-and-cheerful joints. Like Ichi, where chefs offer a modern twist on traditional Japanese fare, using local seafood as the hero. Prices are hard to beat. Many locals swing by the Town Green in the morning for great coffee and water views from Little Shack; from Thursday through Sunday, the establishment transforms into a breezy dinner venue where you can order tacos and burgers as well as frozen cocktails as the sun sets. The Beach House is another popular waterfront hangout, with great views and meals that range from grilled mahi mahi and salt-and-pepper squid to smoked lamb burgers.  

The Beach House, Port Macquarie