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Foodie Heaven
From the multi-generational recipes, speciality cocktails to bespoke breweries, Wollongong’s unique, unpretentious and approachable hospitality scene is like no other. We’re all about the locals. Local businesses, local products and local ingredients. Forget the big city snobbery, Wollongong is home to some truly special food and beverage venues. Read on to find out how you can press play on your next ‘Foodie Heaven’ adventure.
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Eats & Drinks
EATS
Anchorage at the Boat Harbour Motel
Anchorage at the Boat Harbour Motel
The ever-popular ‘Seared Scallops in a Shell’ is a signature dish of the family-friendly Anchorage Restaurant, located within the Boat Harbour Motel, where you can enjoy freshly prepared local produce while soaking up the view over Wollongong Harbour.
Births & Deaths
Births & Deaths
Four courses matched with four speciality cocktails? Yes please! Enjoy modern Australian cuisine in the heart of Wollongong CBD’s in this unique degustation experience at Births & Deaths. The menu changes every few weeks so every time you go, you’re in for a surprise!
Bombora Seafood
Bombora Seafood
Located high above the water of Wollongong Harbour, on the south coast of NSW, Bombora Seafood offers a unique dining experience in a modern, stylish and comfortable restaurant that is able to offer quality seafood and cuisine including the mouth-watering salt and pepper prawns.
Coldwater Creek Restaurant & Bar
Coldwater Creek Restaurant & Bar
As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and at Coldwater Creek, this breakfast will leave you wanting to lick your screen! Start the day off in waffle heaven with this hearty serving of Banana and Caramel waffles complete with fresh blueberries and strawberries. It’s all about balance, right?
Dagwood Bar & Kitchen
Dagwood Bar & Kitchen
Like a hug in a cup, enjoy this delicious bowl in the eclectic environment of Dagwood. Featuring tempura tofu, mushrooms and all the other delicious flavours that make Ramen the best winter dish.
Delano Specialty Coffee
Delano Specialty Coffee
Indulge in a ‘Barista’s Breakfast’ at Delano Specialty Coffee where your taste buds will be taken to the next level. Sourcing only roast sustainable and ethically certified coffees that are speciality grade.
Diggies
Diggies
Nothing says Wollongong like brekky at Diggies café, overlooking North Wollongong beach, where you can literally order a bowl of sunrise, and enjoy a plate of delicious buttermilk pancakes.
Five Islands Hotel
Five Islands Hotel
Transformed completely with a brand new look, Five Islands Hotel is the new place to discover! With a spacious and a modern bistro, be sure to grab a beer and one of the mouth-watering pizzas, guaranteed to delight your tastebuds.
The Fraternity Club
The Fraternity Club
The Fraternity Club has taken the “traditional club feed” rule book and thrown it out the window, because here, you can be transported to the streets of Italy with their Il Bene Pizza – an Italian hand-made pizza dough, named after their wood-fired pizza kitchen that opened in 2018.
Germania Club
Germania Club
Enjoy a relaxed dining experience and capture the essence of eating and drinking the German way with The Germania Club’s famous ‘Big Bav’, featuring a selection of traditional favourites including chicken schnitzel, kassler, leberkakse, frankfurter, sauerkraut and dumplings.
Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant
Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant
Overlooking Wollongong Harbour and its break wall, built by convicts from 1837, Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant offers the freshest in local and sustainable produce, including their Cold & Raw seafood platter for two.
Harley and Johns Seafood
Harley and Johns Seafood
Providing the Illawarra with the highest quality and freshest product, Harley and Johns Seafood is your go-to seafood supplier. It is MSC certified, so not only are you looking after the environment, but you get to enjoy a seafood platter for two by the water, at home, or wherever you please!
His Boy Elroy
His Boy Elroy
Take a trip to the United States with His Boy Elroy, watching sports and trying their range of burgers, fried chicken, craft beer and cocktails! Indulge in their signature Fatboy burger featuring speciality premium beef topped with their house-made special sauce, fresh lettuce and cheese, served in a toasty milk bun.
K.malu
K.malu
Gruyere, Gouda & Fontina – oh my! Enter cheese lovers heaven with this delicious “Fondue for Two” at K.malu. Dip house-made pieces of bread, chorizo, mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes in a delicious creamy hot pot with three melted cheese varieties. Delicious!
Kneading Ruby
Kneading Ruby
Tucked away in Wollongong’s CBD, Kneading Ruby is the city’s best, worst-kept secret. This family-operated restaurant serve heart-warming, authentic Italian food, including their famous gnocchi, of pancetta, house-made gnocchi, goat’s cheese, peas and spinach. It makes your tastebuds sing!
Lagoon Seafood Restaurant
Lagoon Seafood Restaurant
The Wollongong institution, Lagoon Restaurant, is simply not allowed to take Barramundi Nick – a fillet marinated in coconut milk, lime and ginger and topped with its famous Nick sauce – off its award-winning seafood menu.
Lee & Me
Lee & Me
Start your day with a hip and chilled vibe at Lee & Me café in downtown Wollongong when you order a Seasoned avocado (smashed) and grilled haloumi, radish, gremolata, nuts and seeds on sourdough.
Longboard Café
Longboard Café
Incorporate a bike ride, ocean dip or ‘Blue Mile’ walk with healthy eats at Longboard café, including a creamy almond milk apple crumble porridge, inspired by their executive’s chef’s grandmother, who used to make porridge every day with stewed apples from her tree.
Lower East Café
Lower East Café
Discerning coffee connoisseurs can’t go past a single origin blend from the cruisy downtown Lower East Café, before tucking into a Brisket Toastie of house-smoked brisket, with chipotle relish and pickles (both made in-house), plus melted cheddar, pickles, and rocket on thick-cut sourdough.
Mylan
Mylan
Mylan Restaurant is located in the heart of Wollongong CBD is a local favourite where you can enjoy the famous ‘Satay’ Meal’ A spicy, creamy peanut sauce, homemade by their head chef. Served with carrot, capsicum and onion, mix it up with your choice of meat, tofu or extra veggies!
Nam Restaurant
Nam Restaurant
A local’s favourite, Nam’s Satay dish is one that will leave you wanting more. Using house-made sauces, meticulously refined over generations, this Satay dish is perfect with chicken, pork or beef but can also be made with seafood or vegetarian.
North Kiosk
North Kiosk
Perched right on North Wollongong Beach, North Kiosk is the perfect location to pick up a coffee, juice or even a fresh lunch right after a swim walk or bike ride. Their Fish and Chips is a local favourite and one to enjoy while soaking up the beachside views. Plus, it has the MSC tick of approval! Win, win!
Northbeach Pavilion
Northbeach Pavilion
Northbeach Pavilion, a slice of Italy on North Wollongong Beach with honest Italian dishes, including their wood fired pizzas like the classic Margherita, the sweetest of San Marzano tomatoes, fluffy mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, salt and extra-virgin olive oil. From Naples with Love!
Palisade Kitchen & Bar
Palisade Kitchen & Bar
The elegant coastal vibe of Palisade Kitchen & Bar – born from the Novotel’s multimillion-dollar makeover – has quickly gained acclaim for its dry aged steaks, including a wagyu rump (fed a speciality formulated Japanese diet for 400 days) served with a signature merlot salt.
Pepe's on the beach
Pepe's on the beach
Gather some friends, take in the cruisy beach scene of Pepe’s and share a spectacular hot and cold seafood board of lobster, grilled salmon, salt and pepper squid, blue swimmer crab, oysters, tiger prawns, battered flathead, house-cured salmon, coconut prawns, salad and sides.
South Sailor
South Sailor
Enjoy these delicious, Asian-inspired Fish Tacos at local favourite, South Sailor. Situated in Wollongong’s Northern Villages, South Sailor serves mouth-watering food and drinks in a relaxed setting. Perfect for catch ups with friends, date night or a special occasion!
Steamers Bar and Grill
Steamers Bar and Grill
Steamers Bar & Grill offers stunning vistas of City Beach and generous share plates, including their Israeli spiced lamb (sourced from nearby Oberon) with pomegranate salsa – a dish inspired by a café visited by their executive chef on a journey to Jerusalem’s ‘wailing wall’.
The Coffee Club
The Coffee Club
A friendly warm welcoming place to enjoy a morning coffee, breakfast, lunch, a quick bite, the Coffee Club is your next go-to for any time of the day. Enjoy this vegetarian platter at their Wollongong location – it’s so good even true carnivores will be converted!
The Illawarra
The Illawarra
The local owners of the newly renovated Illawarra Hotel are serving classy pub grub, including crowd favourite, The Highlands Pie. Made from locally sourced ingredients including chunky Southern Highlands beef, shiitake mushrooms, local stout, red wine herbs and bacon, this dish has taken the word “pie” and said, is that all you’ve got?!
The Social at the IPAC
The Social at the IPAC
Soak up the theatrical vibes of Wollongong’s premier live entertainment venue, the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, by tucking into The Social’s all-day Stagehand Breakfast, with smoky chorizo, crispy bacon, avocado, mushrooms, roasted tomato, hash brown and your choice of toast.
The Swallowed Anchor
The Swallowed Anchor
Situated on Crown Street, The Swallowed Anchor is Wollongong’s premier tapas bar. Enjoy a delicious serving of their fresh market fish, changed daily, in this unique environment.
The Woolshed
The Woolshed
The Woolshed at Yallah is an iconic building with a rich history spanning over 100 years in the Illawarra. With its rustic and authentic charm you can enjoy one of the favourites the ‘Bubble Waffle’ filled with vanilla crème patisserie, whipped meringue, raspberry sorbet, fairy floss and fresh berries.
Towradgi Beach Hotel
Towradgi Beach Hotel
Recently refurbished, the iconic Towradgi Beach Hotel is always a buzz with family friendly activities, entertainment, live music and events. The prawn Linguine with chilli, garlic, lemon parsley butter and rocket is a joy to discover on your next night out.
DRINKS
Botanist Gin Bar
Botanist Gin Bar
What started out as a quaint idea for a cocktail bar, flourished into a gin and cocktail bar with an impressive selection of over 365 gins including 315 Australian gins, making The Botanist the largest gin bar in NSW. Lavender, Rosemary Gin and Tonic is one to try as something different.
Breakout Bar
Breakout Bar
Breakout Bar’s Lemon Meringue Pie Cocktail is like if a dessert and an alcoholic drink had a baby. Upon first sip of this bespoke cocktail, you’ll taste creamy notes followed by a punchy lemon zest that will make your tastebuds sing!
Coolangatta Estate
Coolangatta Estate
Set foot on the site of the first European settlement on the South Coast in 1822 at Coolangatta Estate (‘collungatta’ is the Aboriginal word for fine view) and sip on a wine tasting paddle, including one of its award-winning mature semillions.
Five Barrel Brewing
Five Barrel Brewing
Beer drinkers are going frothy over the family-run Five Barrel Brewing in the heart of Wollongong, so drop in for a tasting paddle, which includes their crisp Lunch Box Lager, fruity Little Nipper Hazy IPA and chocolatey Night Cap Milk Stout.
Glenbernie Apple Shack
Glenbernie Apple Shack
Pick your own fruit, enjoy a farm tour or shop in the ‘Appleshack’, before sipping on a Darkes Cider Howler, winner of multiple gold medals at London’s World Cider Awards, amid the ambiance of the family-run Darkes Glenbernie Orchard.
Headlands Distilling Co
Headlands Distilling Co
In 2015, four mates got together to found Headlands Distilling Co., Wollongong’s first distillery. By working directly with a farmer in Temora in the NSW Riverina, their ‘grain-to-glass’ philosophy has certainly paid off, with them being awarded gold and silver medals in multiple categories at this year’s London and San Francisco World Spirits Competitions. They produce an array of products that showcase native Australian flavours, but if you’re after a true taste of Wollongong, their Tidal Lines Illawarra Plum Infused gin is one not to miss!
Humber
Humber
Definitely check out Wollongong’s only roof top and lounge bar featured in the heart of Wollongong. Humber is dedicated to a unique food and drink culture and is set in the old Hillman Humber building, today over 80 years old. The Strawberry Sherbet Cocktail is defiantly a sweet sensation to indulge in.
Night Parrot Bar & Kitchen
Night Parrot Bar & Kitchen
The ‘Bloody Bubble Thing’ is actually a thing of beauty, with Wollongong’s late-night crowd flocking to the sophisticated small bar, Night Parrot, to sample this eye-catching cocktail made up of Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, Limoncello, Triple Sec and lemon.
North Bar
North Bar
Soak up the unpretentious elegance of the transformed North Bar at Novotel Northbeach Wollongong by sipping on a ‘Smoked Old Fashioned’, where this timeless classic of burnt sugar syrup, Kentucky bourbon, aromatic bitters and orange rind is served with a smoky flourish.
Resin Brewing
Resin Brewing
Recently converted from a heritage-listed guest house into a bespoke brewery, Resin Brewing is the love child of long-time friends Steven and Brenden. The boys’ passion for brewing is evident in the quality of beers produced in-house and their New England Pale Ale (NEPA) ‘Refraction’ is no exception. Enjoy this fruity, full bodied beer with distinct flavours of pineapple and citrus all year round!
Steelers Club
Steelers Club
Cheer on the Dragons or Hawks before joining the throng at the Steelers Club to celebrate the imminent opening of their new cocktail bar by indulging in a signature delight featuring locally produced Illawarra Plum Liqueur and Headlands Seacliff Vodka that is both stunning and delicious.
Recipe Inspiration
Continue your Foodie Heaven adventure at home with these recipes by celebrity chef, Mark Olive!
Explore
While you're here, why not explore other parts of our region?
Discover the Wollongong story from those who know the most about our fantastic city…
our locals!
Win
Attention foodies! We’re giving one lucky person and their friend a chance to WIN Wollongong’s Ultimate Foodie Passport*. What does this mean? The winner will be able to – literally – eat and drink their way through Wollongong and enjoy every single dish and drink featured in the “Eats and Drinks” section! Now that’s a competition we’d like to take a bite out of!
And the winner is…. Paige Pollard!
Winner of the inaugural Wollongong’s Ultimate Foodie Passport is 25-year-old Paige Pollard from Towradgi. Having recently swapped the big Canberra smoke for the greener pastures of Wollongong, Paige is an avid foodie and when told she had won said the news made her day, commenting: “When a friend sent me the screenshot from the Facebook announcement that I had won, I was so thrilled! When I received the congratulations email, I actually thought it was a prank so it was a pleasant surprise that it wasn’t fake!”
“I moved to Wollongong from Canberra just last year and am blown away by the amazing food and drink options in the area. There’s also such a strong sense of community down here and I am looking to continuing my support of local businesses over the next 12 months.”
