WHERE TO EAT
NEW SOUTH WALES / ACT
L - Z
LITHGOW. This is the town at one end of the famous Bells Line of road, so it’s a popular place to be passing through. Ivor likes the famous Golden Arches here. “I know a lot of people wouldn’t eat at MacDonalds, and I agree their food is very plain (there’s not much difference between the food and the cardboard box it’s in), but I’ll eat there if there’s nothing better. And most Maccas seem to be favourite meeting-places for people. This one is located right on the highway, so you don’t have to go into town looking for somewhere to eat. So it’s convenient and somehow it manages to have a bit of atmosphere, mostly from the traffic that pulls in or meets there. It’s not uncommon to have a group of bikes there.” I’ve been there too, Ivor, although it was a few years ago. When I’ve been there, part of that atmosphere came from having photos of the former steel-works around the room. I don’t know if they are still there, but they were interesting to look at and certainly added something to the place. (Ivor and Elwyn).
MARULAN. This is a popular stopping point as it’s about half way between Sydney and Canberra. (It’s actually closer to Canberra). There’s a big service-centre right on the highway where petrol and food are available; and if you’re just passing through that’s probably where you’d want to go: but if you’ve got time, a visit to the actual town is worthwhile.
Marulan is one of those little villages that was by-passed when the highway was upgraded to multi-lane many years ago. So if you want to visit the town itself you've got to look for the exit to it off the highway. But, as I said, if you've got the time, and you like these quaint old sort of places, it can be worthwhile. These days it’s an intriguing mix of ghost-town and recently-renovated. The photo on the left is an example of the “ghost-town” aspect.The pub was said to be a good place, but when a friend and I visited we found the bistro section dark and deserted.Right next door to the pub is Marulan Convenience & Takeaway. It’s a typical country general-store (groceries etc) but has a small takeaway section. There are burgers, pies, sandwiches; that sort of thing. You can’t eat in, but there are a couple of small tables outside, so you can buy your food and sit outside taking in the country atmosphere. The food is good and quite cheap. I was so impressed with the food, and the value of it, that having finished our burgers I went back inside and complimented them on the meal. A nice friendly guy too. (Elwyn).
MITTAGONG. My usual eating place if I’m in the Southern Highlands is the Mittagong RSL Club. It’s just off the old highway on the southern side of the main shopping area. It’s a big club with lots of parking. Inside is a bistro that has one wall made up to look like the outside of an old farmhouse.
It’s a typical big club bistro, but it’s okay. Food is good and not too expensive. There’s also a sandwich-bar type place that makes sandwiches and sells pies etc. They are open all the time too, so if you arrive after 2pm (which I have done) you can still get a feed. The sandwiches you’ll buy are quite cheap and taste good. They’re not pre-packaged, they’re made there.At the reception desk is an old gentleman, impeccably dressed in suit and bow-tie, who is delightfully welcoming and friendly; the true epitome of country hospitality! (Elwyn).MUNGINDI. Just out of Mungindi, on the Queensland side, is the Two Mile Hotel. (And yes, it is two miles out of town). At the time of writing it has been recently refurbished, following a fire there. Richard writes, “Huge meals, very well cooked, and very well priced, but you usually get that in country pubs, they know how to feed working men.” (Well, not always these day Richard! These days many seem to be moving up-market). (Richard).
NARRABRI. Michael stopped at the Tourist Hotel here for a meal and an overnight stay on a trip from Tasmania to Queensland. He said the accommodation was great, “comparative luxury” compared to other hotels he’d stayed at, and the dinner was good and very cheap! (Michael).
NARRANDERRA. Michael was impressed with his meal at the Charles Sturt Hotel. He wrote, “We were surprised at the quality and quantity.” (Michael).
NAROOMA. O’Brien’s Hotel, the pub with “The million dollar view”, as it proudly boasts, is the best choice here. I'm not sure who first told me about this, but I know Michael has recommended it (and this photo was taken by him).
It's right on the main highway just as you go up the hill. The “million dollar view” is out over the water, and it is a great view!The dining area is big, and it’s usually pretty crowded. You’ll get a table somewhere though. It’s not air-conditioned, but there are big ceiling fans and when I was there on a hot summer’s day it was still quite pleasant inside.Good food, a big selection, and reasonable prices. Oh, and they advertise themselves as being “bike friendly”. Even better! (Michael and Elwyn).NERRIGA. The Nerriga Pub is another of those little places in the middle of nowhere that seem so much liked by bikers. It's a popular place! Nerriga is about 70km west of Nowra along the Braidwood road.
The road used to be all dirt, so it wasn’t used very much, but gradually it was up-graded until, at the time of writing this (late 2013) there’s only about 12km of dirt left. That’s at the Braidwood end, so if you’re coming from Nowra it’s bitumen all the way. Even the dirt is not too bad and has been negotiated by road-bikes and scooters. (That's Brad and wife Sharon's scooters in the photo). Rod likes the Pub too. “I found the food quite good and a reasonable price considering the nearest other eatery is probably Tarago or Braidwood.” (Rod and Brad).NOWRA. Well, I’m going to take you just north of Nowra, to Bomaderry. It's really just a northern suburb of Nowra. The significance of it is that it's right at the intersection of the Princes H’way and the road that comes from the Southern Highlands down through Kangaroo Valley. Right on that intersection is a MacDonalds. This makes it a very convenient place to stop, whether you’re coming from the south, north or west. Now, I have more taste (in both senses of the word!) than to take friends to a MacDonaolds, but if I’m travelling through there on my own at lunch time I don’t mind eating there. Sometimes. It does have the benefit of a lovely gumtree right outside the window, so you can get a window seat and look out at the ghostly gum and the mountains in the distance, which is actually quite nice on a sunny day. (Elwyn).
In Nowra itself is a café called 91 Junction. It’s called that because it’s located at 91 Junction St. (I wonder how long it took them to think of that name!). I first heard of this from Sharon, and have since heard other good reports. The food is a bit expensive (a burger and chips will cost around $15, but some other choices are more reasonable), but it’s good and you can eat in or out. There is also an under-cover area outback. A good place to stop for a cuppa too.To add to the atmosphere, there’s live music on Sundays. (Sharon and Elwyn).O’CONNELL. This is a small village located in the Lithgow, Bathurst, Oberon triangle. Greg says that there is a pub, and a tea-room up the road, and that’s about it. The pub is good though. “Great Burgers around $10, nice beer garden, and good for a big group – lots of street parking.” As with Tarana, which he mentions below, he reckons the ride there is a good reason for going. “The beauty of both destinations is that you need to go up Bells Line (love that section at the top with all the views), and after crossing to Mt Victoria going down the Pass you turn left onto the Jenolan Caves Rd. The views down the Megalong are fantastic and the road is built for bikes!” (Greg).
PICTON. Perhaps the most famous pub in Picton is the George IV. They used to make their own beer there – probably still do. It’s a favourite hang for bikers. But I’ve never eaten there.
When I go to Picton I usually eat at the Picton Bowling Club. It’s actually a bit of a favourite of mine. I reckon the food is good. The quality has varied a little over the years (it wasn't quite as good as normal at one stage), but generally it’s pretty good. I like it.You can get some pricey choices, but for my usual burger-and-chips it costs $7. It’s also pretty quiet, which is another thing I like. And you can sit in the bistro and look out over the rural countryside, which I find quite relaxing. (Elwyn).PREMER. This is a little village up around Gunnedah. Actually it’s just off the road between Mullaley to Coolah. The local pub burnt down in 2006, but it has been rebuilt, and Wayne likes it. He writes, “A couple of months back, 12 friends turned up for lunch. The meal was good value for money, and the sole barman / owner was very efficient. All meals turned up one after the other.” (Wayne).
PUTTY RD. Okay, this isn’t a place, it’s a road; but a very famous one!
The road runs between Richmond and Singleton, and has a stretch of about 150km that is mostly corners. There are straight sections, of course, but there are a lot of corners: a good biking road.About half way along is the Grey Gums Café, which is actually at Putty. It’s a famous stopping-point for travellers – particularly bikers – along the road. Paul says it has “Nice food.” Others have mentioned this too. (Paul and others). QUEANBEYAN. Queanbeyan is a popular place. It’s a popular alternative to staying in Canberra, and even more to the point, if you’re travelling between Sydney and the Snowy Mountains, going through Queanbeyan is a million times better than riding through Canberra.
Okay, when I’ve been passing through I’ve taken the easy (and less appealing) alternative of heading for the big yellow M. But there are better alternatives. The Queanbeyan Leagues Club is located right on the river, on the main road (although you’ve got to go around the block off the main road to get to the parking area). The parking area is big and the bistro suitably large. It’s a typical club bistro, but you do get a good view out over the river. Food is good and prices reasonable. I’ve mostly had dinners there, but I have been there for lunch too. (Elwyn).ROBERTSON. Robertson is on the Illawarra Highway, between Moss Vale and the famous Macquarie Pass that leads down onto the coast. It’s home of the iconic Robertson Pie Shop, which is one of the most popular and famous hangs for bikers.
The atmosphere is great, and it’s all outside in the parking area. The downside is the food; for me anyway. Their “award-winning” pies aren’t, in my opinion, particularly good. I even tried a burger there once, and didn’t like it. There must be a lot of people who disagree though, because whenever I call in for a coffee (or to just look at the bikes!) there are always a heap of people buying food. It’s a great place to stop and hang with the bikers, or have a coffee, but personally, I never eat there.My choice – and it’s the choice of other bikers I know – for eating in Robertson, is Chats Café in the centre of town on the southern side of the main road. It has a model tea-pot in the garden to the side. 
You get table-service, the food is quite good and the prices reasonable. Eat in or out. The photo here is of an enjoyable afternoon snack of tea and scones, which I have enjoyed on numerous occasions there. On a Sunday you’ll get some music to entertain you. (At the time of writing this, and for several years prior, it’s been classics of swing – expect to hear a lot of Frank Sinatra songs). You don’t get the atmosphere of the Pie Shop, but it’s a better place to eat. (Elwyn).SAWTELL. This is a little village up Coffs Harbour way.
Geoff recommends Café Treeo. He writes, “Best banana bread ever, and a nice coffee.” It is also highly recommended, I noticed, by Tripadvisor, the tour guide web-site.Here is a photo of the famous banana-bread. I love banana bread! (Although it doesn't usually look like this). Sawtell is a long way from where I live, but Geoff reckons it’d be worth the ride just for this delicacy! (Geoff). SHOALHAVEN HEADS. At the mouth of the Shoalhaven river, which winds its way from the highlands down the mountain and through Nowra, is this little village. Rod recommends the pub there. “Shoalhaven Heads Pub, food okay and prices at the upper level of what you ask but it’s a great location.” Yes, it is a great location, right opposite the river. I've eaten there, and I thought it was a bit expensive, but as we say, it’s a great location and a good atmosphere because of it. (Rod).
SYDNEY. As Rod says, metropolitan Sydney is probably not everyone’s idea of a ride destination (certainly not mine!), but there are certain places that make it worthwhile putting up with the traffic. Deus Ex Machina is a bike shop that builds custom bikes, usually of the café-racer style. I’m sure you will have heard of it. It’s on Parramatta Rd, in Camperdown. But it doesn’t just sell bikes, it also sells food and drinks. Rod says, “The atmosphere is good and the food is very good. Prices are at the top end of your limits but it is Sydney and you can peruse their café racers after eating.” Even non-riders have recommended this. (Rod and others).
On the Eastern side of Sydney, David has a recommendation, Paul’s Famous Hamburgers, at Sylvania. This is apparently quite a famous place and has been in business since 1957. Their web-site lists a lot of stories in the media (TV, magazines, newspapers etc) about the shop, all praising the shop and its burgers. After being in the family for 41 years, it was sold to its current owners in 1998. 
An interesting bit of trivia, the business was, as you’d expect, established by a bloke called Paul, and his wife, Katina. The shop had two separate sections, one being a kind of mini-mart and milkbar, the other being a hamburger shop. It was Katina who wanted to do the hamburger thing, and it was she who ran it. The whole shop, which was initially called Paul’s, was re-named Paul’s Famous Hamburgers. Paul, however, always handled the other side of the shop and never made, or sold, a hamburger! TAHMOOR. This is a little village on the old highway between Picton and Mittagong. Rod suggests the Tahmoor Inn. “Tahmoor Inn, on the southern side of Tahmoor, has a $10 lunch special Monday to Friday, and mains from $12.50 to $26. Good food.” (Rod).
TAMWORTH. At Australia’s “country music capital” Karen recommends the Hallmark Inn. She writes, “Delicious desert, not bad main meal.” (Karen).
TARANA. Greg says that Tarana is “A very small rural town with about two dozen houses around.” Like O’Connell (see above), it’s in the Lithgow, Bathurst, Oberon triangle. He recommends the local pub. “Great burgers around $10, nice beer garden, good for a big group – lots of street parking.” As with O’Connell, he says that both these places are really, “A great destination. As so often is the case, it’s all about the ride there rather than the place. Both places are just Pubs in the bush.” (Greg).
TAYLORS ARMS. Taylors Arms is a small village about 30km inland from Macksville on the north coast of NSW. The local pub is probably its main claim to fame. It is known as The Pub With No Beer. Yes, in reference to the famous song. But is it? Well, apparently yes, and no.
The story goes that Dan Sheahan arrived at his local pub in Ingham, Qld, one day to find the pub had ran out of beer. He drank some wine and wrote a poem about this terrible experience, which was called “The Pub Without Beer”. It was published in the local newspaper in 1944. Some time later, so it is said, Gordon Parsons arrived at this particular pub in Taylors Arms to find that it too had run out of the amber liquid. He remembered the poem by Dan Sheahan and adapted the poem into a song, called “The Pub With No Beer”. 
Gordon gave the song to his mate, Slim Dusty, who intended to use it as the “B” side of his song “Saddle Boy”. But of course the song became his number-one hit! This left some conjecture as to which pub was really the one in the song. As you’d expect, both claim it is theirs, with Ingham saying that Taylors Arms stole the song about their pub. Anyway, Geoff recommends this as a good place to visit. It’d be worth going there just for the history. (The big log in the photo, which was taken by Geoff, is in the yard out front of the pub). (Geoff). THORNLEIGH. If you are travelling from somewhere north of Sydney to somewhere south of Sydney (or vice-versa), using the M7 is the best choice. While it might be a bit boring, humming along at 100kph on wide open expressway, I reckon it’s about a million times better than fighting the traffic and stop-start at a zillion sets of lights through the city. The only downer is that if you’re looking for somewhere to eat there isn’t much choice. A popular spot is McDonalds in Thornleigh. Okay, you get plastic food on plastic buns, but the places are usually clean and you can trust the food even if it isn’t particularly tasty or nutritious.
Thornleigh is on a section of about 8km that is the only traffic you get between the M7 and the freeway to the north of Sydney. Maccas is not far from the northern end of this section of road, on the western side of the road. It can be a bit tricky to get to (from the south you actually go past it and take the next turn left), but it’s a popular place to stop that doesn’t take you away from your main track between freeways. (Steve and Elwyn).TOCUMWAL. Tocumwal is in the southern Riverina region, near the Victorian border.
“The cafe features not only footpath seating (to watch ya bike) but has an amazingly beautiful garden out the back. Great on a hot day. Food is fantastic. Real banana smoothies (not the crappy, banana-flavoured milk-shakes most of 'em try to pass off) at $6.50.“Last visit I had a terrific chicken Caesar salad for $14.90; a real one with proper dressing, shaved parmesan and poached egg. There is also a licensed section for the drinkers. Spectacular gardens, bike-friendly and they let you pay separately.” Sounds like a great place – despite the pink exterior! (Dave).ULLADULLA. The Boardwalk Café is right on the highway at the northern end of the main part of town, just as the hill starts. It’s a long building that extends from the main street to a verandah out the back that overlooks the harbour. Great view from out there. The food is good, but not exactly cheap. The location and view are worth it! Great for a coffee stop too! (Try their banana-bread – yum!). (Michael and Elwyn).
The Worker’s Club is on the southern end of town, right on the highway, but located back off the road a bit. It’s quite a nice place, and the food is good. Prices aren’t cheap, but not too bad. (Elwyn). URALLA. This is a small town on the New England Highway; the sort you might just pass through, but there is reason to stop if you’re hungry.
Wayne suggests Kentucky General Store, “South of Uralla off the New England Highway. Rod McGrath is the owner/operator.”Geoff likes this too. He said, “Good food, although the service was a bit slow when I was there”. Geoff sent in the photo here, a chicken schnitzel meal. Ah, my kinda lunch! And this looks mouth-watering just looking at the photo. (Wayne and Geoff).WALLACIA. Wallacia is just a small place, not far from Penrith, and a gateway to Warragamba Dam.
The Wallacia Hotel is an iconic pub built in the old English style. A great looking place from the front, so a big tick for character! It’s also a favourite with bikers.I took this photo from across the road and I reckon it's a beautiful old building! The hotel has, at the time of writing, been recently renovated and it’s quite pleasant sitting out the back area of the pub. Food is good, and prices not bad either. (Rod and Elwyn). WARIALDA. Situated in the north-east of NSW, Warialda is a good stopping point if you’re touring through that region. Michael recommends Kingy’s Place. He had breakfast there and says that, “His egg and bacon roll for $3.50 is a must!” That was a couple of years ago, but the prices should still be cheap. (Michael).
WOLLONGONG. In a city the size of Wollongong there are many cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs. Like most big cities, you wouldn’t go looking for one in the middle of town if you didn’t have to. If you’re passing through, look at Albion Park, or Bulli. But I’ll tell you about one place that is not too far off the main road and has a great view out over the beach. It’s called Mudcat. It’s situated right on the beach in the Novatel Hotel building. It’s on the outside edge of the building and you can eat in or out. Either (but especially out) affords a great view out over the ocean, and it almost feels tropical, with a few palm trees around. The only downside is that parking can be a problem. The place fronts onto a hill, so there’s no level parking for the bike. You’ll need to go a little further down the road, or around the next corner. It’s a great place for a coffee or for lunch. The food is good and the prices are quite reasonable. It’s owned (or co-owned) by a guy called Paul Newman. (Not the Paul Newman of course!). He’s a nice bloke, but just a tip, he told me once that he “hates motorbikes”: so don’t try talking to him about bikes! Other than that, as I said, he’s a nice bloke, and very friendly. (Elwyn).
YOUNG. My grandparents used to live here, and I spent quite a lot of time at Young in my teen years. I’ve eaten at a few places there on subsequent visits, but one place I would recommend is the Young Services Club. I remember it being a good meal at good prices. I checked the menu and at the time of writing a burger and chips was $7.50 (or $9.50 “with the lot”) and a main meal of chicken schnitzel was $16.90. It’s a good club, with great facilities. Michael liked this too, when he and his wife ate there. He wrote, “We were surprised at the quality of the standard club fare.” (Elwyn and Michael).
VARIOUS TOWNS
And if all that isn’t enough, we've got a couple of recommendations for towns all over Australia.Keith recommended the Coffee Club. He writes, “I have always found that the Coffee Club do very good breakfasts for about $12, that is the full English Breakfast. Also good value for snacks. I realise they are not everywhere but great value if you can locate one.” Well, they might not be everywhere, but they are at a lot of places! Go to the link below to locate a store in any of the towns listed. There’s a lot of them!Paul has another suggestion. He writes, “I found the best and cheapest meal on any trip is Woolworth’s bun, slice of cheese and dried tomato from their deli.” I remember once when my wife and I were on the way home from a trip in the car, and didn’t have much money for lunch, we bought a cheap loaf of bread, a small tub of margarine, and a few slices of meat, and made some sandwiches. We felt awful throwing out the left over bread and almost a full tub of margarine, but it was cheaper than buying sandwiches from a café. When we go out in the car my wife will sometimes make some sandwiches and put them in a small esky and we’ll just eat it in the car. I don’t think “brown-bagging” it would be a good look on a group ride though! UPDATES / ADDITIONS
THIRROUL This is a suburb to the north of Wollongong. If you're riding the Seacliff bridge you'll pass through it; if you ride down Bulli Pass, turn left at the bottom. Rod has a suggestion here. Ryan's Hotel Thirroul. He wrote that he and his wife had lunch there. He wrote, “The food is very good and good prices. We both had a chicken burger which came with chips and at $10 was great value. The chicken was about 20mm thick and the best chips I've had in years. Each day they have a different $10 special meal which is excellent value. Today's meal was Steak with chips and salad. Unfortunately I didn't see the specials board until after I had got my burger. The seating is plentiful too.” Sounds good! Rod was there on a week-day so these prices might not apply on weekends (pubs are notorious for charging more on weekends). Sounds good anyway!
ALBION PARK I mentioned The Aviator restaurant at the beginning of this NSW section, and mentioned that at the time of writing it had burnt down. I said it was going to be rebuilt, but I now hear that it won't be.
MOSS VALE. In the Southern Highlands of NSW, and close to some great riding roads. I discovered that the RSL Club is a great place to eat. Plenty of parking and the bistro has windows all around the exterior walls, so if you park in the right spot you can look out at your bike as you eat. Food is good and prices are cheap. My bench-mark burger-and-chips was just $8. Or you can have one with "the lot" for $11.
BULLI. I mentioned Bulli above (on the first page of NSW) and suggested the local Maccas is good for a coffee-stop. Well, I've discovered a better place - Ruby's Cafe at Bulli Beach. It's situated right on the beach and you sit on a verandah type area (that can be closed in with those pastic curtains) or totally outside. Look out over the beach and ocean. I've only had a cuppa there, so can't vouch for their food, but it has a good reputation and is open for dinner as well, so the food should be good. Prices, from what I saw, seemed reasonable, but I didn't take note of any particular items.
To get there, come down Bulli Pass, as I described above, and look for a Uniting Church on your left. Turn left down there beside it. (If you miss that, take the one at the top of the hill a bit further on). Follow that road as it goes along beside the beach (great view!) and as you turn hard right away from the beach there is a parking area on your left. Park the bike and the cafe is across a little foot-bridge from there. 
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TYALGUM. Pronounced “Talgum” by the locals, Dave says this village is about 25kms west of Murwillumbah. He recommends a café called Flutterbies.
The Tocumwal Antiques and Tea Rooms is what the name says, an antiques shop that also serves light refreshments. I’ve seen a couple of recommendations for this. The building and shop itself has a lot of history, being first established in 1860s. The present business opened in 1982. Penny had been recommended by a friend and went she went there with her friend she said the recommendation was well justified. “A lovely lady hostess and yummy food.” (Penny).