Ex Services Club, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Located in the heart of Coffs Harbour, the Ex-Services Club is an indefectible haven for a family meal. Before we even get to the food, there is a fully supervised and gated Kids Club costing only $2 per child and a children's menu with all meals accompanied by fresh fruit, yoghurt and juice.  I'm sure that already has many parents making mental notes chalking the club up to the top of their lists.  For the rest of you however, the food is also infallible. Large portions and quality seasonal ingredients are matched with reasonable prices and efficient attendance. To whet your appetite the toasted Turkish bread with three dips, or Bruschetta made from home-style sourdough, semi-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar are gratifying options.  Pictured above, vegetarian (corn fritters with char grilled vegetables & asparagus, sweet potato chips & hollandaise sauce), gluten free (Thai green curry with melt-in-your mouth chicken chunks), carnivorous (400g t-bone steak with local Balmain bug garlic butter, potato, sour cream & chives) and pescetarian options (oysters kilpatrick) ensure that everyone in the family is satisfied.  Drinks are slightly cheaper than a pub and an ample number of wines are available by the glass or bottle. 

The Brasserie
Coffs Ex-Services Club
Vernon St.
Coffs Harbour
NSW 2450
Australia
+61 (0)2 6652 3888
www.cex.com.au/

Cocoa Cafe, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Cocoa Cafe deserves their reputation for serving one of the best cups of coffee in Coffs, but not as well known is that their cakes and frappes are high competitors too. Pictured above, the mango and coconut cake is refined with just the right amount of sweetness, topped with a thin layer of icing and lightly toasted flaked almonds. The mango frappe is perfect cooling off material for a warm afternoon.

Cocoa Cafe
Shop 35/36 The Palm Centre
Harbour Drive
Coffs Harbour
NSW, 2450
Australia
+61 (02) 6650 9417

Thursday Local Market, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Mum's Home Cooking, K'Pane artisan organic bread, fresh local produce, and David's roasted coffee beans are all found on a Thursday morning at the Coffs Habour local produce market.  Pleasant climate and cerulean blue skies in the subtropics of Coffs Harbour, friendly vendors and the chance to be a locavore for a day make this market a must stop on your visit around the Northern NSW coast.  Get there early, around 8 - 9am, to enjoy the best offerings - especially those of Mum's Home Cooking whose luscious goodies are snapped up without delay.  Her typically Aussie slices will leave the sweet tooth in you more than satisfied but your taste buds wickedly salivating for more. 

Thursday Local Produce Market

Harley Drive

(known by the locals as the Palm Centre)

Coffs Harbour

NSW 2450

Australia 

Club Coffs on West High, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Eating at a local surf or bowling club in Australia usually assures you of a reasonably priced meal and  drinks.  Such is the case at Club Coffs on West High, Coffs Harbour. A fine example of exceptional value is the large dessert portions for only $4.00. Similar size servings and quality in a cafe or restaurant might cost you anywhere from $6.00 - $20.00.  If you're willing to forego a fancy setting and focus on the meal, this is a great place for moist carrot cake, and the lemon merengue cheesecake tastes just as sweet as it sounds.  You might even be tempted into a game of bowls to work off those extra calories.

The Terrace Cafe

Club Coffs on West High

61a West High St.

Coffs Harbour

NSW, 2450

Australia

(02) 6652 1477

http://www.clubcoffs.com.au

Master Woks Family Restaurant, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Outstandingly fresh and high quality ingredients make the dishes at Master Woks Family Restaurant more than memorable.  Pictured above are prawns in a ginger sauce, sizzling beef in a garlic sauce and Chinese broccoli in a mushroom sauce.   Drink service comes from the club bar with prices considerably lower than those of a pub or restaurant in Australia.  Service is rapid and friendly.

Master Woks Family Restaurant

Coffs Club on West High 

61a West High St.

Coffs Harbour

NSW 2450

Australia

(02) 6652 1477

http://www.clubcoffs.com.au

the Source Cafe, Newcastle, Australia

The Source Cafe along the Honeysuckle development in Newcastle is a great spot for brekky.  Good coffee and an interesting breakfast menu are just two reasons to come.  The other ones are a beautiful setting and great service.  These guys are super flexible and you can basically design your own meal from items on their menu they are so accommodating.  Substitute your bacon for eggs, add a few mushrooms... not a problem.  I like the smiley service here, green outlook and yummy menu.  

the Source Cafe
Shop 1/74-76 The Lane
Maryville, Newcastle
NSW 2293
+61 (0)2 4940 8023
info@sourcecafe.com.au
www.sourcecafe.com.au

Morpeth Sourdough, Newcastle, Australia

Morpeth sourdough is THE bread to buy around the Hunter. The bakery is at Morpeth but you can find a range of their breads in speciality stores around Newcastle.  This particular loaf came from Beaumont St. in Hamilton.  The bread is hand made using only flour, water and sea salt.  No yeast is added but rather the technique of utilizing naturally occurring lactobacilli and wild yeast is used to make the dough ferment and rise.  Because of this method the bread has an extended shelf life and doesn't use any artificial preservatives.  Stephen Arnott is the great great great grandson of William Arnott, the founder of Arnott's Biscuits and the historic bakehouse (now restored) was once the home and workplace of the Arnotts in the 1860s.  The historical village of Morpeth, located between Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, is worth a visit to meander through boutique shops and eateries and pick up some of this delish bread.

Stephen & Allison Arnott, Bakers
148 Swan St.
Morpeth
NSW 2321
Australia
+61 (0)2 4934 4148
service@morpethsourdough.com.au
www.morpethsourdough.com.au