7 Spectacular Venues for a Spring Sunset Soiree

There is no better time than Spring for an elegant soirée with family and friends – whether celebrating at home around the barbeque or heading to a spectacular venue to watch the sun turn red with a glass of wine in hand.

From the French word ‘soir’ meaning evening, this is no ordinary party gathering…get your glad rags on, grab your better half and meet friends at one of these seven venues for a sunset soirée to remember:

Discover the original beer of McLaren Vale along with sophisticated dining and the best views in the region at Vale Restaurant & Bar on Ingoldby Road in McLaren Flat. Located within Vale Brewery, this is a place for people to come together and socialise, eat and drink a wide variety of tasty brews directly from the source; relax alfresco and take in the surroundings, or dine indoors where full glass frontages bring the outside in.

 

Grab a beer with mates for a sunset session to start the weekend with live music, street food and drinks specials; fortnightly on Fridays, the Vale Taphouse celebrates the end of the working week on the lawn as the sun lights up the sky over the vineyards and you share a lamb, zucchini, cumin labneh, tomato, mint and parsley pizza. 

FOSH bar & restaurant on Hercules Street in Brisbane's CBD is the latest creation of renowned restaurateur Michel Tassis and specialises in doing seafood differently. From the ocean to your plate, seafood is line-caught and served within 24 hours alongside fresh Australian produce. FOSH has quickly become a go-to Brisbane destination for those who love nothing more than long, leisurely lunches and relaxed, elegant dinners making the most of balmy evenings along the riverfront at Portside.

 

Stop in for a Sunset Sunday banquet and start with a cocktail of choice before kingfish and BBQ King prawns, followed by spaghetti marinara, BBQ snapper, crispy fries, leaf salad and Chef’s dessert; available from 3 pm for just $78 per person for a minimum of two diners.

For award-winning dining in paradise, head to Harrisons Restaurant on Port Douglas Road. The signature restaurant at Port Douglas’ Sheraton Grand Mirage, chill out in opulent surrounds of chandeliers, ornate mirrors and furniture, alongside monochromatic geometric carpet and potted palms, to survey a menu, bearing the flavour of the Tropics.

 

While taking in the azure blue of the pool and the sky turning pink, pair a cheeky cocktail with scallops, XO sauce, fried seaweed and bottarga to start a memorable sunset session; then delve into mains such as FNQ painted crayfish, brown butter, green sauce, lemon and sides of truffle fries and grilled broccolini.

It’s all about cheese and wine at Florence Jones on Clarence Street in Port Macquarie. Perfectly positioned on the Hastings River, find a funky interior offering a cool local vibe with alfresco spaces to catch up with friends over a glass of vino and a charcuterie plate as the sun sets.

 

With an ever-changing array of local and imported cheese to match the charcuterie and salumi share plates, a knockout boutique wine list and local craft beer, Florence Jones is the ideal spot to indulge in a late afternoon or early evening splash. Don’t forget to browse the cellar and deli selections to create your own journey at home; shelves are stocked with a variety of accompaniments like pickled vegetables, bread and olives to pair with your cured meat, cheese and wine.

When visiting the picturesque Esplanade of Paynesville in Victoria, be sure to call into Pier 70 restaurant and bar. A modern, coastal chic interior awaits, where high ceilings with exposed banisters, whitewashed walls and timber furnishings make for an airy space, set upon an absolute waterfront location, where a sprawling deck greets moored boats bobbing in the marina at sunset.

 

Start your evening soirée with seared scallops, bacon, tomato and garlic, or pan-fried prawns, olive oil, garlic and chilli; then devour baked Tasmanian salmon on a salad of tomato, olives and mesclun, with Hollandaise sauce, or pepper-crusted chicken, roast vegetables, tomato, potatoes, herb and lemon tzatziki. 

Offering a majestic location with views over Balmoral Beach and across Sydney Harbour to Manly and North Head is Chef Hat-awarded Public Dining Room. Architecturally designed by Hecker & Guthrie, this fresh, modern venue on The Esplanade reflects fine dining in a relaxed beach-style atmosphere with stunning sunset water vistas.

 

Dishing up a contemporary à la carte menu, featuring local ingredients and global culinary influences, dive right in with dill and gin-cured salmon, fennel and smoked yuzu crème fraiche; move onto share plates like pistachio and herb-crusted lamb shoulder, Dutch carrots, caramelised mash and confit garlic, mint salsa verde and roasting jus, or Southern rock lobster, smoked Sardinian rice, lemon myrtle and chilli.

There’s nothing wrong with a little history and the North Byron Hotel on Bayshore Drive in Byron Bay has it in spades. Rife with sunshine and salt air, Byron is home and a place that can only be described and shared through an experience and that is what you’ll get at this thriving mecca of good food, great music, laughter and a chill-seeker vibe.

 

Fringed with lush greenery, flowering gardens and coastal interiors, relax from sunlight to sunset with a cold one and plates of Spanish sardines, pepe saya butter, cornichons and focaccia, or wrap your hands around a Balmain bug and King prawn roll with mustard Kewpie, chives, Yarra Valley Caviar and potato crisps. Perhaps share a popette pizza with tomato sugo, mozzarella, meatballs, salsa verde, Parmesan and basil.