It’s that time of year…work routines resume after festive fun, tennis and cricket fill our television screens and backyard barbies sizzle at the weekend.
As we gear up for the first holiday of 2023 – Australia Day on Thursday, January 26 – set the tone for the next 11 months by celebrating with family and friends at home, or visit your fave local venue and enjoy a bite and brew.
Here are four suggestions for your Australia Day celebrations:
Inspired by freshness and simplicity, Fourth Fish Café & Restaurant on Burns Bay Road in Lane Cove is the place to head for locally sourced seafood delivered daily from the Sydney fish market. A nautical theme awaits diners with a wooden lifeboat on the wall, white subway tiles, life buoys and blue-coloured walls, ideal for lingering over a meal with family and friends.
Hook a starter of half-shell scallops, Italian truffle mayo and micro herbs; then cast your net over mains such as a fisherman’s platter of crumbed prawns, hoki fillet, calamari, fresh Sydney oysters and tartar sauce.
Bringing the taste of Spain to Sydney and the Illawarra, expect to find authentic cuisine at Mojo Picon Takeaway at Chatswood Mall Market weekly and various other markets and festivals around the region. This food stall operator has been dishing up the flavours and tastes of the Canary Islands to foodies for more than 16 years; from mouth-watering garlic prawns to chorizo rolls and much more.
Wrap your hands around a combination roll, with garlic prawns and chorizo, sprinkled with parsley; or chow down on a garlic prawn plate, cooked in housemade Spanish BBQ garlic sauce. Vegans are catered for with choices like garlic mushrooms, mixed salad and slow-cooked BBQ capsicum.
Join the fun at Micawber Tavern on Monbulk Road in Belgrave on Thursday for lunch or dinner and look out for the resident kookaburra, normally perched around the creek looking for tasty leftovers. Perhaps chill out in the beer garden or Slowey’s outdoor bar, alternatively head indoors to the bar and bistro for an ice-cold beer and delicious meal.
Mt Martha mussels, Irish cider, streaky bacon and garlic bread hit the spot to start your celebrations; followed by pub classic mains like chicken parmigiana, or Scotch fillet with peppercorn sauce, chips and salad.
Those seeking the best bar and dining experience in Brighton on Australia Day can head down Martin Street to find Brix Bar. This local hot spot for good times, great food and live music rocks inside and out with a beer garden for chilling out with mates or watching live sport; while an eclectic wall mural and a well-stocked bar set the scene for fun and funky times indoors.
Snack on prawn and ginger dumplings, black vinegar, soy, chilli and peanut oil to start; or sesame-seared yellowfin tuna, ponzu, pickled ginger, mayo and wasabi and tempura nori. Burgerholics can devour spicy fried BBQ chicken, cheese, slaw, pickles and mayo, on a sesame bun with chips on the side; best enjoyed with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
For more venues to get the party started, click here.
