Budget-friendly waterfront restaurants, kiosk and cafes along the NSW coast

As the cost of living has risen, so too has the number of waterfront cafes and restaurants offering great food without the fine dining price tag.

Across NSW, they’ve opened in coastal kiosks, boat sheds, trailers and riverfront shacks, where they’ve kept the obligatory hot chippies on the menu, but swapped out frozen fish and Chiko rolls for house-made pasta, salt-and-pepper barramundi wings, or trays of freshly shucked oysters.

“We hate the idea that price can and does act as a barrier or walled garden to trying new things,” says Jason Maggs, co-owner of The Salty Mangrove, which opened in New Brighton last year.

“We set out on a mission to create a high-quality and consistent offering that doesn’t break the bank.”

Like Matilda’s in Nambucca Heads, or Sunny’s Kiosk in Merimbula, The Salty Mangrove champions local produce − sourcing from regional farmers’ markets, estuaries and fishing trawlers to create their evolving seasonal menu.

“We don’t want to be the ‘fancy place’ that people are intimidated [by],” says Jane Smith, co-founder of riverfront diner Matilda’s.

“[This] is where we want to hang out on a Sunday arvo with mates, share a family pizza night or long brunch with cossies still soggy after a dip in the river. An approachable price point hopefully means access to all of this.”

Whether you’re day-tripping or road-tripping this Easter, these are the wallet-friendly waterfront venues worth checking out, from tried-and-true staples like The Kiosk at Yamba, to popular newcomers such as Effie’s kiosk at the renovated Manly Boatshed.

Effie’s at Manly Boatshed, Fairlight

Sam and Aniella Batten (of popular Balgowlah cafe-restaurant Effie’s) teamed up with Rob Treharne of the recently renovated Manly Boatshed to open their second venue in October. It’s a kiosk, right on the boardwalk, with a collection of large picnic tables overlooking North Harbour. Options are limited to grab-and-go focaccia sandwiches (from $15), pastries from local baker Staple Bread (from $6), and barista-brewed cups of Mecca Coffee, but there are plans to (eventually, council permitting) expand the offering. For now, the best time to go is on a Saturday or Sunday morning, as a pit stop on the stunning Spit to Manly coastal walk.

1b Bolingbroke Parade, Fairlight, effiesbalgowlah.com.au

The Kiosk, Yamba

It would be tough to find a brekkie spot with a better view. The Kiosk sits right on Yamba Main Beach, with tables just a few sandy steps from the ocean, shaded by striped blue and white umbrellas. For the past five years, it’s been run by hospo veteran André Rizk, who held fast to the “old-school kiosk vibes” of the original menu (bacon and egg rolls, $15; ice-cream milkshakes, $7) with a couple of fresh additions like hibiscus and chamomile kombucha ($6.50), house-made cacao and coconut granola ($15), and coffee from Marvell St Coffee Roasters in Byron Bay. “Nothing fancy, just simple and tasty,” says Rizk.

1 Marine Parade, Yamba, thekioskyamba.com.au

Matilda’s, Nambucca Heads

A family history of “strong Aussie broads” inspired Matilda’s, an all-day diner on the banks of the Nambucca River. Co-owners Jane Smith and Kristy Bland have painted the ’60s-era shack pastel pink, filled it with artwork by female artists, and created a space where the community (and their dogs) can enjoy backyard barbecues ($5-$24), family pizza nights (from $15) and CWA-recipe scones for afternoon tea − all using local produce, from the likes of The Nambucca River Oyster Company (from $23 for six) and Cheerful Chooks. Visiting on a Thursday? Don’t miss the farmers’ market across the road.

6 Wellington Drive, Nambucca Heads, matildas.broads.com.au

Sunny’s Kiosk, Merimbula

Chefs Tess Podger (ex-Icebergs Dining Room & Bar) and Matty Johnson (ex-Cutler & Co.) jumped at the opportunity to open a destination diner in a wooden shack perched atop Merimbula Lake. It’s a casual (dog-friendly) place, with kayak hire for exploring oyster estuaries, big family tables on the deck, and a sharing menu filled with local produce from The Woolshed farm and South Coast Fish. Dinner service may be done for the season, but there’s still big brekkie plates with braised beef brisket, chorizo ragu, poached eggs and potato hash ($25), plates of freshly shucked Merimbula oysters (around $20 for a half dozen), and glasses of natural wine (“Always!”).

68 Lakewood Drive, Merimbula, sunnyskiosk.com.au

Oyster farm gates, various

There are oyster farm gates open all along the NSW coast, where you can try them shucked to order by the water. It’s a simple set-up at The Nambucca Oyster Co., where the Tessier family has farmed and sold Sydney rock oysters for seven generations. Pick up a tray of six with wedges of lemon (from $10) to enjoy on the riverbank.

In Bateman’s Bay, The Farm Gate and Oyster Shed on Wray Street takes things up a notch with waterfront seating, a fire drum, and cooked or natural Sydney rock oysters (from around $20 for six).

In Narooma, try The Oyster Farmer’s Daughter − a food trailer on the shore of the Wagonga Inlet serving cocktails and Sydney Rock Oysters from B.J. & H.D. Coxon Oyster Farmers (around $24 for a half-dozen).

Pasta Buoy, Huskisson

House-made pasta, an ocean view, and a bill that comes to less than $31 per person (and that’s if you’re going all out with freshly caught local lobster) − there’s little wonder this Mediterranean eatery from husband and wife team Steve and Jess Cantarakis has proven popular with locals.

It’s a simple set-up, with counter service, takeaway cocktails (from $18) and dishes such as vodka rigatoni ($23), duck ragu ($28) and seafood linguine ($31), made using exclusively South Coast produce, served in cardboard bowls. But that just makes it easier to wander down for a picnic on the sand if you can’t find a seat to dine in (happy hour between 3-5pm gets busy!).

60 Owen Street, Huskisson, pastabuoy.com

Larrie’s, Merewether

This breezy hilltop diner offers the nostalgic charm of a classic fish-and-chip shop with a killer ocean view. The menu features the classics (chip butties, $9; soft-serve sundaes, $12) alongside modern additions like plates of sashimi ($15) and salt-and-pepper barramundi wings ($14). Pull up a stool by the window to down some oysters (a dozen for $35) and a glass of natural wine, or borrow a picnic blanket to tackle your prawn sandwich on the grassy lawn of the adjacent park.

99 Frederick Street, Merewether, larries.com.au

The Salty Mangrove, New Brighton

The small Northern Rivers town of New Brighton welcomed The Salty Mangrove to the shores of Marshalls Creek late last year. The shady, open-air eatery is a joint venture between chefs David Moyle (of acclaimed and now-closed Hobart restaurant Franklin), Jason Maggs (from Natural Order Wine) and creative directors George Barnes and Chris Barton (who have worked with Fratelli Paradiso and Bar Copo, and Golden Age Cinema, respectively). Quite the line-up. Expect a showcase of local produce over a tight, contemporary menu of antipasti (from $5), salads (from $17) and sandwiches (from $12). Visit at high-tide happy hour (5-6pm) for $15 jugs of beer and carafes of natural wine.

50a River Street, New Brighton, thesaltymangrove.com

Sammy’s Careel Bay, Avalon

This northern beaches newcomer boasts spectacular views across Careel Bay from its spot on the sun-bleached marina wharf. Owner-chef Sammy Bizarro (ex-Bistro Boulevard) serves simple but thoughtful cafe fare using organic and ethically sourced produce, such as Bonfire Organic Bakery bagels with Tasmanian smoked salmon, cream cheese, pickled onion and foraged watercress ($19). There are also three jaffles to choose from ($14), coffee from Single O, and a selection of Japanese teas.