Sydney is rich with road trip opportunities. Jump in the car, drive a few hours in any direction and you’ll find a stunning seaside village, a small country town or a bustling regional hub. There are countless pubs, cafes, bars, breweries, bistros, fish’n’chip shops, wineries, historic hotels, pizza joints and fine diners scattered within a few hours of Sydney. These are a few we reckon are worth hitting the road for next time you have a spare day.

Scottie's, Newcastle

That feeling you get walking into Scottie's? It’s the same as after you’ve stepped out of the water at the beach, ambled to your towel, laid down in the sun and cracked open a cold beer. Wedged between Newcastle’s two most popular beaches, Scottie's takes everything great about summer and finds a way to turn up the volume. The menu rotates, but you might find crispy fried salt cod croquettes, salt and vinegar mussels, or a spicy lobster roll. Natural wines are sunny and diverse, but no visit is complete without the Yuzu Margarita. Sure, this grown-up equivalent of a Frosty Fruit in the backyard on a hot day says it serves two, but we won’t tell if you don’t.
scottiesne.au

Otis, South Coast

Few names in food elicit the kind of mouth-dampening response than Yotam Ottolenghi. Otis, in the bright South Coast town of Kiama, doesn’t just nod gently in the Ottolenghi direction, it goes full Yotam thanks to chef Emily Herbert, who spent half a decade as head chef at the Belgravia restaurant named after the chef himself. If the veggie quiches and Middle Eastern-inspired grain fiestas in the cabinet aren’t enough to excite you, the pastry case shows a range of sweet and savoury baked treats packed with local ingredients. Everything’s available to eat at the small cafe or to take away, so take a box of deliciousness to the nearby Kiama blowhole, just a few hundred metres away.
otisdeli.com

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

Eschalot, Southern Highlands

Berrima mightn’t get the attention afforded to nearby Bowral, but with its main street boasting a lolly shop, ceramicist, collection of cafes and antique stores – as well as Australia’s oldest continuously operating pub, the Surveyor General Inn – it’s a worthy GPS entry. The ultimate Highlands dining experience is a meal at Eschalot, stationed in one of the region’s most historic buildings. Take a seat in the cute garden by the side of the restaurant for seasonal plates that might include fried chicken with a Sriracha and honey glaze, or plum and miso lamb ribs with sesame aioli, then move closer to the crackling fire to share a bottle of wine. Agrarian bliss.
eschalot.com.au

Tropicana Social Club, Central Coast

When in Woy Woy, make time to drop into Tropicana Social Club – and make sure you take plenty of snaps. Chances are, by the next morning you’ll think the whole experience was some beautiful fever dream. Finding its chaotically thrilling sweet spot somewhere in the centre of a Blue Hawaii, Cocktail and Twin Peaks Venn diagram, Tropicana is all about the fun. Grab one of the retro booths and a round of Mai Tais, then split a fisherman’s wharf pizza loaded with seafood from the local marina. Or order up a bottle of natty wine and some buffalo wings and let the tunes take you to vibe town.
tropicanasocialclub.com

Sorensen’s Glasshouse, Blue Mountains

The problem with eateries with beautiful views is there are only so many window seats to enjoy the vistas. The solution? Build your cafe in a glasshouse and make every seat a window seat. Sorensen’s Glasshouse, just outside Leura, doesn’t just celebrate the beauty of the Blue Mountains, it’s featured inside too – from the dressed rocket piled onto the garden breakfast to the lush plants dotted around the tables. There’s nowhere in NSW more perfect for watching the seasons change than the Blue Mountains, and no better seat than Sorensen’s for nature’s show – preferably along with a plate of Belgian waffles drizzled with caramel sauce or a cheese-topped shakshuka dotted with free-range eggs.
sorensensglasshouse.com

Frankie & Mo’s, Blackheath

Frankie & Mo’s is the wine bar the Blue Mountains has been craving, according to co-owner Tom Colman. Tom and his dad Bob make natural wine locally under the successful label Frankly This Wine Was Made by Bob, so opening a venue to showcase their craft made sense. The four-room space goes from bistro to wine bar to bottle shop, with anything in the shop available to drink – some by the glass, some by the bottle. A thoughtful, ever-changing food menu complements the wines; you might find mushroom ceviche, burrata with fresh figs and caramelised pine nuts, or potato gnocchi with buffalo mozzarella.
@frankieandmos

Ciro’s Pizza, Thirroul

On your next stopover through Wollongong, be sure to grab a couple of takeaway pizzas from Ciro’s to eat on the beach. The casual pizza joint is just 500 metres back from the foreshore, in the heart of Thirroul, and slings woodfired delights from a Gozney oven. There are your classics like margherita and pepperoni, and also a few left-of-centre varieties – like Ciro’s ooey gooey cheese pizza topped with hot garlic honey, pagrattato, and optional pancetta. You’ll also find sides like woodfired garlic flatbread or wagyu bresaola served with pickled peppers.

Ates, Blackheath

A 150-year-old wood oven powers Ates, a Blue Mountains destination diner in Blackheath’s original bakehouse. Named after the Turkish-Ottoman word for fire (a nod to its famed former tenant Vulcan’s), this place deals in Mediterranean flavours and local ingredients licked with flames and ironbark smoke. If you’re planning a weekend road trip, it’s worth stopping by – Ates transforms into a bakeshop on Saturdays and Saturdays, when you’ll find savoury and sweet treats like freshly baked focaccia and Basque cheesecake on offer from 8am until sold out. Or dine-in at lunch or dinner for seasonal Med-inspired plates by an ex-Rockpool chef, paired with natural wines.
atesblackheath.com

Bistro Molines

In the heart of the Hunter Valley wine country, Bistro Molines will transport you to the French countryside with its white clothed tables, provincial interiors, delectable French fare and stunning views across the valley. Inspired by co-owner Robert Molines’s French roots, the bistro’s two-and-three-course menus offer plenty of choice, ranging from house-made linguine with pippies and lemon to roasted pork belly with an apple and morcilla (blood sausage) tart. If you’re tempted to stay longer than just a day, book a night at the quaint Little Orchard Cottage on site, complete with two bedrooms and a cosy fire.
bistromolines.com.au

Saddles

The iconic twin servos on the Pacific Motorway have nothing on Saddles, a destination dining hub just one hour from Sydney. Offering a paddock-to-plate restaurant, bakery, a nursery and a sprawling picnic area with a coffee caravan, it’s one of the most versatile – and impressive-looking – venues on the Central Coast. Swing by the bakery to pick up snacks for the road, like freshly baked blueberry muffins with mascarpone cream or house-made pork-and-sage sausage rolls. Otherwise, dine in for hefty breakfast plates, a ploughman’s platter lunch, or a beef brisket pie served with confit garlic potato puree and rainbow chard, all while looking out over the site’s freshwater dam.
saddlesmountwhite.com.au

Additional reporting by Pilar Mitchell, Grace MacKenzie & Che-Marie Trigg.

This article was originally published on December 17, 2021. It has been updated to reflect new information and remove out-of-date details.