The century-old Barrenjoey House at Palm Beach welcomes day-trippers seeking water views and dolled-up versions of pub and cafe standards.
14/20
Contemporary$$
If there were ever a northern beaches restaurant deserving of a plaque for historic significance, it’s Barrenjoey House. Built in 1923, the two-storey inn looks like a big white Lego brick opposite waveless Snapperman Beach and its car park, and was, apparently, the first joint in Palm Beach with a telephone (its number was “1”). Australia’s seventh prime minister, Billy Hughes, reportedly used to practise golf on the surrounding lawns, and Neil Perry helped it win a hat in the very first Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.
“Come a sunny weekend in summer, Barrenjoey House will be packed solid with casually dressed people tucking into mussel and saffron soup, roasted breast of guinea fowl … and whole snapper stuffed with seafood mousseline,” reported Leo Schofield in that 1984 Guide review.
I like to think there’s a sliding-doors universe where Barrenjoey House is still an ambitious destination diner with mousse-filled fish, but the current operator – The Boathouse Group – has largely focused on dolled-up versions of pub and cafe standards instead. A sign on the footpath advertises “Tuesday Steak Night” and “Wednesday 2 For 1 Pizza”. There’s salt-and-pepper squid and beer-battered barramundi. You can order from a young floor team or via QR code.
So why are we here? Because there’s not many other places to eat in Palm Beach, and the suburb is one of Sydney’s most popular daytrip spots. It’s important to keep checking in on the old guesthouse. (Also, my parents were catching the ferry from Ettalong and wanted to meet up for lunch.) Current Good Food Guide report: “Pretty good!”
Considering the group is called The Boathouse, it would be nice to see more wild and local-ish seafood offered, rather than farmed Murray cod, New Zealand salmon, kingfish and barramundi. Also, I’d be happy to never see “beetroot carpaccio” on a menu again, especially with “kaffir lime oil”. (It’s now called “makrut lime” for reasons that shouldn’t need explaining.) A team-up of pureed apricot and lamb is also a few decades out of date.
It’s a bloody good lamb rump, however, pink like a winter sunset and capped with charred, submissive fat. Sherry jus and fried saltbush provide interest next to the fusty puree. Chef Justin O’Bree’s salt-and-pepper squid is hard to fault (crunchy coating, well seasoned, tubes the right side of al dente) with a lone lime cheek, coriander and side pool of chilli sauce.
The king prawn cocktail features five or six chubby curls of shelled Mooloolaba shellfish simply served on shredded iceberg with blitzed avocado, lemon and Marie Rose. Nice one, no need to complicate an already perfect form. A 2018 Tyrrell’s “Stevens” Semillon is on hand for the occasion, and will also stand up to a whopping big tangle of linguine, butter, garlic and spanner crab. A slice of lemon tart with snappy pastry is tailormade for autumn afternoons.
If you’re into marble, white paint, floral prints and stripes, you’re going to love the interiors. Meanwhile, service has improved since I was here three years ago and told, “We don’t offer wine to taste if you’re ordering the whole bottle.” The other week, a bushwalker en route to the ferry asked if the restaurant sold milkshakes to take away and our waitress replied, “No, but let me see if the bar can do an iced chocolate” (it could). Full marks for caring. As much as there’s a part of me that would love to see a return of roast guinea fowl, this current all-access version of Barrenjoey House feels right where it needs to be.
The low-down
Atmosphere: Restored century-old guesthouse for all occasions by the water
Go-to dishes: Prawn cocktail ($38, pictured); salt-and-pepper squid ($23); lamb rump with apricot, charred onion and saltbush ($44); lemon tart ($14)
Drinks: Three-page list of familiar Australian and French labels, decent cocktails and tap beer
Cost: About $150 for two, excluding drinks
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
This review was originally published in Good Weekend magazine
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