Travel one hour south of Sydney and you will find yourself in the seaside town of Wollongong which is home to some of the best restaurants I have ever been to.
With perfect beaches, perfect weather (most days), and an ever-growing foodie culture Wollongong may be just what you are looking for once social distancing is a thing of the past! I say this with excitement as this is my home town and it’s rapidly becoming a foodie haven.
Getting insider info on where to eat when you’re visiting a new destination can help make your stay go from good to absolutely amazing, especially if you’re a massive foodie like me.
Check out some of my favourite restaurants in the “Gong”. I hope you love them just as much as I do!
Débutant Dining
If you are craving a perfectly cooked prime-cut steak with a twist of French flair and sophistication then we highly recommend you try Débutant. Opening in late 2019 Débutant quickly became famous in Wollongong for its delicious soufflés and steak fritz. We love everything about Débutant and with so many flavorsome dishes on the menu, it will be hard to choose your favourite one! Read more about Débutant here
Must Try
Domaine De Chatillon Rosé
Twice cooked Gruyere Cheese Soufflé
Charcoal roasted Prawns with Herb Butter & Watercress
Steak Frites with Cognac Cream Sauce
Vanilla Crème Caramel
Profiteroles with Hazelnut Ice-Cream & warm Chocolate Sauce
Cuisine: French Steakhouse
Price: $$- $$$
Atmosphere: Sophisticatedly Relaxed
Location:119 Keira St, Wollongong
Phone:0426 480 010
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Débutant
Added March 2021
Lagoon Restaurant
Situated only meters from the beach the Lagoon Restaurant is the eatery my family has been visiting for many years to celebrate all of those special occasions and to order the deliciously grilled Moreton Bay Bugs and BBQ prawns with ‘the lot’ sauce. With both indoor and outdoor dining options, the Lagoon Restaurant is not only run by locals but is loved by locals for their generous tasty hot and cold seafood platters!
Must Try
Tempura Prawns with Asian slaw & pepper mayo
Grilled Moreton Bay Bugs with ’the lot’ sauce – one of my favourites
BBQ Queensland King Prawns with ‘the lot’ sauce – one of my favourites
BBQ Seafood Platter
Hot & Cold Seafood Platter
Affogato
Cuisine: Seafood Restaurant
Price: $$- $$$
Atmosphere: Sophisticatedly Relaxed
Location: Stuart Park, North Wollongong
Phone:(02) 4226 1677
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Lagoon Restaurant
Added December 2021
Kneading Ruby
Kneading Ruby is one of the newer Italian eateries in Wollongong and one we like to go to when we are craving gnocchi. From the minute this place opened we fell in love with its warehouse feel, its huge oversized wooden doors, whitewashed walls and its tasty rustic sharing menu. You feel like you are part of one big Italian family each and every time you dine there.
Must Try
Garlic Bread – hot garlic butter is poured over the bread
Polenta Chips
Fried Kipfler potatoes
Gnocchi with pancetta, goats cheese, and peas
Pork Cotoletta with lemon butter & capers
Margarita Pizza + pepperoni
Pancetta Pizza with smoked buffalo mozzarella, potato & rosemary – my absolute favourite!
Pork & Fennel Pizza
Tiramisu
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Relaxed but trendy
Location: 5 Crown Lane, Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4229 7829
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Kneading Ruby
Mylan
Mylan has to be one of the most popular restaurants in Wollongong. Not only has it been serving up the yummiest and freshest spring rolls, fresh rolls and satay chicken since 2001 but the food is served up super quick and it’s always super fresh. Nam, the owner, is known by all the locals and you often hear her referring to her customers by name. If you like Vietnamese, then this is an absolute must on any road trip to Wollongong.
Must Try
Fresh Rolls
Meat Spring Rolls
Satay Chicken
Sweet Chilli Chicken
Sizzling Beef
Chicken Chow Mien – lunchtime
Special Vermicelli Salad with extra spring rolls
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: 193 Keira Street, Wollongong
Phone: 4228 1588 or order online
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Mylan
Samaras
Garlic dip, tabbouleh, falafels, hummus, chicken skewers and fatoush salad with crunchy Lebanese bread – Yum yum yum yum yum yum YUM! Samaras has been dishing up Lebanese deliciousness for locals for many years and is pretty much known to everyone!
Samara’s maybe the only restaurant in Wollongong that is open 365 days a year for lunch and dinner and can I say hallelujah because it’s authentically fabulous. No matter what you do get a double serve of garlic dip, yes you may scare away vampires with your garlic breath but who cares it’s that good!
Must Try
Lebanese Puffs
Grilled Halloumi
Fatoush
Mixed Dip Platter – garlic, hummus, babaganoosh
Lebanese mixed platter for one – (all chicken thanks)
Beirut Chicken
Baklava
Cuisine: Lebanese & Mediterranean
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: Corner of Market & Keira Street, Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4229 6950
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Samaras
Jasmine Rice
Another one of my all-time favourite restaurants in Wollongong is Jasmine Rice. Like Amigos and Mylan, Jasmine Rice has been part of the Wollongong food scene for many many years. The combination of authentic and modern Thai all mixed in together along with traditionally dressed waiters is what makes this such a popular place. Jasmine is famous in Wollongong for its seating options – traditional seating on the floor (yes I said on the floor) or at a table… live dangerously and try the floor (don’t panic you sit on cushions).
Must Try
Crying Tiger – entree size
Curry Puff
Pork Belly Buns
Lemon Chicken
Pad Thai Chicken with no bean sprouts or tofu!
Panang Chicken – my absolute favourite!
Grilled Honey Chicken
Cuisine: Thai
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Relaxed but trendy
Location: 131 Corrimal Street, Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4226 2495
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Jasmin Rice
Amigos
I have been eating beef burritos from Amigos since I was about 10 years old. Amigos opened in the ’70s and is still going strong today, the inventive yet traditional menu is an absolute winner with locals and a credit to owner Owen Langton who has transformed the restaurant into what it is today. My advice, be sure to book … especially on Taco Tuesday, not only is it busy but they are serving up deliciously cheap Tacos and Margaritas.
I have to warn you – believe the menu when it says “Montezuma’s Mountain Nachos is good to share”. We once watched a man order it for himself and his eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw it – IT’S HUGE!
Must Try
Acapulco Dip – cheesy dip
Beef Burrito – slow-cooked beef with salsa verde sauce and melted cheese – YUM
Chicken or beef tacos – soft tortilla
Shaken Casa Margarita
Cuisine: Mexican
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: 116 Keira St, Wollongong or shop1/8 Memorial Dr, Shellharbour City Centre
Phone: Wollongong (02) 4229 8181 or Shellharbour (02) 4296 8371
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Amigos
Night Parrot Wine Bar
A wine bar serving up dumplings and baos– seriously what’s not to love! Owned by Wollongong’s hatted restaurant Caveau you can guarantee that quality food and wine is Night Parrot’s middle name. This quaint little wine bar is both trendy, sophisticated and a decorator’s dream – all I’ll say is turquoise velvet booths – mwah!
Must Try
Wine, of course, it’s a wine bar!
Handmade Dumplings
Pork Belly Bao Buns
Cuisine: Asian Inspired Tapas
Price: $$ – $$$
Atmosphere: Relaxed but trendy
Location: 69 Crown Street, Wollongong
Phone: 0431 684 148
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Night Parrot
Da Orlando Wood Fire Pizzeria
Authentic Italian to the point where you will feel like you are in Italy. Da Orlando serves up traditional roman style pizza and pasta but one thing I love that you don’t see often is their take on Tiramisu the…. BIRRAMISU! The specials board changes regularly and is certainly worth a look.
Must Try
Polpette – otherwise known as meatballs
BBQ Meat Lover (red base pizza) – we often just buy two of these!
Rustica (white base pizza)with rosemary, & cracked black pepper
Birramisu
Diavoletti (pizza dough with Nutella and strawberries)
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: 348 Keira Street, Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4298 3011
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Da Orlando
Figtree Gourmet Kitchen
Take a 5-minute drive from Wollongong and you will find Figtree Gourmet Kitchen. This is my mid-week go-to takeaway pizza restaurant. Although you can certainly eat in as well. For some reason, I love picking up two pizzas on my way home from work and eating one slice of FGK special and then one slice of Vegas while watching TV (ok maybe that is two slices of the FGK and three slices of Vegas pizza – ha-ha yum!)
Must Try
FGK Special Pizza
Chicken Vegas Pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: 1-3/101 Bellevue Road, Figtree
Phone: (02) 4226 6995
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Figtree Gourmet Kitchen
Beast and Bread – good food eatery
Hands down Beast & Bread has the best crackle in the Gong, this teeny little eatery is where you go to get your protein and salad fix. Imagine 16 hours of cooked pork, roasted chicken & my personal favourite pork, and fennel meatballs accompanied with 3 different salads and topped with some crunchy crackle – you’re drooling already right. If salads are not your thing then pop your protein on a sub, either way, they are all good!
Must Try
X3 proteins (pork, chicken & meatball) & salads
Cuisine: Protein & Salad
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: 8 Crown Lane, Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4226 4629
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Beast & Bread
**NOW CLOSED**
Northbeach Pavilion
Casually contemporary and located right on North Beach the Northbeach Pavilion’s menu has been designed so you can either order for one or share with family and friends.
Now get ready for this – you can order your pizza in 3 different sizes 25cm, ½ meter, and a whopping 1 meter long! My advice grab an affogato, prosecco, or Peroni and sit back and relax while enjoying delicious food and the fabulous beach view!
Must Try
Affogato
Pizza Margherita
Pizza Pavilion
Pizza Nutella with strawberries and hazelnuts – Yum
Ugly Duckling Italian Donuts with ricotta, cinnamon sugar, and a Nutella dip – Yum
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Casually relaxed
Location: Bathers Pavilion – 5 Cliff Road, North Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4225 2555
Ready to Eat Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants? Visit Northbeach Pavillion
Thoughts & opinions about Eating Out at Wollongong’s Best Restaurants are entirely my own.
