Twotriplefour by Bills — Restaurant in Port Macquarie

2024: (4 stars) When Cassegrain Wines entered voluntary administration last year, the owners of Twotriplefour Restaurant, Pete Cutcliffe and Darren Whitcombe, made the decision to relocate. Moving into the heart of Port Macquarie seems to have paid off for the pair, with the new digs packed to the rafters on the evening I dined. While not as picturesque as the vineyard setting, the restaurant—a few doors down from sister spot Bills Fishhouse + Bar—has an outdoor courtyard and curb-side tables to enjoy the last gasps of al fresco dining.

With Port Mac.’s sourdough bakery also pulling up stumps, my local dining companion’s eyes lit up at the pane toscano with olive oil ($9) before his dreams were crushed by hearing it’s made in-house. The wider menu lends itself to family-style eating. Milly Hill rack of lamb ($78) was our centrepiece, though a 300g scotch fillet ($32)—aimed at one eater but served tagliata on request—stole the show under blue cheese and horseradish butter. Crisp skinned kingfish tataki ($32) was another star against miso and ginger butter. The sides—a bland zucchini, mint and chilli salad ($15) and undercooked steamed chat potatoes with cornichons and honey mustard ($15) (taken off the bill)—were the only disappointments. Smash out a plate of their excellent house-made pickles ($14) instead.

The 2022 Swinging Bridge Chardonnay ($75) from Orange was a good companion to our pickles and the fish. We moved to the Hilltops region with the 2019 Wild Ren Wines GSM ($78) from the NSW-focused wine list with our meats. While the food is simple and produce-focused, the cocktail list shows inventive flair. Sacred grape ($21) teams Mobius Distilling Vodka and First Creek Botanica Cuvée with citrus, Thai basil, star anise and muddled grapes, while the Makers Mark-based campfire ($23) covers dessert in a glass without being over-sweet.

2022: (4.5 stars) A perfect slab of unoxidised creamy parfait ($18) made on local Burrawong Gaian Poultry duck livers served with the correct amount of toasted brioche and Amber Drop Honey creamed honey (that I thought would be too sweet), had me cooing at Twotriplefour Restaurant. This popular lunch spot is located in Cassegrain Wines, set right on the highway as you get level with Port Macquarie. Paired with a plate of pickles ($9) and a tipple like the 2019 Edition Noir Riesling ($10/glass), this is a road food experience done right.

Mother Fungus mushrooms sautéed with confit garlic and porcini butter ($16) served on locally baked Urban Grain Bakery sourdough are a texturally pleasing breakfast dish taken up to lunch. Grilled sugarloaf cabbage ($14) was equally impressive under capers and brown butter dressing. Near River Produce pork is fashioned into a sensible Scotch egg ($12) against house-made ketchup. It called for beer and the whole region answered in a well-collated local craft beer paddle ($15/4 x 150ml). From the winery’s lager brewed with lemon aspen picked on the estate, to a hazy entry from Yamba with grassy green hops, the four beers offered a nice sampler of what the region...

I don’t know why this restaurant has a 5 star review? Perhaps because all those who have visited and reviewed have not actually been to exceptional restaurants in cities or overseas? Or even the Stunned Mullet nearby in Port Macquarie, which is far superior and yet has a lower review rating?? Firstly, no complaints about the staff. They were all friendly and attentive, although rather untrained and a little too casual. The food was good but not impressive by any means. The sourdough bread and warm olives were prepared nicely. The 2 tapas - roasted egglplant and beetroot infused salmon, both on sourdough, were tasting although not interesting. However the $12 side salad was not fresh at all, and consisted of lilted soft salad leaves and herbs, smothered in a sickly thick coat of lemon mayonnaise (perhaps to hide the fact that the leaves were not fresh).

The worst and most obvious flaw of this establishment is it’s design. It was clearly built out of an old packing shed, and still retains the polished concrete floor. The adjacent kitchen is open to the whole restaurant by means of a pub-style huge hole in the wall where the meals are passed across the counter to the waiters. Both of these combined with the hard flat surfaced roof and completely enclosed glass floor-to-ceiling windows and doors creates a giant echo chamber where every single harsh noise from the kitchen reverberates throughout the space. Even the loud industrial kitchen dishwasher can be heard thundering away, accompanied by the constant clattering of plates and utensils. To add to this cacophony the staff have very annoying fast paced pop music blasting through the speakers. The music choice seemed to be vastly at odds with the clientele of the restaurant, who besides one group of people with young children, were all clearly retired and well over 60. These combined completely destroy the ambiance of the place, which has lovely views over the vineyards. Luckily, these foibles could easy be fixed by management with a small investment. I will return again to see if these problems have...

This restaurant is by far the best place to eat out in Port Macquarie, it is surely on the cards for a Hat , as the menu is seasonal, inventive and friggin delicious! I've gone 5 times now for lunch/Dinner and have never been disappointed! Best chunkiest chips ever, that would rival Heston Blunmenthals chip recipe any day! The scotch egg is a solid starter, crispy coating, well seasoned meat covering & a soft gooey yolk every time! Any Lamb or Steak dish is perfectly treated to a cooking experience to deliver the perfectly cooked piece of meat with balanced seasoning and accompanying sauces you could drown and die happily in! Currently they are serving a chargrilled chicken in an Indian style butter chicken sauce, which I my opinion is better than any Indian restaurant in the Mid North Coast. The prices are competitive as you get alot more quality, flavour & portion size with great table service from wonderful staff. The wine list is also good and fairly priced. To be honest it's better value for money with exceptional quality compared to the Stunned Wallet! Our kids love the food there too and prefer the Adult menu as its exciting and delicious! Although they previously did a kids aracini dish that made me have food envy ( so bring it...