Whalebone Wharf Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Port Macquarie

WOW! We visited for lunch on Monday 29/07/24 and we were not disappointed. We were warmly welcomed by Joel who took us to a table with a beautiful view of the river. The cold table water was refreshing. We were given plenty of time to look at the drinks menu before Joel returned to take our drink order. He was very helpful in running through the cocktail specials and his personal favourites on beers. A waitress returned with our drinks and knew exactly who ordered which drink at the table despite not having taken our order. I ordered the Pineapple and Coconut cocktail (forgot it's name) and it was amazing, flavour was intense yet well balanced. We were given a few more moments before Joel returned to take our food order.

All main meals come with a choice of side and sauce. Orders at the table were: (1) Char Grilled Octopus & Chorizo XO: Beautiful. (2) Local Market Fish: Awesome, cooked to perfection and had a beautiful buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. (3) Whalebone Seafood Chowder: Exquisite! I have had the opportunity of having had seafood chowder in San Fransisco and have not been able to find a chowder that mimics SF until coming to Whalebone. Absolutely magical, seafood was perfectly cooked, the chowder itself was thick and creamy. THANK YOU!!

After we finished our meal, the table was cleared and wiped down by our waitress and we were given the dessert menu.

Orders at the table were: (1) Apple & Amaretto ‘trifle’: Good old comfort, soul dessert with perfectly balanced classic flavours. (2) Affogato with Kahlua: Lovely. (3) Burnt Cinnamon & Muscavado Crème Brûlée: Delicate flavours which complemented each other. The Brûlée itself had a perfect top and was smooth and creamy. The burnt cinnamon was definitely the top note of this dessert, each mouthful was absolute bliss.

All our dishes had great portion sizes and were executed beautifully.

The ambiance of this place is gorgeous with a coastal theme running throughout, even the music adds to the enjoyment. The restaurant is very clean and we were impressed with how clean the windows were, no dirt or fingerprints, meaning we could really soak in the view.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here and would highly recommend to others. Massive thank you once again to Joel and the team, your service was impeccable. We cannot wait to visit again next time we're in...

This was my first (and last) time at Whalebone Wharf. I'm not sure if I was mistaken in thinking that this is a fine dining establishment, or if it was an off day.

Starting with the positives: it's really beautiful, on the water, bright and light, comfy chairs. I got a cocktail from the specials menu - a sweet and sour strawberry daiquiri - which was yummy! Glassware was lovely. Also, you can book online and that's handy. I've heard lots of people say how great this restaurant is, so perhaps we got it on an off day.

...now the not so positive. Keeping in mind that we were expecting fine dining: the tables are low quality, outdoor style with chips out of them and no table cloths... Cheap, disposable napkins pour your own water (we had sparkling - it was just put on the table) ordered two cocktails. It was lunch on a Tuesday so, quiet... Took a really long time to arrive, actually arrived after our food. The Aperol spritz was heavy on the Aperol. The Atlantic salmon was cold, like it had sat on the pass for too long. When the staff asked how everything was my Mum said "it was... ok, I guess" and they asked no further questions. Staff just weren't attentive. They did their job, absolutely, but at the same level you'd expect at a cafe. I ordered the pork belly at $28. It was yummy! However, I had a butter knife to cut it with, so (at a fine dining restaurant) I'd expect either the meat would be cooked in such a way I could cut it with a butter knife OR I'd be provided with appropriate cutlery. I felt like I was sawing through the pork... It was one slice, which again is ok if it IS fine dining, but for the portion size to cost ratio something is really off.

I know these points might seem like nit-picking, but again we were expecting fine dining, especially at that price-point, and sadly, I can't name a single part of the experience that felt particularly special or classy. It's fine, but it's not great. Head to Banks for a better feed with a similar view and more...

(4.5 stars) Making the news in the floods that followed the fires and the pandemic, Whalebone Wharf is the darling of politicians wanting a Mid North Coast sound bite. And who could blame them? Set right on the Hastings River, this popular seafood restaurant has been repaired and redecorated in a relaxed coastal style. COVIDSafe measures are in place with vaccination certificates checked and masks required if you even think of leaving your table. Despite or perhaps because of this vigilance, the restaurant was pumping on the Sunday night I visited, with all the closely-set tables fully occupied.

The 2019 Kooyong Estate Chardonnay ($94) is a solid performer against all sorts of seafood. We put it to the test by sharing the “Fruits de Mer” for two ($185) with a couple of add-ons to make it a proper meal for three people. This seafood platter is basically a menu sampler presented over two courses. While you won’t get your two-storey opulence photo, it’s a much more pleasant way to dine that keeps hot dishes at the right temperature.

Hiramasa kingfish ceviche with beetroot, labneh, orange and caperberries ($22) was on the platter, but the clever combination which left a good hole to taste the delicate fish made me happy I ordered an extra dish. Scallops came two ways, so with raw scallops dressed with wakame and mango on the platter, I added on the grilled harissa and pistachio version. Both combinations worked well and stretched beyond the usual accompaniments. Rock oysters ate best au natural and in the kitchen’s own spiced tomato “kilpatrick”.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of good wine, good conversation, crumbed sardines, quality roasted prawns and grilled Coral Coast barramundi. While the bill here is substantial, there’s a honesty and simplicity to the food and dining experience that I didn’t quite expect from this...