13 reliably good Coffs Harbour restaurants to dine at

The climate in Coffs Harbour and the bounty that it yields has led to some phenomenal food and drink experiences.

With a focus on local, seasonal produce, often set in spectacular surrounds, eateries in Coffs Harbour are luring visitors to bide their time a bit longer. From overachieving cafes and bakeries to the finest of restaurants and lively pubs, new culinary adventures are scattered right across the Coffs Coast region.

1. Stef Beachstone

Love your pizza nights loud and local? Stef Beachstone in Sapphire Beach fires up a 72-hour fermented dough pizza lashed with traditional flavours alongside regular live music and relaxed vibes.

It helps that the restaurant is set against a spacious grassy park and lush bushland, begging you to put your phone away and soak up the natural splendour, but this pizza could be plated out of a hole in the wall and still draw crowds. It’s oozy and pillowy, exactly what wood-fired pizza should be, and everything else on the menu is equally impressive—a Coffs Coast must-experience.

Address: 2 Beach Way, Sapphire Beach NSW 2450

2. Morty’s Joint

First Avenue in Sawtell lights up even brighter with the addition of Morty’s Joint, a neighbourhood comfort-food-and-cocktail bar that draws a very cool crowd.

Home to DJ sets, free pool, the occasional drag bingo and delicious American-style bar snacks, it’s a place to let your hair down. Choose from charred corn, sticky wings, loaded fries, mouth-watering burgers and fried chicken as crafty tipples and quality craft brews reliably quench your thirst.

Address: 63 First Avenue, Sawtell NSW 2452

3. Jetty Beach House

What a spot. Jetty Beach House, at the foot of the Solitary Islands, is a natural light-filled space jazzed further with calming Coffs’ water views. Even better, it sings with a quintessentially Coffs vibe, utterly relaxed and humble.

Expect a menu dotted with fresh seafood, including a raw bar, plus burgers, hearty pub classics and pizzas as crowds of locals create an always buzzy atmosphere.

Address: 1 Jordan Esplanade, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

4. Donovan’s Surf Club Restaurant & Bar

The slow pace of life in Coffs Harbour is on show for all to see at Donovan’s Surf Club Restaurant & Bar where almost every table scores a view of pristine Park Beach. Look straight out to sea and you’re likely to see whales breaching (from May to November) and mutton birds nesting on nearby Muttonbird Island.

Arrive for breakfast or lunch and sit out on the sun deck around the back of the bistro or take a seat parallel to the coastline in the spacious sunroom. Pub classics from Executive Chef Matt Donovan fill the menu as do delightful international influences spanning Europe and Asia.

Address: 23 Surf Club Road, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

5. Lime Mexican

In the main figtree-lined street, Lime Mexican is always busy, serving mean mojitos and inventive Mexican street food that would feel right at home in both Texas and Tijuana.

Although the décor is light and bright, the ubiquitous Dia de los Muertos-inspired mural and colourful sombreros suggests this is a place for fun and celebration. Expect text-book favourites such as beef nachos, tacos with pulled pork or chipotle steak, and fajitas with chargrilled chicken.

Address: 1/13 First Avenue, Sawtell NSW 2450

6. Shearwater Restaurant

Think Coffs Harbour and what springs to mind? The coastline, of course. But savvy food-focused travellers have also discovered the community treasure that is Shearwater Restaurant, located on a curve of Coffs Creek. Those lucky enough to score a table overlooking the water can choose from a seasonally changing menu that spans antipasto, duck leg confit and additional hearty mains, and handcrafted pasta.

Address: 321 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

7. Latitude 30 Restaurant

Latitude 30 Restaurant deserves a guernsey for its unbeatable location and the fact diners can enjoy seafood sourced from the trawlers moored directly outside the venue.

The restaurant, located within the Marina Village, is the product of executive chef Marcus Blackwell’s passion for seafood which extends to his childhood growing up off the coast of Scotland.

Address: Unit 8-9, 1 Marina Drive, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

8. The Pier Hotel

The Pier Hotel was built in 1905 to cater for weary travellers journeying by land and sea up and down Australia’s East Coast. A century on, that core demographic remains unchanged, and the pub located on the Jetty Strip is as popular as ever. The cosy country pub, which beautifully blends the old and new, is light and bright and a brilliant spot to enjoy pub grub such as bangers and mash and a southern chicken burger.

Address: 356 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

9. Toormina Hotel

The menu at Toormina Hotel reaches far beyond the average lunch menu with items such as the satay quinoa falafel burger and marinated tofu poke bowl, two veggie-forward dishes that steal the show.

Check the chalkboard for daily and weekly specials such as Friday’s $19.50 fish and chips and Sunday’s Smoker Box with an assortment of barbecue classics. There’s a warmness to The Palms, the pub’s al fresco area, that begs to be savoured long into the afternoon. That and the fact it has one of the largest playgrounds on the Coffs Coast.

Address: 13 Minorca Place, Toormina NSW 2452

10. Seaview Tavern

The Seaview Tavern is a family-friendly hotel that makes the most of its expansive open-air beer garden, which is festooned with fairy lights and kitted out with umbrellas.

Everyone here seems to order the schnitzel (voted one of Australia’s top five) and for good reason. Wash down your meal with one of their quality on-tap brews.

Address: 51 River Street, Woolgoolga NSW 2456

11. Grazie Papi

In town on a Saturday? Lucky you. It’s bottomless brunch o’clock from 12pm every week at Grazie Papi, one of the most irresistible pizza spots in Coffs Harbour. Ninety minutes of free-flowing cocktails, wine and beer, plus whatever dish takes your fancy off the restaurant’s menu will ease you well and truly into holiday mode. If you’re journeying in any other time, expect the same puffy, generously packed richness on those hand-stretched masterpieces, fresh pastas, seriously hearty mains and a relaxed, stay-until-next-service atmosphere.

Address: 22 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour

12. Esme Bar & Kitchen

Right before you enter the Jetty precinct, make a pitstop at Esme Bar & Kitchen for some bona fide Mediterranean feasting. The vibe at this Coffs Harbour restaurant is light and breezy as natural light floods the entire dining room and seating spills out over an open-air timber deck. An all-day food and drink menu keeps spirits high as all your favourite Euro vacay hits make their way out of the kitchen. Mezze plates loaded with dips and pita, pulled lamb, chargrilled souvlaki, beef kofta, roasted Mediterranean salads – the classics and more await.

Address: Jetty Village, 59/361 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour

13. Mana Chita

You can taste a world of flavours during your visit to Coffs Harbour and that broad stroke extends as far as East Africa. Mana Chita, at the end of Harbour Drive going towards the Jetty, has been dishing up traditional Ethiopian cuisine since 2012 when it first opened its doors as a small shopfront. Fast-forward to now and visitors and locals alike relish in the opportunity to sample such exotic flavours in a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of town. You’ll be treated to a sophisticated spread of share plates and mains spanning vegetarian croquettes, stews and pastries, an assortment of rich meat curries and traditional sweets.

Address: 384B Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour

This article was originally written by Carla Grossetti with updates by Kristie Lau-Adams

For more unexpected wonders of the Coffs Coast, read our guide to Coffs Harbour and beyond.