Peats Bite Restaurant Review
As any parent will know taking children to a smart restaurant can be incredibly stressful.
But there we were in the most incredible location on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, just an hour’s drive north of Sydney, at a family-run restaurant only accessible by boat. It sounds like a destination suited to A-listers. And yes, it is. Singers George Michael, Billy Joel, Bob Geldof and actor Johnny Depp, to name just a few celebrities, have all eaten here. But this restaurant isn’t exclusive, it is open to all, even kids.
There’s an easy vibe at Peats Bite. Perhaps it is the incredible water views. All the tables look out to the river where you can watch boats motor past, the palm trees swaying and the local pelican swooping over the pontoon.
Diners are requested to arrive at noon so they can enjoy the six course meal (not including the aperitif, amuse and petit fours) over four hours at an easy pace.
How can this be achieved with children, I hear you ask?
Well, our boys, aged eight and 12, soon gulped down their sizeable portion of steak and chips, when they heard there was a pool on site.
Along with the owner’s grandchildren, and other youngsters who were dining, they splashed about in the pool, which while out of sight was perfect for kids who are confident in the water.
There was also an outdoor chess set with oversized pieces and some grass to roam about on.
Now and then a child, dripping wet, would run through the restaurant looking for a towel, skilfully dodging the overweight resident dog who was wandering around trying to beg food from the diners.
‘Who’s a pretty boy then?’
There was also entertainment, it was cabaret, from owner and crooner Tammy Miljoen, 68. After a few glasses of wine I was humming if not singing along. But Manuel, the out-of-control parrot created the biggest laugh of the day. He flies about the place freely and is the feathery equivalent of Hannibal Lector.
Half way through the French classic La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf, Manuel flew over and perched on Tammy’s shoulder and chest and decided to take the odd bite. Tammy attempted to finish her song, before shouting, “Piss off Manuel,” to laughs from the diners. Manuel took no notice, of course.
Meanwhile, the impossibly young but talented chef Kane Donkin, just 21, was whizzing around the kitchen on an office chair, preparing the incredible $130 set menu, after breaking his ankle surfing.
Don’t let this chaotic scene put you off, because it was incredibly chilled.
But, let’s start at the beginning.
We were two hours late. However, so were several other people eating at Peats Bite that day. The holiday traffic out of Sydney was heavy, then it took a little longer to get onto our rented houseboat than we had expected.
Then the dreaded westerlies meant we were battling against the tide and the gusty winds as we travelled upriver from Brooklyn to Peats Bite, just past Milson’s Island, where the restaurant is situated. The usual 40 minute journey by houseboat, turned into an hour.
Phoning ahead we got hold of Tammy, who bought the property with her late husband Rod, and turned it into a restaurant in 1982.
“Don’t rush, take your time, and most importantly drive safely,” was her reassuring response.
Eventually we arrived and after anchoring a hundred metres from the shore, Geoff Milner, the partner of Tammy’s daughter Tanya, pulled up alongside our boat to take us to the pontoon. If you don’t have a boat, Geoff will pick you up from Kangaroo Point, near Brooklyn, or if you want to arrive in style there’s always the seaplane that flies from Rose Bay in Sydney to the restaurant in 30 minutes.
By boat was fancy enough for Mrs Pom. Stepping onto the pontoon with my summer dress flapping in the light (to rather quite gusty) breeze and one hand on my floppy hat, I felt every inch the celebrity.
We were shown to one of a number of modest wooden tables in a covered outdoor area all facing towards the water, and greeted with an aperitif, a frappe of iced green tea, whiskey and mint. Delicious. Mr and Mrs Pom are not too keen on whiskey, but this a great refresher. So much so that I googled it to discover whiskey and green-tea cocktails are all the rage in China, with forums dedicated to discussing the best recipes.
Cheers: Frappe of iced green tea and whiskey cocktail
For a light, refreshing version, perfect for impressing guests this summer, follow this Peats Bite recipe:
60ml Johnnie Walker whiskey
45ml sugar syrup
Small handful of fresh mint
Blend with heaps of ice and green tea
Next up was the amuse, a melon gazpacho with extra virgin olive oil, which was the one item on the menu that didn’t really grab me. The refreshingly honest waitress wrinkled up her nose and suggested it might be the texture which had put me off. I think it may have been, either way it didn’t work.
However, the first course was an array of little delights, which also caught the children’s imagination (unfortunately). The piping hot, fresh, chargrilled flatbread was served with labna, a dip made with Greek yoghurt. Once we had dunked the bread into the yoghurt, we then dipped it into a bowl of dukkah, lightly toasted crushed nuts and seeds. A satisfying combination.
Other tasters in the first course included barramundi topped with avocado and soy and citrus, served on china spoons and scallops placed in shells alongside a cauliflower puree, green apple, and pancetta. Both nibbles used traditional combinations with an added twist. I particularly liked the cauliflower puree with the scallops.
Mr Pom, the skipper, was able to enjoy the oysters topped with frozen cucumber, in peace, as the rest of us are not too keen. He noted they were extremely fresh and happily rather sizeable.
The following three courses were again simple – no crazy combinations. Straightfoward dishes, cooked well and presented elegantly. The saltwater barramundi had a crispy skin, but flaked apart nicely as the fork hit. It came with a giant cous cous salad.
As we were tucking into the fish, we noticed a commotion at another table as the men jumped up and raced towards the pontoon. They had just noticed their yacht was not anchored properly and was drifting towards our houseboat. Eeek. Geoff came to the rescue again, taking the guys to their boat so they could secure it properly.
The beef scotch fillet
As the drama was unfolding we moved onto the third course. The buttermilk soaked chicken breast and the sweetcorn custard was on the sweet side, but worked well with the rich deeper flavours of the black olive gravy. The next course was a good quality beef scotch fillet, with burnt eggplant puree, a baby turnip and topped with a radish. I loved the burnt taste of the puree with the beef, which was a great pink colour in the middle.
Pretty as a picture: Vanilla cheesecake cream, rhubarb, with black pepper roasted strawberries
The vanilla cheesecake, with poached rhubarb and black pepper roasted strawberries, was ridiculously beautiful and looked too good to eat, but I did, quickly, before those pesky boys came back from the pool.
By this stage we had worked our way through a $38 Wombat Crossing, a Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley and we were starting on a red, which we took back onto the boat, a $35 Cool Woods Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia, which went very nicely with the sixth course of French brie, with pickled beetroot jelly and crisp bread.
We enjoyed the petit fours with tea and coffee on a sofa on the lawn chatting to Tammy, Tanya and Geoff about their beautiful restaurant and how it had shaped their lives, as the late sun sparkled on the rippling water and the pelican flew overhead.
Our neighbours on the Hawkesbury
Despite our little houseboat bobbing about a little too much for our liking we decided we were too relaxed and had perhaps a few too many glasses of wine to move it anywhere else for the night. Kindly Tanya dropped as back at the boat. The best cab ride home ever.
For more details click onto Peats Bite’s website: http://peatsbite.com.au/
The restaurant is open from noon until 4pm every weekend from September to June and some weekdays during the summer period. It is essential to book beforehand, to save disappointment. It’s well worth getting there on time so you can enjoy the experience over four hours. There is accommodation on site too for those who want to extend their time in this wonderful spot.
Mrs Pom in Oz 