COASTING now Rick Stein

Global cooking sensation, seafood specialist and intrepid traveller finds the magic in Australia’s sometimes forgotten coastal towns.

Seafood superstar and internationally acclaimed chef and traveller Rick Stein is clearly no slouch when it comes to spotting opportunity. And possibilities abound in many of Australia’s picturesque seaside towns with outdated motels, hotels and clubs in prime positions waiting forlornly for sympathetic and nostalgic updates. Rick and wife Sarah began their foray into coastal improvement – in style and taste – over a decade ago with the opening of Bannisters at Mollymook which shook up the area’s dining options and put local seafood with a twist on the tips of the tongues of both locals and visitors. Fast forward to late 2018 and Rick Stein Bannisters opened on the beachfront of Soldiers Point at Port Stephens – a relaxed, contemporary and luxe update on the many previous incarnations of the Salamander Shores hotel – boasting architecture by Tony Freeman, interiors by Romy Alwill and landscaping by Will Dangar. Of course, the delicious seafood-laden menu is the brainchild of Rick Stein and head chef Mitchell Turner and includes delicacies featuring sand whiting, juicy king prawns and fabulous Sydney rock oysters from local suppliers. Fish and shellfish soup and Madras curry with Evans Head mulloway are standouts. Like the seafood, the staff are refreshingly local and welcoming adding to the sense of relaxed luxury suitable for all types of stayers – it is perfectly family-friendly with lots to do while maintaining a chilled ambience for couples and solos looking for quiet downtime with exceptional food and outlooks. As Bannisters general manager Peter Bacon puts it, “Bannisters by the Sea and its sister property Bannisters Pavilion, both in Mollymook, have become favourite destinations for Sydneysiders, Canberrans and international visitors, many of whom are drawn to the barefoot luxury on offer and Rick Stein’s cuisine, so expanding to the Port Stephens area was a natural progression.” bannisters.com.au