Eat, drink, shop
THE PRESS SHOP Shop 5, 391-397 Bong Bong Street, Bowral thepressshop.com.au
Of course, there’s avocado smash and eggs any way but it pays to go beyond the obvious at this light and bright café. Treat yourself to seasonal fare such as dairy-free waffles with coconut sorbet and peach or order the breakfast salad, which eschews the virtuous bowl in favour of a generous helping of zucchini, hummus and pangrattato. Don’t forget to pick up beautifully designed and embossed stationery from the attached Bespoke Letterpress store.
For lunch
BIRCH
Shop 2, 249 Argyle Street, Moss Vale birchrestaurant.com.au
Expect inventive plating at Birch, a sleek new addition to the region’s eateries, where the beetroot comes eight ways (as carpaccio, sorbet and crisps, to name a few) and traditionally meaty mains share glory with locally produced vegies. The two- or three-course lunches are excellent value.
For dinner BIOTA DINING 18 Kangaloon Road, Bowral biotadining.com
Eight years after it opened, this two-hatted restaurant remains the Southern Highlands’ biggest gourmet drawcard. Nab a spot by the fire and order something casual yet gourmet – octopus in XO sauce, say, or potato scallops with taramasalata. Or go the whole way in the dining room proper with genius chef James Viles’s seven-course tasting menu with matched local wines.
For taking home MRS OLDBUCKS PANTRY Shop 4, 15-17 Old Hume Highway, Berrima mrsoldbucks.com.au
You’ll discover practically any flavour of jam you can think of at Mrs Oldbucks – standalone berries as well as delicious combinations such as peach and date or rhubarb and ginger. There’s also a large range of other goodies, including salad dressings, loose-leaf tea and pasta sauces from smallbatch producers.