Smack-bang on The Esplanade overlooking Torquay’s front beach, The Surf Hotel bar and restaurant is part of what was once the tired Surf City Motel. These days, the site is suave, design-forward and perfect for any occasion. And it’s run by acclaimed chef Jo Barrett, celebrated for her game-changing zero-waste ethos.
By extending and elevating the front deck for more room and better ocean views, the Surf Hotel has sundowners sorted. A racing-red awning marks the spot against the building’s original brickwork, where a sea of sandy toes in Birkenstocks descends at happy hour.
The menu reads like that of a fancy pub, but it goes above and beyond in produce and provenance. On it, you might find mortadella made in-house, wild boar dimmies doused in chilli oil, or a similarly wild venison schnitzel flooded with verdant, velvety parsley cream.
The dining room is seaside chic, with doors and windows flung open to let the salty breeze in. Settle in the lounge for a session in front of the restored, glossy-tiled fireplace, or perch at the American-walnut bar beneath two pendant lights that flow like fabric and glow like amber resin but are actually latex. This is daytrip-worthy dining or, with the hotel behind it, you can save yourself the drive home.
