Now Open: Paddock-to-Plate Dining Arrives on the Shores of Balmoral Beach

Pasture of Balmoral could easily be mistaken for just another beachside cafe. The two-level venue evokes the same sense of effortless, relaxed beach living as many other places you can find across Sydney, but with Justin Naudi in the kitchen it’s something a little more special.

Naudi comes from Melbourne’s fine diner Vue de Monde, among others, and his version of poached eggs on wholegrain toast looks far fancier than it sounds.

It’s elegantly plated, with the two organic eggs scattered with discs of magenta-coloured beetroot and sprinkled with fresh green herbs. It’s beautiful. The truffled eggs, with ribbons of prosciutto and shavings of pecorino cheese, are equally as Instagram friendly.

“The menus have been designed to reflect the time, place, audience, accessibility, and a particular brief of modern Australian dining,” Naudi says.

Like many places these days he’s trying to use as much native flora and fauna as possible, and there’s lots of lemon myrtle and eucalyptus across the menu. Naudi sources his produce from Fino Foods, Australia on a Plate, Mount Zero Olives and Forager Foods, and uses Olsson’s Salt. Coffee is by Will & Co.

The good-looking space equally reflects the modern Australian dining brief. There’s whitewashed timber panelling, high ceilings, touches of green, and upstairs there’s large windows that look out onto the trees that line the beach across the road. If you’re lucky, you could score one of the tables on the street and, under blue umbrellas, eat a lunch of spaghetti vongole (clams) dressed in smoked butter, chilli, garlic, parsley, pangrattato (breadcrumbs) and lemon, or perhaps the soft-shell crab roll with lemon tartare, garden leaves and a side of salty fries.

Come evenings, the menu is more refined, with Naudi showing off his creative fine-dining skills. There are dishes such as confit pork belly with apple puree and a herb salad, alongside things such as pan-roasted snapper with roast fennel and black olives.

Pasture of Balmoral
51 The Esplanade, Mosman
(02) 9960 1334

Hours:
Sun to Wed 6.30am–4pm
Thu to Sat 6.30am–4pm, 6pm–10pm

pastureofbalmoral.com.au