Bobby’s

A leisurely meal made up of snacky plates is one of Sydney’s favourite ways to dine for a reason: we’ve got the weather to suit. Also, it’s just a bloody great time. Cronulla locals Adam and Kylie Micola thought Cronulla needed a new place to do just that, and so they opened this 115-seat diner at the southern end of the beach.

The sweeping northerly views are in the running for Bobbys’ best feature – but they’re neck and neck with the Med-inspired menu, which delivers those aforementioned plates as well as beachside classics across the dining room and adjoining kiosk.

In the dining room proper, you should definitely start with oysters, before moving onto grilled asparagus with whipped bottarga, or perhaps oxheart tomatoes doused in shallot vinaigrette. There could also be grilled octopus, and a sweet prawn roll carrying a dollop of Sriracha mayo.

Given this is beachside dining at its best, you’ll also find stuff you might not want to share after a dip, sand still clinging to your ankles. Think beer-battered fish’n’chips, and pastas such as mafaldine with zucchini flowers and stracciatella.

Cronulla has a tight-knit community with a familial feel, and the name Bobbys keeps the space true to the suburb. Bobby’s is named after Adam’s father, who needed some convincing when the Micola’s announced they’d be opening their Cronulla hotspot. Based on the local’s reaction to the place, it’s clear the rest of the community needed no convincing whatsoever.