Dive into a flourishing NSW foodie scene right off the coastline with the best Forster restaurants.

While the NSW North Coast town of Forster isn’t massive – it’s home to less than 15,000 people – its hospitality scene is unexpectedly immense. Yes, every good beach town has a Pantone-perfected cafe or two, and a minor-signage eatery, but what knocked my socks off during a recent visit was how diverse and genuinely enjoyable every meal out proved. Grounded with polite and patient staff, unpretentious crowds and menus seizing local ingredients (hello, Sydney Rock oysters), Forster restaurants thrill throughout central Wharf St and its surrounding pockets.

The shortlist

Most Instagrammable: The Sicilian
Fine dining gem: Mezza Eatery
Best views: Thirty Three Degrees
Best for seafood: Waterline Boathouse

1. Mezza Eatery

Full disclosure: it was Valentine’s Day when I dined at Mezza Eatery , so love was in the air by default. But sitting in this Forster restaurant’s enclosed outdoor terrace, decked out with red leather banquette seating and faux bougainvillaea hanging from the ceiling, I’m immediately swept into special occasion territory. My waiter was exceptional, gracefully tweaking the menu’s large-group Amir Banquet (with pita bread, hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush and shish meats) to suit a table for two, while the food was appropriately packed with garlic, abundantly plated and layered with flavour. Furthermore, the team pinpointed a lovely Argentinian Malbec that paired beautifully with everything, including an obligatory walnut baklava with ice cream. If you’re driving, there’s street parking around the corner, plus ramps that lead to either side of the restaurant for guests with access needs.

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Buzzing

Location: 1 Wallis St, Forster

2. The Sicilian

From the team behind Mezza Eatery, The Sicilian ’s fit-out shook me from the moment I climbed its stairs to the first floor (there’s a lift for guests with access needs). An eclectic sensory overload, dressed top-to-toe with dried floral arrangements, gold-framed Renaissance-esque paintings, mismatched garden party tables and even a hanging ornate rug (above the staircase on your way out), it’s one of the most fantastical hospitality fit-outs I’ve ever seen. The food is driven with like-minded flair, as pizza and pastas – the Ragu with beef cheek and fresh chilli was sensational – are nailed alongside local oysters (a must when in Forster, which excels at producing Sydney Rock), a chicken schnitzel with creamy mushroom sauce and plenty of sides.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Living room-esque but romantic

Location: 32 Wharf St, Forster (enter from Memorial Drive at the rear)

3. Thirty Three Degrees

In Forster for the oysters? Let’s go. Thirty Three Degrees is the place to slurp up local crustaceans in the most elevated of settings – quite literally as the Forster restaurant’s open-air deck sits right above Wallis Lake. I loved the extensive oyster menu, which invites you to choose natural or flavoured Sydney Rocks with a choice of toppings including Japanese Fish Roe, Aged Chardonnay Mignonette, Kilpatrick and Truffle Salsa. Additionally, everything I ate was bursting with freshness thanks to produce being plucked from the team’s very own local oyster farms. If you’re here for everything but the oysters, I can confirm that the seared tuna with a sesame crust is delicious, as are the fish cocktails (that arrive with chips for $12 per plate) I stole from my kids.

Cuisine: Modern Australian, focused on seafood

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Breezy

Location: 1 Palm St, Tuncurry

4. Spice Monkey

If you’re hankering for top-quality Asian (Forster restaurants seriously scale the globe), Spice Monkey is your best bet. I visited for Happy Hour, staged from 3:30pm to 5pm, Monday to Sunday, and loved it as a waterfront cocktail spot with bar snacks like traditional Japanese Takoyaki (deep-fried octopus balls) and umami fries. But as the afternoon darkened and my $12 Aperol Spritz disappeared, the Forster restaurant was revving up for dinner and the atmosphere built accordingly. Menu standouts include the crab and king prawn noodles with fish skin crumbs, while the family-friendly spot also caters for kids via a $16 bento box with your choice of teriyaki chicken, tempura fish or panko-crumbed calamari. There’s parking on Wharf St and limited parking around the corner on Memorial Drive, but I wouldn’t advisedriving to a party like this.

Cuisine: Asian fusion

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Fun and loud

Location: Shop 4, Reef Apartments, Wharf St, Forster

5. Si Señorita

Travelling around the globe to the Americas, Si Señorita is one of multiple Mexican spots in town, and my favourite for offering beautiful lake views. It’s far breezier than your regular cantina as the team open bifold windows to let in those serene views, but the food is authentic and lashed with spice. I went for the ‘Feast Like Frida’ set menu for $58 (make sure you give the team notice as they require 48 hours to prepare) which rolled out corn with smoky paprika, paprika squid, chicken quesadillas, chilli garlic prawns and two mains spanning barramundi with chipotle butter, salmon with mezcal honey butter and more. Churros are thrown in for good measure, but if you’re going a la carte, opt in because the salted caramel sauce is heavenly.

Cuisine: Mexican

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Upbeat

Location: Shop 1, Reef Apartments, Wharf St, Forster

6. Anatolia Turkish Cuisine

Turkish donut balls for $10 a box? Anatolia Turkish Cuisine reeled me in during my first day in town. The Forster restaurant, located next to the car park on Head Street, which is a main traffic thoroughfare, nails authentic cuisine in a deceivingly casual setting. The facade features festoon lighting, leafy pot plants and four-seater tables but the vibe is almost takeaway, making for delicious grab-and-go options. Don’tmiss the rear of the restaurant where Bazaar, the restaurant’s shop filled with shishas and other homewares, lies. I defy you to walk out without a few speciality baklavas, like Dubai chocolate and biscotti, or Turkish delights in every colour of the rainbow.

Cuisine: Turkish

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Casual

Location: 25 Wharf St, Forster

7. Waterline Boathouse

After hiring one of the team’s boats for a skim across Wallis Lake, one of the best things to do in Forster, I settled into Waterline Boathouse for a taste of what lies beneath. I loved the easy-going vibe of this place despite such magical views over the lake, and I adored the baked seafood boil for $56 that included blue swimmer crab, mussels, king prawns, chorizo and chips. A fuss-free spot to savour some of the east coast’s freshest seafood as sunshine illuminates calm waters just beyond, the Forster restaurant is within walking distance to the middle of town but there’s a car park if you can’t be bothered. Also, call ahead to book a table as I lucked out getting a spot the day I visited – guests alongside me were entering thick and fast.

Cuisine: Seafood

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Buoyant and friendly

Location: 15 Little St, Forster

8. Pezzella’s Pizzeria and Bar

Snag the town’s tastiest slice at Pezzella’s Pizzeria and Bar where pizza, pasta and other homemade superstars are ravished with authentic flavours and fresh ingredients. The doughy, beautifully blistered woodfire pizzas are tempting but whatever you do, don’t miss the meatballs drowning in red sauce (there are three big whoppers per order) and dressed in herbs. They’re tender, flavour-crammed and, evidently, memorable. As for the crowd? I was flanked by both families and couples, so everyone’s invited to carb-load inside a beautifully moody fit-out.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Fun-loving

Location: Shop 6, 24-30 Memorial Dr, Forster

9. Beach St. Seafoods

There are several takeaway fish and chips shops in Forster, but I favoured Beach St. Seafoods for its genuine fish market feel and unique takes on classics. There was a Mango Chilli Prawn deal for $26 when I visited, which included five prawn cutlets, a salad and mango-chilli sauce, and it hit the spot as my kids smashed deep-fried Mars bars without coming up for air. They also sell fresh and Kilpatrick Sydney Rock oysters from $18 per half dozen. It’s a few doors down from Cafe Toscano – one of the best Forster cafes – so you’re at the foot of central Wharf Street and there are a couple of tables out front if you’re too famished to take away.

Cuisine: Seafood

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Takeaway

Location: Corner Beach St and Head Ln, Forster

10. Dorsal by the Sea

It’s a Forster accommodation highlight but Dorsal by the Sea ’s restaurant is also a great spot for quality grilled meats, including ribs. It’s right on Main Beach so slipping in for breakfast before hitting the surf is often the done thing, but the Forster restaurant’s dinner menu is equally delightful. Stuck on those aforementioned ribs? Choose from beef, pork or lamb, or go a half rack of each for $82. There’s also classic pastas, plenty of seafood options and a Chicken Surf with bearnaise sauce and chips.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Salty-aired and relaxed

Location: 1 West St, Forster