It’s Friday afternoon and I’m rushing through my to-do list with one eye on the time ticking in the corner of my laptop screen. It’s been a busy week and the weekend is almost setting in – excitement is an understatement!
My girlfriends and I are so keen for our much needed weekend break in Mollymook and after a 3.5 hour drive from Sydney, we arrive at our accommodation. It’s almost 8 at night and we’re starving, so we head to St Isidore, a restaurant in the Milton Hills that we’re just dying to try!
When I think of Mollymook, I think of Country Target, and my friends think of their childhood holidays on the beach in Ulladulla – none of us think about sophisticated drinks and dinner.
If anything we’re expecting a low key weekend, with decent seafood and some decent wine. It’s safe to say that we are pleasantly surprised as we skim through St Isodore’s menu full of beautiful seasonal dishes and a variety of wines, all I can think at this stage is “get in ma belly!”
We share the buffalo mozzarella, yellowfin tuna, free-range chicken, pear sorbet with blue cheese mousse and finish with a warm chocolate tart. And ‘cos the weekend has officially started, we also order a bottle of Pinot Gris from Bungendore, mmm.
The next morning, I wake up to a soft orange light coming through the sides of the curtains. It was dark when we arrived last night, so we’re not aware of the surroundings of our hotel. After opening the curtains, I see the ocean and contently watch the orange sun rise over the water. I quickly change out of my pajamas and go down to the beach, surrounded by the sound of the ocean and squeaking of the seagulls, I feel very far removed from my post-it covered desk – pure bliss!
After last night’s dinner, we’re so ready to tackle our first full day (and all the food!).We jump in the car and make our way to Pilgrims Vegetarian Café in Milton. We order some delicious breakfast burgers (omg drooool!) and a much needed cappuccino.
Despite being on the Princess Highway in the middle of Milton, Pilgrims’ has a beachy, chilled feel which also adds to the relaxed vibe of the weekend.
Since, it’s the first Saturday of the month, the local markets are being set up on the pavement throughout the town centre. We browse through local produce and products and have a shop in the local boutiques, perfect weekend so far!
After we drop off our new outfits at the hotel (my bank account didn’t approve #sorrynotsorry), we make our way to Cupitt Winery in Ulladulla. The winery is in the hills and has a stunning view of the meadow and Burrill Lake.
It’s after 12, so a glass of bubbles is in order. As we sip, we decide on two courses with matching wines. The presentation is amazing and after picking off each other’s plates, we nominate the Grimaud Duck Breast with Black Pudding and the Butter Squash Gnocchi as our favourites.
The Cupitt Pointer Pinot Noir – that comes with an sticker of the family dog who can be found walking around the winery (super cute!) – is a real treat. We try a couple of other wines in the tasting area, but we stock up on the Pinot Noir.
Super cute family dog at Cupitt Winery
It’s late in the afternoon when we arrive at the Ulladulla Oyster Bar. It looks rough on the outside, but don’t be fooled, this is a local gem, famous for its fresh oysters with UOB’s signature lime, coriander and tabasco dressing.
At night, visitors gather on the square outside and a DJ takes over on the weekends. The bar supports over nine local wineries and with a wide variety of oysters, it’s the perfect place to get the night going.
We make our way back to the hotel to freshen up before we head off to Rick Stein at Bannisters. Since we slightly overdosed on oysters at UOB, we start with the king crab ravioli and salmon and tuna tartare. There’s no going back at this point, so we decide to order a bottle of Pinot Gris from Orange to keep us company.
After the mains we feel the need to satisfy our sweet tooth and the hot chocolate fondant hits the spot. As we crawl into bed later that night, we are full, happy and too impressed to even think about overflowing inboxes or deadlines.
When we wake it’s raining, but the pleasing contrast of the grey skies against Milton’s green hills make up for the lack of sun. We stop off at Milkhaus in Woodstock for a light breakfast and coffee before driving back to Sydney.
While enjoying the scenery, we decide that we’re not 100% ready to go home yet, so we stop at Wollongong for lunch at Diggies – it was a perfect idea!
We find a spot in the window, overlooking the ocean and boulevard. The venue has a tropical feel, regardless of the drowsy weather, so I persuade myself to order a passionfruit mimosa, while our driver indulges in one of their amazing juices.
As we drive back to Sydney we come to the conclusion that Mollymook is the perfect place for a getaway with (the girl)friends.
There’s more to it than Country Target or childhood memories. Good food, good drinks and adventures are plenty. For 48 hours, we were very far removed from our to-do lists and pinging inboxes.
I know it will be hard to maintain this state of relaxation back in Sydney, but luckily I have four bottles of wine in my suitcase, so if I long for a weekend in Mollymook, she will just be a glass away 😉
Where’s your favourite place to eat and drink in Mollymook?
- Flights to Sydney
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