Monday, September 30, 2013

The Boat House Balmoral Beach


The Boat House at Balmoral Beach is but a carbon copy of their original cafe at Palm Beach.  Absolutely fabulous, as long as you are OK with crowds.


I did pick the hottest day of the season so far and smack bang in the middle of the school holidays, so I kind of deserve what I got.  It did stop me in my tracks though, how busy this city has become in its inner reaches.  Even if you are OK at paying alot for parking (around $20), you could spend up to half an hour looking for a spot close by.


Happily, I am partial to a bit of walking, so I ended up parking halfway back up to Mosman and walking down the hill.  A bit of a pain in heals, but I took them off and all was fine.  

Wiith all the cute public stairways leading back to the beach, it is quite and enjoyable walk through some of Sydney's most expensive real estate on a beautiful day. 


I love the school holidays because I get to catch up with old teaching buddies.  The girlfriend I met is alot of fun and like me, pretty low maintenance and into trying new places.   So we were up for the challenge of hustling for a table and standing in the food cue for 20 minutes to order a meal.


But once you have settled in it becomes well worth it.

I absolutely love the Boat House decor and all the stunning flowers they have for sale.






The cafe still operates as a boat hire business


complete with life jackets and paddles at the ready.


There are both indoor and outdoor seating options


Replete with gorgeous young things supporting some lovely beach ware.  Apparently bikinis are more than welcome on deck.


There were famous Olympic swimmers pawing over fabric swatches and deciding on their latest swimming range as well, so get set for a little bit of celebrity spotting.


Long communal seating is signature at  The Boat House, so be prepared to share.


I loved this idea of attaching some rope to the bottom of a stool to create a nautical foot rest.



I also love the way they store many of their kitchen supplies around the cafe.



And then there is the superb food.  It really is fantastic.  Of course as usual I was so into the whole affair, that I forget to photograph it.  Lets just call it living in the moment shall we?  I had the Grilled Fish on Quinoa and it was so light, fresh and delicious.

It was all washed down with some sparkling rose.  The great thing is that once you have ordered your food, the wait staff will take further drink, dessert and coffee orders from the table.  Such a relief, because the queue was still massive at 2.45pm





 I did manage to shoot the chocolate brownie I split with my girlfriend over coffee.  I have to say it was the nicest cup of coffee I have had  in a long time. 



That's the thing about The Boat House Balmoral Beach, their attention to detail is spot on.  The quality of the food is superior and it is altogether a lovely experience.  You just have to be prepared to queue.  The sign of a good establishment I guess.


2 THE ESPLANADE, BALMORAL BEACH
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OPEN DAILY 7.30AM - 4PM  /  BREAKFAST 7.30AM - 12 NOON  /  LUNCH 12 NOON - 3PM
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They DO NOT TAKE BOOKINGS OR RESERVATIONS 



For more of my recommendations on where to eat, play and shop on Sydney's Northern Beaches have a look here.

Have a great week Beach Dwellers.

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Today I am linked up here
Metamorphosis Monday
Wow Us Wednesday
Feathered Nest Friday
With Some Grace

16 comments :

  1. What an awesome looking place, you don't mind waiting if you know the food is going to be fantastic :)

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  2. Oh man you're killing me girl, love the scene the water, all of it. Reminds me of great beach places in San Diego, Ca we used to go to, too many years ago. We left San Diego in 1992 to move to Mt on a big lake, we had 20 acres.
    What an awesome incredible place. I got to go to State park lake 7 miles from our house twice this past summer to float. I wanted to try to get one more trip on but time flew by and now it's Fall and water too darned cold for my old butt to get in it. Will look forward to next summer. I could float out there for hours, so relaxing, my idea of heaven. Looks like a great place where you were and so gorgeous. I could live there. Happy week

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  3. Looks beautiful Carolyn. I would've nearly thought it looked like the 'beach house' in many ways. They must've copied your styling. xx

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  4. Now if that's not a great ad for living in Sydney then I don't know what is! Your photos are amazing, place looks wonderful.

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  5. The displays the colour the vibe, amazing. What a treat to visit here. Your photos are just beautiful xxx Rae

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  6. Love the boat and all the pics. What type of camera were you using here? The shots are vibrant!

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  7. Love the boat and the photos. What camera type have you used? The photos are so vibrant! Gorgeous!

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  8. I love the Boat House but have definitely avoided it during the school holidays. You were certainly there on a beautiful day. I love all your images - you certainly captured the essence of the Boat House xx

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  9. These photos are stunning - the beach, the colours, the flowers, the fruit ... I feel like I've been to The Boathouse myself now! Beautiful.

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  10. Wow! These photos are absolutely gorgeous! I will have to check out The Boat House! Looks amazing!

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  11. Not a crowd person myself and the communal seating may throw me off, but it does look like it is worth a trip. I wonder if you go early and not in school holidays if you may avoid the crowd?

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  12. It it delightful I'm sure, but since moving up north, there are SO many great water front spots that people don't flock to every weekend, and while the opportunities might not exist there work wise, I'm so lucky I can write from home so it's a win-win for me! I have to say - these pics are great!

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  13. Great photos, Carolyn! Shame about the parking situation but I'm sure it's worth it.

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  14. It's divine, isn't it? Lovely photos, you've given a really great flavour of how the place is. It's family-friendly too as it's so close to the Baths and playground, although my kids would go mad waiting so long. We must have a meetup there one fine day.

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  15. I am desperate to try this place out as I LOVE the palm Beach one, but I honestly hate lining up for ages and waiting. I dont have a lot of patience ;) x

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