Jonah’s has been a part of the Pittwater community for almost a century, soothing souls with its stunning scenery and gourmet food. The Winter Getaway package is a great way to sample it all.
With all the noise and chaos of the development push going on in Sydney today, it can be hard to find a place to still your mind in our busy city.
Yet there is a place where that serenity exists. It starts with the drive up to Whale Beach, and as I take the turn onto Barrenjoey Road and head towards the Pittwater, vegetation becomes denser and homes sparser. I start to get the sense of escape from the jackhammers, cranes and concrete mess. I wind up the bends of Bynya Road high above Whale Beach to my right, with the Pittwater on my left. There is a stillness, and not a soul in sight, just a few kookaburras looking for their dinner. As I arrive at Jonah’s Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I have found a place to cocoon myself for a while in a safe and welcoming space.
Many have taken this journey to tranquillity before me, for Jonah’s is nearly 100 years old. Set up in 1929 as a roadhouse, it was a place for those who had a car to take a day trip and enjoy the stunning uninterrupted view. For there lies nothing between the glass doors of your hotel room and the South Pacific Ocean. The bliss of nothingness but beauty.
Since those early days, Jonah’s has transformed into a fine dining destination and engagement proposal mecca. On the day I arrive, there had been three proposals, and even the family can get involved. They wait behind the bushes with the photographer, watching as the oblivious fiancée walks towards a beautiful floral arch set up for the most romantic day of her life.
General manager Niels Sluiman sums up the attraction of Jonah’s in the modern day. “When you are here, you switch off and just enjoy the view and relax. Jonah’s is the perfect balance between high class food, an exceptional wine list, experienced staff and elegant hotel rooms.”
Niels, originally from The Netherlands, brings a European flair to the hotel. Originally a sommelier who has worked with master chefs in the UK at Michelin-starred restaurants, Niels says that the key to Jonah’s attraction is the high standards: “The staff are friendly and give an extra little kind of ‘human vibe’ behind the professional attitude.”
The hotel only has 12 rooms, each facing the ocean, which allows it to be quite exclusive – and extremely private. Niels gives us a tour of our room and as we enter we are swept away by the ocean view. Each room has been upgraded with every bit of modern technology available. You can stay in bed and use the clever side panel to control curtains, lights, air conditioning – everything!
In the winter months, you will most likely want to spend some time basking in the sun on the balcony, lying back on the relaxing sunlounges. And what a place to spot whales! During their migration season, which starts in May, the humpbacks are only a few metres off shore, surfacing dozens of times a day. And in a lovely touch, binoculars are provided in every room for guests to observe up close these graceful giants of the sea.
If you have never visited the area before, Whale Beach is a quick 10 minute stroll down the hill, and it gives you the opportunity to truly appreciate how the suburb still retains a memory of yesteryear. It is not built up due to planning laws which restrict development on the cliffs, and you won’t find a busy shopping district – just a café above the surf life saving club. Homes boast the most gorgeous tropical gardens, and some houses are architectural wonders in themselves, blended carefully into nature. In short, Whale Beach is still relatively untouched by Sydney’s development craze.
A walk is good as it builds the appetite for the three course à la carte meal to come, after a relaxing soak in the hotel room’s jacuzzi spa bath. The retractable doors in the bathroom mean you can lie back and see the ocean while you completely switch off. Luxurious Molton Brown products feel beautiful on the skin, and while I would not mind a little nap in the supremely comfortable AH Beard bed, I am looking forward to sampling Jonah’s restaurant – which has received many awards over the last decade, for food and wine.
The restaurant has floor to ceiling windows, and I find I keep staring out over the ocean, watching as the lights come on in the homes on the opposite cliffs. There is truly no other restaurant view like it in Sydney.
The menu has an Italian twist, an homage to the days when the venue was called Jonah’s Al Mare and was run by an Italian family in the 1970s. All the pasta is made in house, with squid ink linguine cooked with crab, cherry tomatoes and pistachio topping an ‘iconic’ Jonah’s dish, Niels says. “You see all the chefs working every day making the pasta, so you understand the labour behind it. Everything is handmade, which brings extra taste, but also extra depth into the flavours.”
Niels says the restaurant is renowned for its seafood, and is sourced by Martin’s Seafood, ‘one of the best suppliers’ in NSW. This enables Jonah’s to serve delights such as king prawns prepared with miso and orange butter, pickled fennel and wasabi mayo, or ocean trout fillet topped with a confit of cherry tomato, cocktail onions and sauce vierge.
Meat lovers will also be delighted. I am still raving about the S.Kidman rib eye served with truffled mash, mushroom and beef jus. It was honestly the best steak I have ever tasted – and I do a lot of dining reviews! The smooth texture, intense flavour and gentle way it is cooked just lets the steak do the talking. “S.Kidman Farm has been voted one of the best farms in Australia,” Niels explains. “The rib eye is a beautiful piece of meat.” There is also the roasted Margra lamb served with a pea puree and marinated buffalo feta. “The aim is to definitely showcase top Australian products that you can get on the market and then cook to perfection.”
As for the wine list, I was astounded to find Jonah’s has close to 10,000 bottles in the cellar. “It’s one of the best wine lists in the country,” Niels enthuses. “We showcase Australian wines first, then have all the classic European – French, Italian, Spanish.” I cannot go past the delicate Bollinger champagne, and while the French label is a household name all over the world, Niels says it is still a family-run business, with close ties to Jonah’s. So close, in fact, the companies will celebrate their upcoming special birthdays together. Bollinger’s bicentenary is in 2029, the same year as Jonah’s big 100, so they are working on a joint commemoration. Watch this space!
One of the most special parts of our stay was watching the sun rising slowly over the horizon, while still in bed. There is something very special about mornings at the beach, and it was delightful to watch the lap swimmers in the rockpool and early morning surfers catching a wave. Such a tranquil way to start the day.
Our Winter Getaway Package includes a full breakfast, which is incredibly generous, packed with fresh fruit, home made granola and warm croissants – as well as a cooked dish. As always, the staff are courteous, attentive and well-informed. “The service is something that brings the next level,” Niels says with pride. “I have worked in many famous places in the world. You can be the best chef ever. You can have the best hotel ever. If the service is not there, something is missing. We are really strong in personal service, with most staff being here for six years or more, which is rare in hospitality.”
The friendly reception team will go to all lengths to accommodate you, whether it’s letting you in on a secret place to propose, or if you want to go all out, organising a sea plane arrival from Rose Bay, and collection from the wharf.
So have a real break from the traffic light of life, and enjoy a spectacular part of the world where you can spoil all your senses.
Michelle Giglio’s Winter Getaway was hosted by Jonah’s.
WINTER GETAWAY
SUNDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS ONLY
$950 TWIN SHARE
Includes two glasses of Bollinger on arrival, a three course à la carte dinner in the restaurant, accommodation in an Ocean Retreat room, full breakfast and gift on departure
