Discover fine steak and seafood in Church Point
There’s nothing like entering a warm, inviting space for dinner on a winter’s evening, perusing the wine list and settling in for a night of beautiful food.
The Marina Café, which is located on the shores of beautiful Pittwater in Church Point, offers water views during the day, and is equally lovely to visit by night. It’s part of The Quays Marina, with easy parking right out the front.
When we visit on a Friday evening, the café has a pleasant hum of conversation with many of the tables taken by couples and groups.
We’re greeted warmly by owner and chef, Jonathan Brailey, who hands us a menu which is full of modern cuisine dishes, many of which are gluten and dairy-free. Jonathan explains that the café’s food is made from scratch. “The only thing we buy is the bread. We just make everything here, all the cakes and ice-creams and pasta, it’s all made fresh,” Jonathan explains. “We’re a café that does proper restaurant food.”
Our meal starts with the individual Bass Strait scallop entree, which is chargrilled in the shell with crispy pork belly, green mango, fresh herbs and smoked eschalot chilli lime relish. It’s a flavoursome entrée which leads into the main – market fish of the day, swordfish fillet. There are four sides to choose from, so we select the steamed asian greens with butter and lemon, which is fresh and light, a perfect accompaniment.
Jonathan says the crispy duck salad is a crowd favourite, along with the caramelised upside-down pear, lime and coconut cake, which is altered to be seasonal and features quince on the night we try it. The cake melts in the mouth and is up there with the best. Jonathan explains that it’s been baked for four hours on a very low heat and we can see why he describes it as a ‘really special cake’.
Like the seafood, Jonathan says the steaks are delivered fresh from the markets on a daily basis, so you’re sure to be getting the best there is. The quality of the beef in the peanut curry of Black Angus tri tip is top-notch and tender, while the curry itself has been made from scratch with fresh ingredients. “We always have a really good steak on the menu,” Jonathan says, adding that as they offer market steaks, ‘the quality stays really high’.
The café is open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, 5pm to 8.30pm; and is open from 8am to 3pm from Monday to Sunday.
The Marina Café
1856 Pittwater Road, Church Point
Phone: 9997 3847
themarinacafe.com.au