The Boathouse Balmoral

Overview

If you've ever wanted to know how a billionaire feels when they eat their breakfast, you should probably check out the Boathouse at Balmoral. Because, let's face it, it's a hell of lot easier than making a billion dollars.

Renovated in early 2014 by Pip and Andrew Goldsmith, the power team who brought us The Boathouse in Palm Beach and the Armchair Collective in Mona Vale, the Boatshed is a glorious improvement on the modest cafe it once was.

Unfortunately, they don't take reservations, so we'd would advise going at least 30 minutes before you think you'll be hungry to avoid any potential hanger while you queue. That said, there are worse places to queue seeing how you're surrounded by water views.

For breakfast, we recommend the green eggs and ham ($23), which offers perfectly poached eggs, grilled leg ham and tomatoes with a generous dollop of house-made pesto on toasted sourdough. And for lunch, it's hard to look past the seafood when you're sitting outside in the sunshine on a deck suspended over the ocean. Try the beer battered flathead served atop a mountain of thick cut chips with a side of Boathouse tartare ($29).

Sure, the food is a little pricey, but at the Boathouse, you pay for the stunning view of Balmoral Beach, the giant wooden barrels of seasonal fruit that adorn the entrance, the crab traps suspended from the ceiling, the smoothies served in pint glasses with old fashioned paper straws and the sand you find between your toes long after you've left.