Review of Grazing in Gundaroo, NSW, the epitome of the great local food scene

It's always been close to the top of the list when you're looking for places to mark a special occasion - a significant birthday, an anniversary, perhaps even the wedding itself in that large room with the raked ceilings out back.

Sure part of that has to do with the idea of driving out to Gundaroo, but more so it's the combination of exceptionally fine food in such a homely setting.

I love the small rooms, the fireplaces, the stone and timber, the purple wisteria falling off the beams out the front, paintings of farm animals on the walls inside.

What stories could this 150-year-old hotel tell if she had the chance to spill her secrets?

So what better place to celebrate the end of lockdown? You're travelling interstate for a start. Two thrills for the price of one. Into NSW, how exciting.

There was a sense of adventure as we crossed the border, I hadn't even crossed the lake for a couple of months, the sense of adventure added to the anticipation.

On arrival we had to show our vaccination certificates, given we were in NSW, mandatory masks until seated, keep an eye out for ever-changing requirements, but, people, just be grateful we can dine out again, be glad we can support the hospitality industry again.

If you're the kind to complain about a few housekeeping rules then perhaps you're the kind who should just keep cooking your own dinner and be done with it.

But we were keen to let executive chef Kurt Neumann and his team do the hard work; the new spring menu reflecting the kind of fresh start we are all craving.

There are a few ordering options, from a four-course tasting menu ($82pp, add $35 for matching wines), or two courses ($57pp) or three courses ($72pp). But order what you will and they'll find a way to make it work.

I start with half-a-dozen oysters ($30). I've decided oysters represent freedom this summer. A taste of the ocean we've been kept from for too long.

Even though we're well inland at Gundaroo, these meaty bites suggest that soon the coast will be within reach.

These ones are from Bermagui, swimming (not literally) in a brown butter and miso dressing, that's caramelly and rich, offset by the salty taste of the sea.

The hand-rolled potato tortellini is a dish that's been on the menu for a while. It's well loved and rightly so, served with an almond ricotta, muscatel and brown butter sauce, with generous lashings of fresh parsley. It's pasta done differently, with a potato dough, but there's an innate sense of the familiar. It's delicious.

The charred kingfish is served on a vibrant green bed of salsa verde, braised green beans, cannellini and fennel. A neat portion, the fish is well cooked, soft and flaky, with a crunch to the skin so expertly done. The beans add a good texture, still with a little bite. It's fish done with the restraint that good fish deserves.

I'm dining with a cattle farmer today so it's only right that I order the Black Angus beef flank, served with a herb butter and some chunky garlic salt fat chips. When Neumann, my farming friend, comes out at the end of the meal he start conversing about cows, the price of beef, life on the land and all that.

I'm just glad my steak was tasty and the chips crunchy and soft at the same time. Flank isn't an easy cut to prepare, but it was in good hands here. Tender, a good caramelisation to the edges, the star on the plate.

Dessert is always a treat here. There's been a tarte tatin on the menu in varying forms for a while. This visit it's a candied blood orange tarte, with white chocolate ice-cream, walnut and citrus caramel. The pastry is spot on, crunchy, golden, buttery; the richness of the white chocolate calms the tart of the citrus. It's a perfect size.

After my steak I want something light and fluffy, so the coconut mousse with baked strawberries takes my fancy. Hidden away under a canopy of white meringue tuiles dusted with freeze-dried Rosella flowers, the mousse is light but there's a depth of flavour to it. Coconut is another of those flavours that evokes memories of places further afield and each spoonful is savoured.

But sometimes you're reminded that further afield is not necessarily better. The wine list here is ultra local. You pass the sign for a few of them on the drive out, Tallagandra Hills, the Gundog Estate cellar door is literally next door. I'm still surprised by the quality of local wines and I love it when they appear on menus.

In many ways Grazing epitomises all that is good about the local food and wine scene here. A menu, and wine list, that reflects local produce and the seasons, and circumstances, that affect change. It was recently listed in the Gourmet Traveller magazine top 80 restaurants in Australia, one of only three regional NSW restaurants to make the cut. It's a place that makes us feel grateful we can dine out again, a place that's a little bit special, but one that kind of makes us feel at home as well. What's not to celebrate.

Address: The Royal Hotel, corner Cork and Harp Streets, Gundaroo, NSW

Phone: 62368777

Website: grazing.com.au.

Hours: Lunch, Thursday to Sunday; Dinner Thursday to Saturday

Owner: Kurt and Tanya Neumann

Chef: Kurt Neumann

Vegetarian: Choices in each course

Noise: No problem

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