With its elevated view out over the jetty to the glowing ocean, The Wharf Restaurant in Merimbula, NSW is the apparent selection for seafood lovers. However does its adjoining aquarium create a battle of curiosity?
How would you are feeling about consuming seafood in a restaurant that’s additionally an aquarium? Is it the proper storm of self-promotion? Or may it’s a case of—fairly actually—consuming into your earnings?
As we sit at our window-side desk within the Wharf Restaurant, which seems to be out over the gorgeous bay of Merimbula in far south NSW, Christina and I ponder the dilemma.
Take a look at our video of The Wharf Restaurant and Merimbula Aquarium right here:
Is it proper to marvel on the unimaginable entities dwelling beneath our waves whereas their brethren are getting dressed for dinner only one flooring up?
House owners of each the Wharf Restaurant and Merimbula Aquarium since 2001, Sally and Anthony Daly are conscious about the dual-purpose potential.
Actually, Anthony jokes with us that with the market value for among the fish within the tanks downstairs, dipping into the shows is a tempting prospect.
However he assures us not one of the sea life from the aquarium ever finally ends up on restaurant plates. The effective line between seafood and sea life has all the time been a blurry one, however right here at the least it’s by no means erased.
As an alternative, the beautiful but approachable meals the kitchen serves and the fascinating shows within the 28 tanks belowdecks praise one another.
And the marine biologists who provide excursions right here through the week add additional context to this ‘dine-and-discover’ duplex.
Lunch at The Wharf Restaurant
The energetic, relaxed lunchtime vibe places us at our ease as we anticipate the kitchen to work their magic.
The menu is break up between a two- or three-course lunch possibility, or a monster of a seafood basket for $160pp.
Our finances (and pants) gained’t stretch to the seafood basket, so we go for 2 programs from the a la carte—though the supply of oysters from Broadwater at the moment has been delayed, which stops us wolfing down a dozen of the freshest Sydney rock.
As an alternative, we go for some garlic bread, which it’s a must to get while you come right here.
Ciabatta halved and evenly toasted then loaded with a lot garlic butter and parsley—we may eat a pile of this and die completely satisfied.
Fortunately, we don’t die simply but although; our entrees of squid risotto and crab bisque are on their means.
Christina’s risotto is cooked completely and has a delicate tinge of citrus from the preserved lemon. It compliments the recent tender squid, reduce into strips, and the glass of Jim Barry Riesling (for under $10!) cleans up the palate.
My bisque, which comes with half a giant blue swimmer crab, is salty and creamy, and is balanced by the chunks of sentimental tomato and chopped spring onion. Including the hard-won juicy candy meat from the crab to the bisque creates additional texture and flavour, and the char-grilled sourdough I exploit to mop up on the finish makes this one more dish to die for.
And I’m glad I selected the bisque. In any other case, Christina’s chowder primary would have triggered severe meals envy for me.
Her big bowl of unctuous, wealthy seafood and corn soup is filled with scallops, prawns, clams, fish and—after all—one other big half of blue swimmer crab, which appears to be jauntily bathing of the chowder.
My fish and chips—a superbly grilled pink kingfish fillet—is strictly what I really feel like although. It’s last-meal degree.
The fish is juicy inside however barely crispy on the sides, whereas the chips are excellent: crunchy on the skin however gentle and virtually gooey within the center.
My faucet beer from Exhausting Street Brewery in Bayswater. east of Melbourne, is a Belgian Pale Ale and is totally set for my fish and chips.
Actually, I’d go to the gallows completely satisfied.
Fish are mates and meals!
We ease ourselves out of our chairs and make our technique to the steps all the way down to the aquarium.
As Anthony assured us earlier, it’s about as removed from some type of grisly stockroom or these unhappy fishtanks you generally see in Chinese language eating places as you may get. The fish are wholesome and apparently fairly completely satisfied—although it’s arduous to inform actually, isn’t it.
Shows are principally of native marine species that you just’d discover diving off the coast of Merimbula within the 28 tanks and the spectacular 70,000-litre oceanarium. However there are some nationwide ring-in superstars just like the ever-popular clownfish aka Nemo.
There are additionally issues like a shell exhibit that reveals the lifespan of a selected mollusc and the way completely different circumstances and environments create a tremendous vary of designs of the identical species’ shell.
Merimbula Aquarium is open 5 days per week, Wednesday to Sunday—10am-4pm, but it surely’s higher to come back right here when native marine biologists and oceanographers are right here to speak concerning the displays Wednesday to Friday.
However even on the weekend, it’s an attention-grabbing factor to see.
I believed I’d really feel extra conflicted about having lunch above an aquarium, then having fun with the sight of the identical fish that had been on my plate moments in the past swimming round.
Nevertheless it wasn’t the case.
As an alternative it was a masterclass of appreciation.
