30 Clarence St. Yamba, NSW
Yamba has earned a great reputation for its fresh seafood. The quiet coastal town is teaming with fish & chip shops, seafood restaurants and more. And Sandbar is among them.
Situated only a short walk from the beach, Sandbar is the spot to go for a memorable dining experience. Specializing in fresh, seasonal seafood, they offer a unique share plate menu, offering the perfect opportunity to sample a variety of the region’s best.
As soon as we settled in, a waitress came and took our drink order and explained how the menu worked. We later found out that she was the owner. She was lovely and very helpful. Between the eleven of us in my party, we ordered nine main share plates and five sides. The drinks came out quickly and the cocktails were presented beautifully. The meals also came out relatively fast and looked delicious.
I sampled the mussels; cooked in a tomato and white wine sauce, the chilli prawns, Yamba bugs; with a garlic butter sauce, cheese and garlic pull-apart, the chicken strips and the steak strips. Everything tasted sensational. The seafood was fresh and cooked to perfection, the chicken was very tasty and had a subtle kick to it and the beef was melt in the mouth and bursting with flavour. Everything was seasoned just to my liking and the share plate menu was an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. The only negative that one might have is that, if you’re used to eating large portions then it is a bit different.
For dessert, I ordered the smashed raspberry and pistachio pavlova. Again, the desserts came out fairly quickly. The presentation was excellent and the flavours superb. The tart berry sauce was perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the pavlova and whipped cream, and the pistachios gave the dish an extra crunch. I also had a taste of my sisters caramel gelato and I can say that it was perfect. It was smooth and creamy, but not too rich – for me, it was spot on.
Yamba’s seafood reputation is a big drawcard for many tourists, and there are many places to go for it, but in my opinion, if you really want to try the best that Yamba has to offer, your first stop should be Sandbar.
Four and a Half Stars
