The BOX on the Water

I love coming here for an early dinner and watching the sunset. The food and wine are excellent. The specials are always worth ordering. The atmosphere is lively and it’s great to be able to sit outside and bring your dog along. I eat here every time I come up to Ettalong Beach.

Great little spot on the water. Friendly staff, happy to have a chat to make you feel welcome. We had the hot seafood platter for two. All well cooked and tasty, and a generous serving size. Be sure to book at peak times as it gets busy. Enjoy!

Went to lunch at the restaurant today and decided to splurge on the Grazing Feast at $94 per person. I’ll be as honest as possible without getting too personal. We walked in without a reservation and mentioned that we’d seen the place on TikTok and wanted to check it out. We were given a table with an amazing view, so no complaints at all about the hospitality. Score: 5/5. The view and overall vibrancy of the place are fantastic. It does get a little noisy when the restaurant is full, but not to the point where you can’t hold a conversation. Score: 5/5. Now, onto the food. There are four courses in total, with eight dishes designed to be shared, served two at a time. I’ll rate each dish individually. The first dish was the White Fish Carpaccio. There were two pieces of fish on the plate. One was quite rubbery and chewy, while the other was soft and tender. The dressing itself was very good and helped lift the dish. Score: 3/5. Next was the Summer Melon Salad. This was refreshing, light, and had a lovely hint of sweetness. The combination of melon and stracciatella worked really well together. Perfect for a hot summer day. Score: 5/5. The second course included the Skagen Doughnut and Seared Scallops. Unfortunately, the Skagen Doughnut was the weakest dish of the entire feast. The doughnut tasted like stale bread and was very dry. The filling was extremely salty, and the bland doughnut didn’t balance it out at all. Score: 1/5. The Seared Scallops, on the other hand, were the highlight of the whole meal. Cooked perfectly, soft and tender, with foam and chorizo crumbs that complemented the natural sweetness of the scallops without overpowering them. Score: 5/5. The third course was the Open Seafood Lasagna. This dish was quite messy, especially considering it’s meant to be shared. You would expect four prawns, but we only received three. The prawns were slightly overcooked. Personally, I would have cooked them a little less so they stayed juicier with more bite. The fish was scattered across the dish in small pieces with only a few larger chunks. For me, the overall flavour leaned too fishy and became a bit overwhelming. Score: 2/5. The Radicchio Salad was exactly that, just a salad. Nothing particularly memorable or inventive, but fine. Score: 3/5. The final course consisted of a Cheese Platter and an Eton Mess. The cheese platter was fairly standard. The cheeses were well chosen and made for an acceptable final savoury touch. 3/5 The Eton Mess truly lived up to its name. Very messy and extremely sweet. I personally struggle with overly sweet desserts, and this one was far too much for me to finish. If you have a sweet tooth, this might be perfect for you. For me, it could have been lighter and more refreshing on the palate. Score: 2/5 Overall, is it worth $200 for two people? For the food alone, no. But if you’re there for the view and are happy to pay $200 for great service and a beautiful setting, then this place might still be worth it for you.

What a beautiful location for a restaurant. The weather today was perfect. We had an amazing meal. The waitress was so friendly and efficient. My friends shared their meals but nothing was too much trouble. We could also split the bill at the end. Great last meal for our girlfriend weekend get together.

This tiny little nook has a delicious menu suiting to all tastes and desires!! It’s a very small crew working really hard in a tiny kitchen! But the wait is very much worth it. Enjoy the coffe and juices are lovely, and the hamburger is absolutely sensational!