Flotilla
Contemporary$$$
Polished, produce-driven cooking in an unlikely pocket of Newcastle.
Wickham’s industrial fringe is where you might go to get your tyres changed. It’s also the place for ironbark-smoked cod beignets and squid ink noodles suspended in a brothy mushroom XO sauce – both highlights at hyper-seasonal set-menu spot, Flotilla.
Like many of the warehouses around it, this one has concrete floors and painted brick walls – but here, the bones are softened by slouchy leather banquettes and light plywood panelling.
Some top-tier talent has passed through the narrow theatre kitchen over the years – the latest being head chef Josh Thurston, who recently moved over from Muse in the Hunter Valley. He’s now plating wagyu and sprout skewers blanketed in spoon-thick bearnaise, and honeyed Jerusalem artichoke ice-cream steeped with leftover skins.
The drinks keep the pace – whether it’s the triple-cherry topped Cereza Sour, or an Alsatian pinot blanc. And with attentive manager Eduardo Molina on the floor, everything runs exactly as it should.
Good to know: The vegetarian tasting menu is one of the best plant-based restaurant experiences around.
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