Bannisters Pavilion is part of the Bannisters hotel family. Located 2 minutes away from Bannisters on the Sea in Mollymook on the scenic NSW South Coast, it offers dog friendly accommodation and fantastic food. If you're looking for a Christmas gift they also offer gift vouchers for stays at any of their properties.
It's 4pm when we arrive at Bannisters Pavilion from Sydney and the weather couldn't be more different. We left Sydney's grey and rainy weather and when we reached Berry on the South Coast, the sun is out in full force.
In our car are two very excited guests: Teddy and Milo. Dogs up to 25kgs/55lbs are welcomed at Bannisters Pavilion and we grabbed this chance for a relaxing pre Christmas weekend with the dogs.
Sister property Bannisters By The Sea opened in 2009 followed by Bannisters Pavilion that was created to cater for the overwhelming demand for rooms at Bannisters by the Sea. Bannisters Port Stephens on the Pacific Coast following in late 2018. Melbourne-based funds manager and advisory house Salter Brothers bought the three properties from media entrepreneur Peter Cosgrove for $100million in October 2024 but Rick Stein still operates the restaurants on site.
There are 35 rooms here at Bannisters Pavilion. The building is fringed with palm trees swaying in the breeze and the side of the swimming pool is visible from the front of the hotel. On the other side is an eucalyptus forest with a beach around the corner. Our room #201 is one of the hotel's 2 pet friendly rooms and is located on the first level of the hotel. The room is 30 square metres or 322 square feet.
Check in is quick and easy and we are offered welcome glasses of bubbly on arrival. The dogs are eager to see where we are staying so we make our way upstairs.
Our coastal chic room decor is all fresh whites with an elegant navy trim. The rooms have high ceilings and modern touches. The king bed has smooth sheets and pillows for a great night's sleep and there's a large tv facing the bed with easy access to paid subscription services (you will need to log in your account). Two comfortable chairs look out onto the balcony and the boys immediately jump up on these claiming their spot. A work desk sits against the wall.
The bathroom is spacious and kitted out with gorgeously scented Mr Smith toiletries. There is a two headed shower and a roomy sink with a good range of amenities.
The balcony is a good size with a view of the street below and you can hear the very popular coffee cart serving patrons coffee and pastries in the mornings. The only issue we had was that wifi wasn't working seamlessly when we were here which they were trying to fix.
One of the biggest reasons to stay at Bannisters is to try their food offering. At Bannisters Pavillion guests have the very popular Rooftop bar where pets are welcomed. The dog friendly area is at a quiet area on the patio just by the pool.
The most popular dish on the rooftop menu is the king prawn linguine which is a classic dish done well. Linguine is paired with soft cherry tomato halves, garlic, chilli, pangrattato and a generous amount of shelled king prawns. The prawns are perfect succulent in texture and the seasonings hit the spot.
Mr NQN loves the market special fish. It's a tuna steak seared and seasoned and paired with witlof leaves filled with currant pine nut salsa with a wedge of lemon and mayonnaise.
We pair it with a roasted beetroot salad with tender wedges of sweet beetroot candied walnuts, ash goats cheese, blood orange, currants, apple balsamic glaze. This is a nice combo of flavours that balances the sweet, earthy beetroot well.
We go for a post prandial walk with the dogs along the beach where we watch a glorious sunset colour the sky in a riot of orange.
Breakfast the next morning is back at the rooftop bar upstairs. There's an a la carte menu to choose from with sweet and savoury options and you can also help yourself to fruit, yogurt and cereals. Mr NQN starts with some fruit salad and some bircher muesli while I enjoy the granola with plenty of dried fruit and yogurt topped with berry compote. You can also order one coffee per person but tea and juices are unlimited.
Our mains arrive. We try the bacon, cheese and egg burger which is a nice take on a classic. It has bacon, a fried egg, cheese, rocket, tomato relish and mayo on a brioche bun.
On the other end of the spectrum we also try the sourdough bruschetta topped with cubes of avocado, basil, feta and lots of halved cherry tomatoes on top.
We make the most of an overcast Sunday by relaxing in the room and taking the dogs for a walk. Dog owners can also book a dog sitter through Bannisters if they're headed to Rick Stein at Bannisters. You can also make use of the complimentary shuttle service that runs between Bannisters Pavillion and Bannisters by the sea turning the 80m/262foot walk into a 30 second bus ride.
Service is wonderful and welcoming here and restaurant is outfitted with a Moroccan look combined with a coastal vibe. Tables face the water and there is also an outdoor patio covered section too.
We start our meal with delicious garlickly olives with fresh white bread and nori seaweed and salted butter. We decide to feast mostly on the entree menu because we love fresh, raw seafood. We start with the sashimi of kingfish, salmon and tuna with wakame salad, pickled ginger, wasabi and sashimi dressing. It's perfectly fresh with three pieces of each type of sashimi.
We also enjoy the fresh piquant slices of sashimi tuna with grapefruit and ponzu dressing. It is fresh and delicious and we drag the bread through it.
The Japanese fish cakes are not a typical fish cake. Rather than relying on a mixture of potato and minced fish this is roughly diced raw tuna that is barely held together and cooked medium rare. It is served with watercress, chilli and a soy lime dressing.
For any oyster fans out there, if there’s one entree you should try it's the Oysters Charentaise. There are four freshly shucked oysters paired with spicy chipolata sausages. The idea of to have an oyster, take a bit of the sausage and then a gulp of the cold white wine. We choose a wine that is bottled for them by Pokolbin's Brokenwood Wines. The wine is a combination of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The minerality of the wine with spicy sausage was a wonderful match and this wine goes so well with a range of spicy dishes.
The fish and shellfish soup is made with tomato, saffron, garlic, red capsicum, fennel and a pinch of cayenne pepper. You spread the toast with rouille, sprinkle it with cheese and then dunk it in the soup and let it steep. The soup has a good depth of flavour to it and once the toast has has its 3 minutes or so and the cheese has melted it's delicious.
The fish and chips are almost de rigeur if the number of plates of this coming out of the kitchen are any indication. Today’s fish is monk fish and it is a beautiful, firm, white fleshed fish in a crispy batter with a neat number of fat hand cut chips and a tangy tartare sauce. The only problem with serving such delicious chips is that you want more of them!
We toy with the idea of skipping dessert because we are so full but I spy a rum and raisin ice cream on the menu and that changes things. Rum and raisin is probably my favourite ice cream flavour and this one is a beauty. It's replete with fat, plump green Malaga raisins that are known for their enormous size and plumpness and served with a shot of espresso, Pedro Ximinez sherry with two crisp biscotti on the side. If I could buy a whole tub of this I would it's that good. The only way to have this again is to visit again!
So tell me Dear Reader, how important is pet friendly accommodation for you?
Bannisters Pavilion
Level 1/87 Tallwood Ave, Mollymook Beach NSW 2539
Phone: (02) 4454 7400
https://www.bannisters.com.au/
Reader Comments
Loading comments...Add Comment