Stop At Signal Box, Newcastle

Signal Box is a popular all-day restaurant located on Wharf Road, at the Market Street lawn precinct in Newcastle. The building is based on its original incarnation as a signal box for when trains used to run nearby. The dining pavilion made nearly entirely of steel and concrete to honour the city's history. The large glass windows are cantilevered and run on hydraulics that they can open up to let the breeze in. Come along as we have pre-dinner snacks here!

The original train signal box was de-commissioned on Boxing Day 2014 and the Signal Box restaurant opened up roughly 5 years later on December 6th, 2019. The restaurant's design captures some of Newcastle's working class past with the BHP steel factory. The deep ochre powder coated steel echoes one of Newcastle's two official colours; emerald green and cinnamon brown. A spiral staircase leads up to the rooftop, the perfect place to watch sunset on a balmy evening.

Signal Box is known for its Modern Australian cuisine and we stop here for some pre-dinner snacks which you can do as it is open all day long. The owners and developers of Signal Box are Andrew Macdonald from The Little Nel (Nelson Bay) and co-owners; Executive Chef Dan James, Head Chef George Mirosevic and Mathew Key (also from The Little Nel).

We're just having some light bar snacks before dinner and it's a bit of a fresh seafood feast. My favourite dish is the kingfish sashimi which is an explosion of flavour with coconut, nahm jim, kaffir lime, padron peppers and crispy onion. It's complex but hits all the flavour marks and so good that I ask for the recipe which they share with me and I'll try and recreate here!

The tender tendrils of fried bass straight squid are seasoned with Szechuan salt, coriander chilli, aioli and lemon. It's moreish and a great starter to share with friends.

I can never go past the lobster rolls and these do not disappoint. There's chopped lobster with lemon aioli, dill, celery, tobiko and chives on soft milk buns. And they're the perfect size for a snack and a decent price considering I've seen lobster rolls this size for $25 each.

The fried zucchini flowers are stuffed with whipped ricotta and topped with salsa verde, parmesan and lemon. Each bite is crunchy, creamy, herby and zesty.

And to finish we try half a dozen Hokkaido scallops that are sold either by the half dozen or dozen for $59. The scallops are grilled and served with Cafe de paris butter, cherry tomato halves, wakame seaweed salad and a generous scattering of finely chopped chives. It's a solid ending for our seafood feast.

So tell me Dear Reader, how often do you have pre-dinner snacks? Do you ever have them in placeof dinner?

NQN was a guest of Signal Box but all opinions remain her own.

Signal Box

155 Wharf Road, Newcastle NSW 2300

Tel: +61 (02) 5661 8113

Tuesday to Saturday 11.30 AM – 3.00 PM, 5.30 PM – 9:00 PM

Bar Snack Menu 3.00 PM - 5.30 PM

Sunday Lunch 11.00 AM – 3.30PM