Blue Swimmer

Sitting right on a bend of the Crooked River, looking out over a little white footbridge, the Blue Swimmer in Gerroa is in a very pretty spot. Don’t let this dissuade you from rocking up in the darkness, though, because the dinner at this restaurant-cafe hybrid doesn’t need a view to make it sing. Run by Three Blue Ducks’ group operations manager Paul Dewhurst and his family, with Kiama-local Shaun Smith behind the burners, Blue Swimmer serves casual, satisfying modern Australian, with tonnes of herbaceous, locally sourced flavour. Beef cheeks are as rich and marshmallow-soft as you want them to be, served with seared gnocchi, and roasted veggies.