35 cheap eats worth travelling for in NSW

North of Sydney

Malay Bites for fresh roti 

Walk from the beach, pull up a seat in the sun and watch a Malay Bites roti master flip a piece of dough like the best street vendors in Malaysia. Then tear into one of the best roti in the state with a side of sambal, satay skewers and frothed Malaysian tea.  

• Where: Ettalong Beach
• Distance from Sydney: 94km (1hr 23min) 

Sulo’s Shish and Pide for Turkish 

Before he was working the charcoal grill and mezze station at this casual Turkish spot, Suleyman (Sulo) Kirbancioglu and his partner Natalie helmed Central Coast Turkish fine diner Safran for over a decade. They bring the same technique to Sulo’s Shish and Pide at Ettalong Beach but instead of innovation, here they’re focused on casual, cheaper classics: skewered meat, pide, dips and chips.  

• Where: Ettalong Beach
• Distance from Sydney: 95km (1hr 18min) 

Sulo’s Shish and Pide, Central Coast - Credit: Sulo’s Shish and Pide

Burnt Honey for pastries and pies 

One of the best pastries in NSW is Burnt Honey’s kouign-amann, a delicately layered, caramelised croissant-like pastry. That’s not all it’s famous for, check out the selection of premium pies, cakes and croissants. Search their socials to see what’s in the oven.  

• Where: Copacabana  
• Distance from Sydney: 100km (1hr 42min) 

Burnt Honey Bakery, Central Coast - Credit: Burnt Honey Bakery

The Keyosk for fish and chips 

There aren’t many places in Australia you can get a meal for two for less than $25. Getting a burger and a fisherman’s basket for that price is even rarer. The Keyosk isn’t your everyday takeout. The small Toukley food truck serves a rotating menu of old-fashioned food at old-fashioned prices. Grab a seat at one of the outdoor tables or take a meal to the beach; it’s just a few blocks.  

• Where: Toukley
• Distance from Sydney: 117km (1hr 43min) 

Spices 29 for Goan curries  

The cuisine of Goa is spicy, rich and seafood-led, and Woy Woy’s Spices 29 is one of the only places outside Sydney to try it. Nab a table in the pub-like courtyard and order yourself a whole tandoori pomfret roast in a clay oven and slow-cooked goat xacuti-style (in a luscious, spiced coconut gravy). 

• Where: Woy Woy  
• Distance from Sydney: 90km (1hr 12min) 

Spices 29, Central Coast - Credit: Spices 29

Newy Fried Chicken Pop-Up Diner for retro American dining  

Red and white tablecloths, burgers served with milkshakes on the side and an energetic but cosy feel all make Newy Fried Chicken a worthy trip, but that’s not what the restaurant is famous for. This Newcastle diner is packed because of its Nashville-inspired fried chicken, brined for 24 hours, buttermilk drenched, fried and spiced to your preferred heat.  

• Where: Newcastle  
• Distance from Sydney: 156km (2hr 7min) 

Newy Fried Chicken, Newcastle - Credit: Paul McGuire

The Table No. 2 for crispy pork Thai or Filipino style  

Outside Sydney it’s not easy to find Filipino food, let alone served alongside Thai noodles and curry. Come to country diner The Table No. 2 in Maitland for Filipino crispy pork belly and deep-fried tofu with citrus and pepper, and stay for the vibe (and flan).  

• Where: Maitland  
• Distance for Sydney: 160km (2hr 8min) 

Unique Patisserie for assam laksa  

Unique Patisserie is probably the only regional bakery regularly mentioned on the Malaysian Food Lovers Sydney Facebook group. It’s famous for its assam laksa, a Penang-style laksa with a tamarind and mackerel base. Other Malaysian classics, like curry laksa and nasi goreng, are also on the menu. If you need a quick takeaway bite, this is a bakery after all, ask for a curry puff or curry pie. 

• Where: Katoomba  
• Distance from Sydney: 102km (1hr 35min) 

South of Sydney  

His Boy Elroy for American burgers  

This Wollongong institution isn’t just a temple to America, it’s a community-minded local with a purpose to improve men's mental health. Head into His Boy Elroy for a beer, burger and popcorn chicken; then stay for a chat, whether it’s with your mate, the barman or the diner next to you. 

• Where: Wollongong
• Distance from Sydney: 84km (1hr 23min) 

His Boy Elroy, Wollongong - Credit: His Boy Elroy

Five Islands Hotel for the $12 lunch special  

Every lunchtime, Five Islands Hotel serves 12 of its most popular meals for just $12 a pop. Choose from a 200g rump with chips and salad, a Margherita pizza, a chicken schnitzel, a fish burger with a hunk of battered flathead and more.  

• Where: Wollongong
• Distance from Sydney: 89km (1hr 24min) 

Five Islands Hotel, Wollongong - Credit: Sarah Pool

Tora for ramen 

Imagine a cold blustery day, you’re huddling over ramen, steam warming your face, looking into the creamy coloured broth of a tonkotsu, thinking about whether you’ll eat Tora’s noodles or the chashu pork first. Outside all you see is the greenery of the Bowral streets.  

• Where: Bowral
• Distance from Sydney: 118km (1hr 24min) 

Franquette Crêperie for French cafe dining  

The French-Australian operators of Franquette Crêperie are ex-Mona Farm, and with such pedigree comes considerable style. Whether in the Bowral or Braidwood shop, tuck into a buckwheat galette or pavlova-flavoured crêpe, order a martini, lounge in the stylised dining room and check out the French imports in the deli.  

• Where: Bowral and Braidwood
• Distance from Sydney: 118km (1hr 25min) 

Franquette Crêperie, Southern Highlands - Credit: Franquette Crêperie

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant for Australian Chinese  

You already know what’s on the menu – honey chicken, fried rice, spring rolls, Singapore chicken and a hundred other Australian Chinese classics. What you may not know is that this Bowral restaurant has a secret handwritten Mandarin menu of dishes and ornate interiors that look unchanged from the restaurant's 1970s beginnings. 

• Where: Bowral  
• Distance from Sydney: 118km (1hr 23min) 

Slow Dough for focaccia and pastries  

Slow Dough started as a garage bakery, operating out of the owners’ home. Today it’s a local institution, baking out of an old minister’s cottage behind Kiama’s Uniting Church. Find a sunny spot on the homely front lawn and try a focaccia, sambo or pastry – all made with sourdough starter.  

• Where: Kiama  
• Distance from Sydney: 122km (1hr 45min) 

Slow Dough, Kiama - Credit: Slow Dough

Hayden’s Pies for butter chicken pies  

Family-run Hayden’s Pies is one of, if not the, most famous regional pie shops in the state – decades in business and awards for best pie in the state will do that. Because of the fame, expect lines at the Ulladulla institution on the weekend. It might be busy, but it’s the best time try a special, anything from wallaby stew to Peking duck. The famed butter chicken is on the menu all year round.  

• Where: Ulladulla  
• Distance from Sydney: 227km (3hr 9min) 

Hayden's Pies, Ulladulla - Credit: Shoalhaven Visitor Centre

Hropic Seafoods Fish and Chips for locally caught fish and chips 

There are countless great fish and chip shops on the NSW coast but how many are run by a seventh-generation fisherman who catches everything just off the coast from where they serve up? The Batemans Bay shop is a simple food truck so plan to take your classic fish and chips, potato scallops and calamari takeaway.  

• Where: Batemans Bay  
• Distance from Sydney: 280km (3hr 49min) 

Blak Cede for a taste of native ingredients in a cafe setting  

An Aboriginal-owned social enterprise empowering women in hospitality, Blak Cede is a great story of the power of community in the Nowra (Yuin and Dharawal country) region. For the diner, it’s a rare opportunity to try native ingredients creatively spun into a cafe menu. Try dishes like a Warrigal greens omelette, wattle seed banana bread and a burrito with pulled kangaroo.  

• Where: Nowra  
• Distance from Sydney: 162km (2hr 13min)  

Blak Cede, Nowra - Credit: Smiling Sun | Waminda

Roy’s Fish and Chips Takeaway Cafe for Sri Lankan  

From outside, Roy’s looks like a typical Australian coastal takeaway – a simple shop on the main road near the water, seats out front and a menu of burgers, fish and chips and fried snacks. But inside, the Batemans Bay shop’s traditional Sri Lankan menu shines: biryani, tuna curry, flat breads, ghee rice and dhal.  

• Where: Batemans Bay  
• Distance from Sydney: 279km (3hr and 46mins) 

North Coast NSW 

Warung Peri for Indonesian  

Bulahdelah has barely 1,000 residents, but it does have one of the only Indonesian restaurants in the Forster and Taree area: Warung Peri. The Indonesian eatery is a legendary local cheap eat where visitors and locals can tuck into smoky, wok-fried nasi goreng; fiery sambals; and Indonesian curries any almost any night of the week.  

• Where: Bulahdelah  
• Distance from Sydney: 246km (2hr 41min) 

Federal Doma Cafe for sushi in the garden  

In 2017 the New York Times said Federal Doma Cafe was an exemplar of the great Australian cafe. Why? It was the mix of migrant influence from the Japanese owners and Australian cafe traditions, as well as the casual feel and creativity in both their operation and menu. It’s not as cheap as other venues in this list but it’s absolutely worth a trip.  

• Where: Federal  
• Distance from Sydney: 774km (8hr 7min) 

Federal Doma Cafe, Bangalow - Credit: Federal Doma Cafe

Lolita’s Mexican Cantina for tacos and cocktails 

Lolita's Mexican Cantina is a restaurant where you can have a blowout feast or an affordable meal. The former involves a $49 set menu plus cocktails, the latter involves a few tacos per person (come in winter for an all-you-can-eat taco experience). Either way you’ll get to experience the cooking of Mexican chef Armando Enriquez Icaza in a vibrant plant-filled dining room in Casuarina.  

• Where: Casuarina  
• Distance from Sydney: 804km (8hr 26min) 

Lolita's Mexican Cantina, The Tweed - Credit: Kristy Mason Photography | PLB Group

Emerald Beach General Store for bacon and egg rolls  

When brothers Louis and Hugh Riley took over the Emerald Beach General Store, it was the local stop for cigarettes, chips and lollies. Now it’s one of the best places to hang out in the region. Bring your dog, kids and mates; order a burger, bowl or bun; soak up the sun and walk to the beach with a coffee in hand after.  

• Where: Emerald Beach
• Distance from Sydney: 553km (5hr 54min) 

Emerald Beach General Store, Coffs Coast - Credit: Emerald Beach General Store

Cafe Boker for casual Middle Eastern  

You can have two totally different experiences at Ballina’s Cafe Boker. One is where you order your regular coffee and a cafe classic, like a chilli jam-spiked bacon and egg roll or smashed avocado. The other involves Egyptian falafel, shakshuka, Turkish style eggs and Turkish coffee. Mix the two for an entirely new experience. 

• Where: Ballina
• Distance from Sydney: 738km (7hr 45min) 

Cafe Boker, Ballina - Credit: Ballina Visitor Information Centre

Peach and Wolf for pastries  

Peach and Wolf run their Coffs Harbour bakery like a fine dining restaurant, sourcing all ingredients locally for the best possible quality. You’ll taste the results in their sausage rolls, sandwiches and seasonal pastries.  

• Where: Coffs Harbour
• Distance from Sydney: 537km (5hr 37min) 

Peach and Wolf, Coffs Harbour - Credit: Peach and Wolf

Southern NSW 

Some Cafe for sausage rolls, sangas and sweet treats

Some Cafe is exactly what you want in a small-town country cafe: relaxed, friendly country hospitality; a small menu of well-done classics; a pie warmer full of handmade baked goods; produce from the local farmers; and a deli section selling whatever you might need that night. Just 25 minutes from Goulburn, it makes the perfect pit stop en route to Canberra. 

• Where: Collector  
• Distance from Sydney: 231km (2hr and 24min) 

Some Cafe, Goulburn area - Credit: Some Café

The Oyster Farmer’s Daughter for oysters on the water  

The story is in this Sapphire Coast venue’s name. The first generation has been oyster farming around Narooma for 40 years. The second generation serves the oysters from the same waters they’re farmed. It’s a cute operation with outdoor seating looking onto the bay and oysters are served six ways alongside chips, cocktails and snacks.  

• Where: Narooma
• Distance from Sydney: 349km (4hr 39min) 

The Oyster Farmers Daughter, Narooma - Credit: Eurobodalla Shire Council

The Riverina  

Nabiha’s Kitchen for Lebanese home cooking in an arcade  

Nabiha’s Kitchen is barely big enough for the few tables inside. On one wall there are family photos, at the back a simple, handwritten menu. In the glass counter there’s baklava and biscuits, and behind it is Nabiha herself, the owner, cook, baker and personality behind this decades-old institution. Every week features different recipes; Middle Eastern stews, mixed plates and falafel are regulars. 

• Where: Wagga Wagga
• Distance from Sydney: 457km (4hr 55min) 

Nabiha's Kitchen, Wagga Wagga - Credit: Nabiha's Kitchen

Tasty Tibetan Treats for meat pies and hand pulled noodles  

This isn’t the usual meat pie, it’s the Tibetan kind, called shaphaley – bread stuffed with meat and cabbage then deep fried and served with spicy chutney. If it’s cold pair some with a plate of Tasty Tibetan Treats’ momos and some of chef-owner Jinpa Gyatso’s hand-pulled noodles. If it’s hot, try Tibetan cold noodles and a lassi.  

• Where: Wagga Wagga
• Distance from Sydney: 457km (4hr 45min) 

Mount View for Nepalese goat curry and noodles  

Nepalese food is spreading all over the state and Albury’s tiny diner is a great example of the cuisine: a meld of Chinese and Indian techniques and flavours, great textural variety and lots of spice. Try Mount View’s thali, a khaja set or momos (Nepalese dumplings) done four ways to maximise texture and flavour variety, or just get a cheap, big plate of chow mein and call it a night.  

• Where: Albury
• Distance from Sydney: 551km (5hr 43min) 

Country and outback 

29 Nine 99 for yum cha  

Part restaurant, tea house, shop, exhibition space and community garden, 29 Nine 99 is a Rylstone community institution in the Mudgee area. Choose from between six and 16 handmade dumplings plus a free dessert, pick your tea and spend the afternoon under the garden umbrellas gazing up at the gum trees.  

• Where: Rylstone
• Distance from Sydney: 241km (3hr 16min) 

29 Nine 99, Rylstone

Caje Kitchen for traditional Malaysian  

A medical centre is probably the last place you’d expect to find rendang, roti and crispy pork belly but located inside The Wellness Centre, Caje Kitchen is a cafe, Malaysian restaurant and safe space for the Central West LGBTQIA+ community.  

• Where: Orange
• Distance from Sydney: 258km (3hr 49min) 

Luniva for dumplings  

Luniva is your typical rural, no-frills dinner spot. Sit under the bright blue wall and ask for momos cooked how you choose plus a bowl of noodles and leave without breaking $40. Or splash out a bit and order a set with dhal, goat curry, pickles, greens and more for a proper taste of what Nepal has to offer.  

• Where: Armidale
• Distance from Sydney: 5204km (5hr 59min)  

Bell’s Milk Bar for 50s nostalgia 

Think about the stereotypical 1950s diner: chequered floors, shakes (make it a spider if you want), sundaes and a jukebox. That’s exactly what to expect at Bells Milk Bar in Broken Hill. But this isn’t a nostalgia-trading new opening. This is the real deal. The building started trade in 1892, converting to a milk bar in 1953. Since then, it’s barely changed.  

• Where: Broken Hill
• Distance from Sydney: 1,145km (158hr 4min) 

Bells Milk Bar, Broken Hill

Althea by Zin for baked goods by a fine dining restaurant 

Althea by Zin is a bakery offshoot of The Zin House, one of the most lauded farm-to-table restaurants in regional NSW. Here, their commitment to quality produce is made in the form of a sausage roll, croissant or sourdough loaf, and your chance to try the Zin offering without breaking the bank.  

• Where: Mudgee
• Distance from Sydney: 268km (3hr33min) 

Althea by Zin, Mudgee - Credit: Lowe Wines

Golden Sea Dragon for old-school Australian Chinese 

What makes Golden Sea Dragon special is the sculpted, beautifully preserved interiors, including an ornate arched entry to the dining room and carved ceilings with dragon portraits. It’s a magnificent place to enjoy an affordable plate of fried rice, sweet and sour pork and XO king prawns in Coonabarabran.  

• Where: Coonabarabran
• Distance from Sydney: 481km (5hr 28min)