The River, Moruya

Yes it was nearly Valentines about a month ago and I am only posting about it now...slack I know. We don't usually like to go out on the day of Valentine's cause I don't like paying higher prices for something just because of the day you are dining, plus sitting in a restaurant with only couples is pretty boring.



Any excuse to go out for a meal is good though, especially when someone else is paying! So Frankie planned a surprise outing on the Saturday before Valentine's. He said I needed to be ready to leave the house at 10am! I was like are we going to Sydney for lunch??

When we started heading along the road to Bateman's I was hoping that he had booked the River in Moruya, cause I had heard so many good things about it. So when we got to Bateman's and kept going I asked him if that's where we were heading and he said yes!

View from our table

When we got to the restaurant there was only two other tables that were occupied, so it was nice to practically have the restaurant to ourselves. Apparently though dinner is always booked out. I would much rather come for lunch though, so you can gaze at the lovely views.

We weren't sure of which wine to start with as they had quite a few french wines on the menu, so our lovely waitress asked if we would like to try a couple of different ones. I thought this was excellent, as when you haven't tasted a wine before, you don't know quite what to expect (unless you are getting a sav blanc from the marlborough region).

We decided to go with entrees and mains. I was tossing up between the oysters and the scallops, so Frankie got the oysters and I got the scallops!

Pan fried scallops with Oyster Beignet - $16

Sorry about the description, but I thought this would be on the website menu, which it is not.. The scallops were on a bed of shaved cucumber and had like a pickled chilli relish on top? It was so long ago now. I do remember it was very delicious though and perfectly cooked. How good is awesome seafood and wine while sitting by the water!

Close up of Scallop

1/2 Dozen Turross Oysters - $14

The oysters came a la natural with some lemon, which is exactly the way I like them. OMG these were probably some of the best oysters I have ever eaten. Such a great price as well. Next time we come here I am definitely getting a dozen of these, cause it's only $22!

Frankie took about 10 pictures of the oysters. I love the natural moss on the shell.



Steak with Anchovy Butter, Roasted Beetroot and Parsnips - $32

I got one of the specials of the day which was the Steak. I really wanted a seafood dish, but there was only fish on the menu and all the other choices were a bit heavy for what I felt like. I hadn't ordered steak at a restaurant for ages, so I thought I would try it. I loved the butter sauce and the jus was delicious. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. It was a massive steak though and I couldn't eat it all.

Fish of the Day - $30

Frankie went with the fish of the day (which I can't remember what sort of fish it was, I should really start taking notes). This came on top a mixture of mussels and gnocchi. I had major food envy at this. The fish was cooked so perfectly and was nice and crispy. I am normally not a fan of fish, but I loved this thinner style fish. The mussels and gnocchi was awesome as well.

Cheese Platter - $17

We were going to get a cheese platter and then a dessert after that, but as it wasn't very busy the kitchen was closing, so we just got the cheese platter.

I am not sure what sort of cheese they were, cause they were just placed on the table without explanation. They were beautiful though. The blue cheese was definitely my favourite, as I love pungent blue cheeses. I loved the slices of apple with the cheese too, very refreshing and the texture was great.

I loved this place and would love to come back again and again. It was such a relaxing atmosphere and the food was wonderful and not too expensive either. If you are in the area around lunch time I really urge you to come and eat at this place.

The River Moruya
16b Church Street
Moruya NSW

Open Lunch and Dinner from Wednesday - Saturday
Open for Lunch on Sunday