What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Sandpipers Restaurant
Review
About
Offering a Modern Australian Seafood Menu with Fresh Local Seafood which makes Sandpipers the perfect place to taste what Nelson Bay has to offer. Every every night from 5pm for dinners only.
Features
CUISINES
Seafood, Australian
Meal types
Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Visa
Does this restaurant primarily serve Healthy cuisine?
Order delivery
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 5:00 PM
Sunday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Monday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tuesday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Contribute
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
1,030 reviews
Excellent
678
Very good
234
Average
71
Poor
22
Terrible
25
Rae R
United Kingdom29 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
A must when visiting Nelson’s Bay. The catch of the day was truly out of this world and absolutely divine. The meal was incredibly well balanced with the flavours of fresh mango salsa and the fish. The service was a little slow, but they were very busy and only had two waiters on so it was completely understandable. It was an amazing evening with the bottle of Hunter Valley wine.
Written 26 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel T
3 contributions
Dec 2022 • friends
We had 20 adults and 10 children in our party whom were all completely satisfied with their meals and the service.
This family run business sure knows how to look after it’s customers. At $55 a head for set menu adult and $16 kids meals it was very reasonable..even brought our own champagne with only $5 corkage fee..The menu, with its abundance of choice of seafood, meat and even vegan meals definitely caters for all diners…Pork belly was cooked to perfection and scallops and oysters amazing..everything was perfect and having the restaurant open just for our lunch group meant the kids could have fun without disturbing any other patrons…thank you so much for a beautiful afternoon
Written 17 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tanya O
West Pymble24 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
After reading reviews in trip advisor we chose this restaurant and We really enjoyed our dinner.
We were seated outside, it was a lovely evening the waiter told us the specials, we ordered two different options and they were so flavoursome and good size portions. We enjoyed them with a bottle of wine we brought along as it was BYO wine bottle only.
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheryl S
Innisfail117 contributions
Mar 2023 • couples
Soooo disappointed!! Firstly we found the original person serving us (younger male) quite abrupt & rude. Seemed to be put out that we asked questions about menu.
Order came fairly quickly. Food was good, tasty and portions were good.
However the entire experience at this restaurant left a sour feeling with us. There was an extra charge of $13 on our bill. When we questioned the server, he said it was quite clear on the menu that they charge an additional 15% on Sundays & holidays. He made it sound like all restaurants in Nelson Bay have this surcharge.
Firstly it is NOT clearly shown on menu, and a good restaurant would mention it when you sit down instead of hiding behind small print. A polite "just so you know there is a 15% charge because it is Sunday" would have taken care of any unpleasantness
Written 12 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard F
1 contribution
July 2024 • friends
I ordered the octopus salad to be delivered. It came in a crushed box and it looked half eaten with only a little bits of messy stuff for $27. Absolutely disgusting and I had to feed it to the dog. Shame on you
Written 9 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandira s
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • couples
Sandpiper restaurant delivers a memorable dining experience focused on fresh, high-quality ingredients and thoughtful presentation. The commitment to sustainability and local sourcing is evident in both the food and the atmosphere, making it a standout choice for anyone looking for a healthy yet indulgent meal. While the prices are on the higher side, the quality of the dishes make it well worth the visit. Perfect for food enthusiasts or anyone looking to support locally sourced cuisine.
Written 27 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
illana71
Melbourne3 contributions
Jan 2022 • family
Nothing annoys me more than bad service from rude staff.
Whilst the meals were good, the special prices were not stated and were very deceiving. Being charged $59 for a linguine with prawns that was priced at $34 on the printed menu because the special offered a topper of crab or lobster tail is robbery and never stated that the topper was an additional cost. When ordering it was not clarified as an additional charge either.
When questioning the charge on the bill, the “manager” was extremely unprofessional and lacked customer service or any respect for the customer in dealing with the issue.
If you are going to be charged top shelf prices, your staff need to have a better level of hospitality skills and service capabilities.
Would definitely not rate this restaurant as one of Nelson Bays better ones.
Written 6 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Monica
Hi thanks for your review,
Prawn pasta with no topper is in fact in our menu and takeaway which also is advertised, our lobster fettuccine (lobster meat only) from our menu is also advertised you put both prawn AND lobster in one meal, it’s going to cost you EXTRA. Our special is there to entice you to want it, did you think you were getting a lobster tail for free?? No way are we “robbing” nor “deceiving” any of our customers.
Please do mention the fact that both of you were not willing to pay your bill, let alone the one dish. Only when we said we will take legal actions you paid your bill and not stated but screamed “you’re going to get the payment cancelled by calling your bank as well as threshing to write reviews”. If you are not able to afford to pay for a meal which YOU ordered and ate whilst licking the plate clean may add I suggest you either don’t order a meal your not able to afford or dine at a pub instead of a restaurant as you clearly have no idea the cost of seafood. If you spoke like a decent person in the restaurant with your issue just like the way you have acted whilst writing this review, we wouldn’t have any conflict. You’re a grown women who was screaming, the whole street could hear you and getting really close to the staff without maintaining any social distance whatsoever. Our staff cooperated with you with all your requests including preparing a table outside and never had a problem until paying. One of your guests commented our venue was unhygienic which is questionable as from sitting down to ordering drinks to having 2 courses there was no comments about it until upon paying. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be eating at a restaurant if I genuinely thought there was problem with Hygiene. How embarrassing. You and the men with you tried to intimidate our staff with abusive racist comments as well as scratching our staff. I’m surprised you forgot to take that into account whilst writing your review. Please take your business elsewhere as we will not tolerate your behaviour at our restaurant.
Please think about the way you screamed to our 21yo and 19yo staff, one day that could be your children.
Written 8 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pratikshya C
1 contribution
Dec 2024 • family
I recently visited sandpiper restaurant and was blown away by the level of customer service. The staff was incredibly attentive and made sure all my needs were met. The food I ordered exceeded my expectations in terms of quality and taste.
Written 28 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FoodPassion
Newcastle166 contributions
Jan 2023 • family
Very pleasant dining experience for
our family group of 10.
All our meals from entrees to desserts were absolutely delicious with special attention to children’s meals coming out at same time as adult entree.
Very well balanced and interesting, fresh flavours.
Wonderful friendly service but by no means intrusive.
Highly recommend and a delight to have this restaurant in Nelson Bay.
Written 29 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nicole a
Inverell44 contributions
Sept 2023 • couples
Food was fresh and presentation very good. Service was prompt and professional .Shared an octopus entree followed by chicken scallopini and a small seafood chowder and they all tasted amazing. Would definitely return .
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HofH999
Melbourne1268 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
Sweet little spot in the village of Nelson Bay. Dine outside or in. Excellent menu, clearly seafood focused. Superb (local?) oysters to begin. The fish of the day was perch served with potatoes and crystallised (?) lemon. Superb. Good wine list, modestly priced.
Written 22 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay S
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • none
We sat outside and ordered two seafood chowder and the seafood platter for two.
Seafood chowder tasted good although consistancy a little thin for our liking
It came with Turkish bread topped with grilled cheese. Bread was not crisp and a let down. Seafood platter components were generally well cooked and tasty. Let down was they looked as though they had just been thrown in a heap on the plate.
Result was potato wedges underneath mixed vegetables soggy and unappealing.
Bill contained an additional item which was 15 percent and a Sunday surcharge.
We expected 10 percent but probably missed it on the menu.Not an issue if the food had matched the description of casual fine dining. In our opinion it didn't come close. Would not recommend
Written 21 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dudleybecky
Morpeth408 contributions
Feb 2021 • couples
We booked online & saved 50% off the bill!
Besides that, the food & service was exceptional. The your waiters were very polite and they did an excellent job as the restaurant was filling up with eager patrons.
Our food was very enjoyable and tasty.
We weren’t rushed, but were feed in a timely fashion
I have read some “unfavourable” comments, but we could not have been happier with the $$$ spent for the food we received.
I would go again in a heartbeat đź’—
Written 15 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annagram09
Sydney827 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
We enjoy a delicious dinner at Sandpipers restaurant sharing a dozen tasty Sydney Rock oysters first. I enjoyed an amazing grilled barramundi stack and my husband loved his special soft shell crab as our mains. After a hot summer’s day it was very pleasant being seated outside. It reminded me of holidays in Europe. I do wish that they could include some of Zero wines that are becoming increasingly popular so that all dinners can feel sociable with their friends.
Written 10 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron T
Booker Bay405 contributions
July 2020 • couples
We had a very enjoyable dining experience at this venue.
The restaurant is not large and the decor simple with lovely photos of the surrounding seascapes on the walls.
The reception was pleasant by the wait staff and the overall service was attentive. We enjoyed the good explanation of the specials on arrival and found that the menu choice was large.
The beverage list is varied but the wine choice is limited however very well priced. We had the Scarbourgh Chardonnay for $42, which we thought very reasonable for a restaurant.
For our meals we chose the salt and pepper squid as a starter, which was a generous serving for an entree. Our mains were the fish of the day, which was swordfish. The swordfish was thinly sliced and cooked perfectly. The swordfish came with vegetables but no fries.
A busy little restaurant but the turnaround very efficient and the food of a good standard. Certainly recommended.
Written 15 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Showing results 1-15 of 1,019
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing