The Wharf Local

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#3 of 8 Quick Bites in TathraQuick Bites, Cafe, $$ - $$$

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The Wharf Local

Review

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Closes in 58 min

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About

PLEASE NOT WE ARE CLOSED FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST FOR A WINTER BREAK. The Wharf Local in Tathra is a Cafe - Gallery situated on the last remaining deep Sea Wharf on the East Coast of Australia. At The Wharf Local we source produce locally wherever possible and have a great range of local artwork and products for sale. Emma & Poppy and the Wharf Crew look forward to seeing you at the Wharf. Open Wednesday - Sunday 8.00am - 4.00pm

Features

CUISINES

Cafe, Australian

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Cash Only

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Street Parking

Takeout

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

Wharf Road, Tathra, New South Wales 2550 Australia

Parking Available, Street Parking

Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?

Yes

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Hours

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Closes in 58 min

Sunday

8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

Closed

Thursday

8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Friday

8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday

8:30 am - 4:00 pm

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4.1

252 reviews

Excellent

125

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Robyn C

102 contributions

Excellent dining experience with exceptional views.

Mar 2024 • family

A great restaurant right over the water. Don’t let restoration work on the wharf put you off lunching at the Wharf Restaurant. A great selection of healthy choices, fresh juices and sublime sweet offerings. Our family visited many times in the fortnight we spent at Tathra. We were delighted with many menu choices and glazed hypnotically at the beautiful ocean. The staff were pleasant and efficient. Don’t miss this gem when visiting Tathra.

Written 28 March 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.

John B

Melbourne494 contributions

Well worth getting off the highway.

July 2024 • couples

What a wonderful setting for brunch. The food on offer was amazing and served by enthusiastic,friendly staff. Had we been there a little closer to lunch time I would fancy the fish &chips served with a side salad. It looked delicious. It’s well worth going off the main highway to visit this little gem.

Written 12 July 2024

Stanislava F

8 contributions

Must visit

Jan 2025 • family

Accidental discovery that immediately morphed into a family favourite. Glorious location, scrumptious, wholesome, fresh food presented with a whimsical and artful nod to the gallery within. Beautiful ceramics, artworks and jewelry - all sourced locally - tempt the eye and soul. Simply stunning, cannot wait to return 🙏

Written 7 March 2025

Andrew A

1 contribution

Disappointing

May 2022 • none

Slowest service imaginable and delivered with all the charm and warmth of a boarding school matron. Other than taking orders they could hardly care less about their customers. While the food all looked good if you want to wait less than 25 minutes for your coffee and less than 40 minutes for heated-up preprepared food, then go elsewhere. This is a repeat experience for us. We gave them the benefit that perhaps last time was just a bad day but it seems this is their standard. If this business was operating in main street they would struggle to survive. Clearly, they rely on the view from the wharf to entice customers in.

Written 27 May 2022

Barbara W

50 contributions

Unparalleled

Aug 2024 • couples

Get off the highway and enjoy this wonderful experience. Many tourist areas rely on their position and fail miserably on service and quality. Not The Wharf Local. We stumbled upon this by accident. Great food and atmosphere. We had fennel sultana sourdough toast with vintage cheese, butter and house made fruit chutney And slow roasted tomato soup with sourdough toast. Both were superb. Tha atmosphere is perfect with beautifully displayed food, books and art. Also great music. Would definitely recommend this establishment and would return in a heartbeat. We even saw a seal swimming and playing just off the wharf!

Written 9 August 2024

Krissi B

Jindabyne1 contribution

VERY UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE

Jan 2021 • family

I’m not one to leave negative reviews but this left me gobsmacked! I rang on Wednesday to book Friday lunch. Voicemail stated open days and hours and said call through or leave a message. I left my details. No callback. Friday morning I rang three times and no answer. Friday lunch my cousin and I hedged our bets and just turned up. We were greeted at the door and told to checkin for Covid safety ✅. We said we had rung to book and were told they hey been run off their feet and hand them bothered to answer the phone! There were only a few Individuals in the room so we asked if we could have a table with a view. We were told that could not sit at the only ”table” as it was for 6 people and instead offered an occasional chair and low table....for lunch?!?! We found a delightful table for three at the back of the room and asked if we could sit there instead. The darling school aged waitress mumbled something about it being a temporary table due to the crowds and went off to ask the manager. The response was No, that table is no allowed to be used! We were then escorted to two uncomfortable cane outdoor chairs at a low coffee table next to a window with views of the garbage bins. Just as the waitress was cleaning the table, the manager asked her to wipe down the quaint 3 person setting we had just requested ready for the couple that has just walked in?!?! Now, I am not one to be lost for words but I was gobsmacked. We sat in silence watching the hustle and bustle around us, still with no menu, table settings, water eta and the waitress never returned. After about 5minutes we decided takeaway fish and chips from the local would be faster. As we walked out, the waitress and then manager both uttered a halfhearted “have a nice day”. No one enquired as to why we were leaving or what they had done wrong! It appeared like they just didn’t care and good service was optional. I have no idea what the food selection or quality was like as our half hour experience did not even get us close to food. Never again Tathra Wharf Cafe, not worth the effort!! I can, however, recommend the Fish & Chips from the Kalaru Takeaway up the road!! Superb service and food, with a smile

Written 28 January 2021

TawnyFrogmouthSmile

Narooma1 contribution

Incredibly slow... "Lift your game" is right. This is embarrassing for our region.

Nov 2021 • none

Waiting 40 minutes for a cuppa is JUST. NOT. OKAY. The place wasn't even buzzing, it was not even half full. God only knows how long you might wait in peak Christmas holiday season. That meant 40 minutes of not being allowed to take our masks off, as current rules require keeping them on until food or drink is brought to the table and being consumed. Sitting there sweating into the mask on a very warm and humid day, trying to talk with a friend through both our masks and struggling to hear each other clearly over the general background cafe noise, repeatedly saying "what, sorry? Can you repeat that?" for 40 minutes, was as irritating as hell. I really don't think I want to repeat this experience. Everything the staff do is slow. Not just "oh, relaxed rural / coastal vibe" kind of slow - REALLY slow. The food was fine, when we eventually got it, but the menu is quite limited. The location is lovely, but someone more together and organised and efficient needs to take over and run this place. I say this because extreme slowness is not a one-off problem, but a recurring issue.

Written 10 November 2021

DrBronsterMonster

Woodend63 contributions

Coffees at the Old Whatf

Oct 2022 • couples

We stopped by for morning tea. It was blowing a gale at the time and there was a note on the door to knock and they will let us in (due to the wind). Added to the charm. They have decked it out in furniture appropriate to the old stores of the wharf, however there is also a lot of beautiful pottery by local artists on display for purchase. The staff were very friendly and there are a lot of artisan cakes on display. My partner had a very light escargot… or as the staff called it ‘sultana snail’. I chose a nice cardamom scroll. They were served very neatly. Paired perfectly with a lovely coffee… almond milk was even on offer!

Written 13 October 2022

Clare H

38 contributions

No review

Oct 2020 • none

When it says they shut at 4pm, take with pinch of salt. We arrived at 3.52 and started checking in with QR code for Covid compliance, to be asked at least 5 times what we wanted and to order immediately. Hadn’t got through door so no idea what was on offer but would probably would have had a cup of tea and cake. Attitude so aggressive, we left. Shame as have been in Tathra for 3 days and it has always been shut up with no sign of opening hours. Certainly won’t bother again. Lots of friendly, nice alternatives in the town

Written 28 October 2020

K S

1 contribution

Wouldnt return

Feb 2021 • friends

Went in for a casual breakfast with friends. Was told instantly on arrival there would be a long wait despite the cafe being almost empty. Menu was small and overpriced. Nothing appealed to me as dairy intolerant vegetarian. No option to make changes to menu as everything was pre made. Asked if I could have something off the lunch menu and was told no. Ordered a large long black and was given a small (only told later that they only did one size) and banana bread with no butter that came out buttered. Asked the wait staff when it arrived if it had butter, was told no, then lifted a piece to see it dripping in butter. Overall very disappointing as it’s a nice space with beautiful views but poor service, selections and overpriced means I would not return.

Written 27 February 2021

Bad_Seed4

Canberra824 contributions

Great venue and food

Feb 2024 • family

This venue is currently undergoing renovation and when its finished it will be awesome. Our breakfast food was innovative, tasty and fresh. The Wharf is eclectically furnished and there was lots to look at, which was a good thing as there was definitely a staffing problem. The poster below me mentioned this too and there is a sign on the counter to this effect so food was slow however, we were in holiday mode so we just relaxed and enjoyed the vibe and the wait. It was worth waiting for.

Written 21 February 2024

Jessica Rose

3 contributions

Lack of service, loss of customers

Nov 2020 • couples

I had been really looking forward to eating brekkie at the wharf local since planning a trip down the south coast months ago. Opening hours are 7.30 to 4pm. My husband and I arrived at 10.50am, stood patiently in a very slow line for ten mins while a lady bought a loaf of bread, and attempted to order at 11.01. We were told that the kitchen is closed from 11-12 as it’s ‘usually dead’. Coffee and cake only, with a suggestion that we go into town and have breakfast elsewhere. No apology, no attempt to see if there were alternatives.

Written 4 November 2020

dynamodigi

Wyndham5 contributions

Lift Your Game

Oct 2021 • family

Insanely SSSSLOW. We were told 20 minutes for lunch baguettes, 45 minutes later...two young girls serving and looking like they were in training. One woman preparing and she looked way behind the 🎱. Staff were courteous but if the food was even fit for a King I'd doubt that I'd return.

Written 30 October 2021

641lou

Merimbula114 contributions

A really good experience

Mar 2021 • friends

After a long bush walk my friends and I were keen to have lunch. I’d been here a few years ago and was only ‘so-so’ in coming here but I am so glad we did. The service was great, the food and drinks were fantastic and the location and views were sensational. Fresh local produce - I had chicken on sourdough, others had frittatas and salads; cake and coffee were great as were freshly squeezed juices. The presentation of all our meals were spectacular. Highly recommend and definitely will be back.

Written 4 March 2021

KJMRS

Australia2 contributions

COVID-19 safe, gluten free friendly meals with prompt service

Oct 2020 • none

The cafe was most helpful in assisting us to obtain a gluten-free meal suitable for a celiac. In addition, while they were evidently busy, the service was prompt with at least 5 staff visible both in the kitchen and serving customers. I also saw customers turned away and the staff stating that they were at capacity at this time. Further, the COVID safe procedures used were in line with generally accepted norms versus the somewhat lax measures seen elsewhere in the District's cafes. However, a low level of anxiety about COVID was evident with some staff's directions. That said, it is hoped this standard of COVID 19 safety will be maintained as the state borders open up. Book ahead. Good coffee as well, we look forward to another visit.

Written 2 October 2020