Pretty Beach House
Central Coast, Australia[view map]
Local restaurants
With fabulous all-inclusive food and drink on tap, it's unlikely you'll want to wander beyond Pretty Beach Hotel's boundaries. Woy Woy is 20 minutes by car, or Sydney 90 minutes' drive away, if you feel the need to decamp, but restaurants in the local area are limited. Bells at Killcare Restaurant, at the boutique hotel of the same name, is the exception, close by at Killcare Beach in the Bouddi Peninsula, with cooking by acclaimed chef Stefano Manfredi, who also oversees Pretty Beach's menus. The 70-seat dining room opens out onto a massive outdoor deck overlooking sleek gardens, with fresh coastal decor blending blue and white colours with sand-hued rattan seats. There are two private dining rooms (The Wine Room and The Garden Room), as well as a cocktail bar, with a wine list strong on Australian and Italian labels. Food is seasonal, featuring fresh local oysters and seafood, homegrown vegetables and herbs, and daily-baked bread, and Italian-inspired (the team make their own pasta and gelatos). The result has already bagged a coveted chef's hat (+64 (0)2 4360 2411; www.bellsatkillcare.com.au).
For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Central Coast, check out our Central Coast eating & drinking guide
Worth getting out of bed for
It's hard to think why you'd tear yourself away from the food and the views, but if you do get the urge to stretch your pins, try a guided walk through the Bouddi Peninsula (included in your room rate) or just head past the great old sandstone rock at the back of the property – with its very own Aboriginal carvings – and stroll over to private Tallow Beach, ocean-side, home to a surf break. For the full Jackie Onassis treatment take the CABO 38 Express sports cruiser out for a spin in the Brisbane Waters or round to the hidden, empty beaches of the peninsula. Serious Ernest Hemingways can try the Blood & Thunder Game Fishing Charter and wrestle with the kings of the ocean – marlin, tuna, shark. With a top speed of 38 knots and all the latest thermal imaging fandango, they don't stand a chance. Bespoke expedition packages are available on request, and staff can also advise you on other local destinations, from Lobster Beach and Box Head within walking distance, to Killcare and Maitland Bay beaches, and the seaside villages of Killcare, Wagstaffe and Hardy's Bay, all close by.
For a full list of recommended activities in Central Coast, check out our Central Coast destination guide
