the guide.

Just an hour out of Sydney along the Great Western Highway lies a winter playground. The cool, crisp air braces tourists following well-worn bush tracks to spy mountains bathed in a blue-tinged mist. However, there’s more to the Blue Mountains than breathtaking views. With heritage-listed buildings, inviting restaurants and cafes warmed by fireplaces, as well as a host of small producers, a Mountains trip is the ideal way to embrace the season.

Before you reach the major hubs, take the time to visit the small villages of Glenbrook, Blaxland and Woodford, and you’ll be rewarded with hidden gems. Picturesque Leura, with its tree-lined streets and quaint shops, is a popular day-trip for Sydneysiders. The Blue Mountains’ largest town, Katoomba, might be most famous for its vantage point of the Three Sisters at Echo Point, but it has a serious food focus, too. In 2007, it was

declared a Cittaslow (slow town) by Italy’s Slow Food Movement, making it only one of two in Australia. By the time you’ve reached Blackheath, there’s no mistaking you’re out of the city, with the lush forests into the Megalong Valley flanking the south, and long stretches of farmers’ paddocks further west. And if you have the time, a journey home to the city along the pretty Bells Line of Road is a wonderfully relaxing way to travel.

With its roaring fires, hearty winter produce and cosy lodgings, the Blue Mountains makes the perfect weekend escape.

Words alison Pickel PhotograPhy craig Wall

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the guide.

Clockwise from left: The Grose Valley; Restaurant Como’s seared scallops

with coconut-braised pork neck; Rachel McNabb and Grant Farrant at Como.

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on the way upIn Restaurant Como (134 Great Western Hwy, Blaxland, (02) 4739 8555), partners Rachel McNabb and Grant Farrant have created an elegant fine diner, with muted tones and candlelit tables, that’s a world away from its shopping centre location. It’s easy to see why Rachel and her team won last year’s Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Silver Service Award when impeccably groomed staff offer well-versed

advice and wine glasses are almost magically refilled. Meanwhile, chef Grant has created one of the most innovative menus in the region, including a sugar-cured ocean trout with burst-in-the-mouth mandarin pearls, and a banana-themed dessert of toffee-wrapped pudding, gelato and a sugar-dusted samosa.

For a cafe with a conscience, visit Mash (19 Ross St, Glenbrook, (02) 4739 5908), where much of the menu falls under the banner of organic and Fairtrade. Breakfast might include thick French toast or zucchini and kumara fritters, served with excellent coffee or a selection of flavoured hot chocolates (our fave is choc-orange).

Visit the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum, then pop into Lindsay’s Cafe (12 Norman Lindsay Cr, Faulconbridge, (02) 4751 9611), housed in the artist’s heritage-listed studio. The cake of choice? Magic (sticky date) pudding, of course.

Clockwise from top: a pan-asian feel at hanuman; Cairns; the hanuman prawns;

the restaurant’s chic white setting.

Clockwise from above: Gardens at Woodford honey;

The Carrington hotel; cafe Mash; and their French toast with blueberry maple sauce.

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Make a beeline for Woodford Honey (27 Old Bathurst Rd, Woodford, (02) 4758 7017). If you call ahead, apiarist Lyle Clinton will take you through the honey-making process from the hives to the extracting room. His wife, Karen, who is currently completing a pastry course, will show off her new skills to groups on request, with high tea in the lounge room.

For a romantic getaway, choose a modern loft-style suite at The Falls Mountain Retreat (The Avenue, Wentworth Falls, (02) 4757 8801, fallsmountainretreat.com.au, from $180 per double), with an open fireplace and a spa for two.

leuraSilk’s Brasserie (128 The Mall, (02) 4784 2534) is the classy dinner option in town. Host and owner Stewart Robinson offers friendly, professional service to complement the warm, ochre-hued room with black-and-white chequerboard flooring set in a Federation-era building. The mod-Oz menu features dishes such as chermoula-crusted chicken on a bed of couscous, and pork fillet in five-spice with baked polenta.

There are plenty of cafes to choose from in Leura, but our pick for honest food at reasonable prices is Lily’s Pad Cafe (19 Grose St, (02) 4784 1033), tucked away behind the main strip. Go for wholesome soups and smart salads. Their scones with lemon curd are pretty good, too.

For some of the best pies around, look no further than Bakehouse on Wentworth (208 The Mall, (02) 4784 3588). Generous, chunky, fillings come encased in flaky pastry in varieties such as curried vegetable, chicken and mushroom, and steak and kidney.

Chocolate lovers shouldn’t go past Josophan’s (132 The Mall, (02) 4784 2031) and its handcrafted delights in flavours such as peanut butter, and honey and saffron (to name just a couple). You can also book into a chocolate appreciation class, but if you can’t wait that long, enjoy decadent waffles, sundaes and cakes instead down the road at Cafe Josophan’s (187a The Mall, (02) 4784 3833).

For a sugar rush alternative, browse the floor-to-ceiling shelves of pop rocks, humbugs, honeycomb and other lollies at

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Clockwise: stay at shangri-la Cairns; the shangri-la’s pool; tropical

produce at Rusty’s Market.

Clockwise from top: Darley’s vanilla panna cotta with poached quince; the restaurant’s

dining room; new Darley’s chef Carl Middleton; the cocktail lounge at avalon.

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The Candy Store (6/178 The Mall, (02) 4782 9240), or pop into the adorably named quilting store Picklemouse Corner (1/152 Megalong St, (02) 4784 2854), where the original Picklemouse herself, Pam Davis, makes fudge for visitors interested in more than just patchwork.

With your sweet tooth satisfied, stock up on kitchen and table wares at Leura Whisk (1 & 3/166 The Mall, (02) 4784 3412). Geri Clisby and Judith Langley pride themselves on offering hard-to-find cookware – think vintage-style loaf and angel food cake pans. They’ll gladly source anything not already on the shelves.

Downstairs at Leura Cellars (169-171 The Mall, (02) 4784 1122) is a treasure trove of mostly Australian fine wines, while upstairs there’s a good range of drops from nearby Orange and Mudgee regions, as well as guidance from the highly knowlegeable staff.

After the shopping spree, take your haul back to your self-contained accommodation at Old Leura Dairy (61 Kings Rd, (02) 4782 0700, oldleuradairy.com, from $270 per double with breakfast provisions supplied).

There are six environmentally sustainable cottages of varying size on the property, from an intimate two-person studio, to the magnificent five-bedroom Straw Bale House, which boasts a gourmet kitchen, country-style furniture and two fireplaces.

katoombaThere have been many changes at Lilianfels resort and its fine diner Darley’s (Lilianfels Ave, Echo Point, (02) 4780 1200, lilianfels.com.au), since new owners took over earlier this year. New chef Carl Middleton is maintaining the restaurant’s reputation as one of the best in the area, after previous chef Hugh Whitehouse led Darley’s to win Best Regional Restaurant last year. Carl’s food suits the cool weather with standouts including wagyu beef cheek and mushroom lasagne, and vanilla panna cotta with poached quince. The dining room itself is as grand as ever, with more comfortable chairs replacing the old wicker numbers on the enclosed verandah.

Lilianfels hotel remains the luxe option for a Mountains stay. The plush rooms are designed with indulgence in mind with

cushy, over-sized beds, deep sunken baths or spas, and some offering views over the Jamison Valley (from $299 per double including breakfast). There are differences over here, too, with new lounge decor brought in from the Hydro Majestic (which is currently being renovated) and optional fireside whisky flights matched to cheeses and desserts. Look for further changes over the next six months – there are plans for a wine garden and a line of preserves.

For Old World glamour, The Carrington (15-47 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 1111, thecarrington.com.au, from $205 per double including breakfast) is the place to be. This 128-year-old hotel that has played host to many notable figures including most of Australia’s prime ministers. Each room has its own unique heritage character, with 10 rooms still retaining all their original features. If the Carrington Pub, located opposite the train station, isn’t your style, visit the hotel’s Champagne Charlie’s instead, and relax with a vintage cocktail, or book into the hotel’s impressive dining room for a fitting dish of caramelised duck breast with fondant potatoes.

the guide.

Clockwise: the tree-lined streets of leura; try more than 60 flavours at The Blue

Mountains Chocolate Company; the grand dining room at The Carrington.

the guide.

If your thirst for the past still hasn’t been quenched, there’s more to be seen, from historic cafe Paragon, to eatery and bar Avalon (8-18 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 5532) housed in the old Savoy Picture Theatre. Avalon is all charm with its mismatched crockery, and Art Deco-style features. The restaurant offers hearty fare, while the cocktail lounge is an appropriate place for a classic kir royale or brandy Alexander.

Those in search of spice should follow the locals to Arjuna Indian Restaurant (16 Valley Rd, (02) 4782 4662).

For breakfast, Fresh Espresso and Food Bar (5/181 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 3602) can’t be beaten for organic, Fairtrade coffee and a generous pile of eggs scrambled with chorizo, potato, feta and spring onion. Plus, it’s carbon neutral, so you can enjoy your spicy chai guilt-free.

Common Ground (214 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 9744) has a bit of a cult following in town. Inside the grotto-like interior, you can enjoy well-priced salads, melts and soups with house-baked wholemeal bread.

Katoomba is a great place to replenish supplies, and Cittaslow member Hominy Bakery (185 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 9816) should be your first stop. Baker Brent Hersee, who learned his craft in Paris, turns out sourdough loaves made with the traditional 18-hour method and a 20-year-old starter. Folks travel from Sydney and Canberra for the biscuits and cakes baked by his partner, Jennifer Ingall, including a luscious pear and ginger cake.

At Blue Mountains Chocolate Company (176 Lurline St, (02) 4782 7071) you can try more than 60 types of chocolate, as well as housemade ice cream. There are chocolate-

making demos, or just sit on the verandah with a hot drink kept warm with a candle.

For a taste of the unusual, visit Katoomba Wines (42 Katoomba St, (02) 4782 5977) where the vivacious Veronic Oksa will let you taste some chilli wine from Disaster Bay Chillies in Eden, and offer counsel on the shop’s small, but eclectic, range.

Other must-grab provisions include the caramelised chilli onion jam and addictive passionfruit butter from Blue M Food Co & Cafe (171 Lurline St, (02) 4782 6828), or locally grown produce and freshly ground almond butter from The Blue Mountains Food Co-op (Ha’penny La, (02) 4782 5890).

Clockwise from left: escarpment; their baby beetroot salad; straw Bale house at old leura Dairy; Common Ground; David Waters and Barry o’sullivan at escarpment.

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blackheath & beyondThrough the multitude of antique stores and old-fashioned tearooms, newcomer Escarpment (246 Great Western Hwy, Blackheath, (02) 4787 7269) has arrived like a breath of fresh air. The expertise from the longtime restaurant partnership of Barry O’Sullivan and David Waters (who until recently helmed the Gallery Restaurant in Katoomba) shows in their light touch, from the small, contemporary dining room to the refined menu. Barry’s baby beet salad with witlof and crisp prosciutto should be a benchmark for this classic, his Mt Wilson chestnut soup will warm you to the core, and meat eaters will observe with envy the vegie main of Oberon forest mushrooms and silken tofu braised in a stock of star anise, orange peel and ginger.

The reference to the Roman god of fire should let you know what to expect at Vulcans (33 Govetts Leap Rd, Blackheath, (02) 4787 6899). Located on the site of the old Blackheath Bakery, legendary chef

Phillip Searle cooks everything in the original woodfired oven. Come here for a different kind of communal dining, where large portions of duck sausage and aromatic pot-roasted beef are sliced up and dished out in smaller servings.

Schedule a visit on the second Sunday of the month for the Blackheath Growers’ Market (Blackheath Community Centre, Cnr Great Western Hwy and Gardiner Cres, Blackheath, 8am-12pm). There’s a good variety of produce, cheeses, cakes, preserves and spices on offer. Don’t miss marinated feta from Willowbrae Chèvre Cheese Farm, preservative-free bacon from Trunkey Bacon & Pork, and Devonshire tea cakes from Cupids Cupcakes.

Sunday is also the best day to descend into Megalong Valley, because that’s when Megalong Beef (Six Foot Track, Megalong Valley, (02) 4787 6013) opens their farm gate, selling their Black Angus products direct to the public. They keep the barbecues burning, so you can cook your rib-eye or

Texas sausages on site. Neighbouring olive grove Megalong Gold is also there to sell their extra virgin oils, and if you’re lucky you might see some whip-cracking, too.

Also open on Sundays is the Blue Mountains’ only cellar door, Dryridge Estate (Six Foot Track, Megalong Valley, (02) 4787 5625, dryridge.com.au). Bob and Barbara Tyrrell (no relation to the Hunter Valley clan) grow fruit for an outstanding riesling, a medium-bodied shiraz and an excellent savoury rosé made with cabernet grapes. And if the climb out of the valley seems too hard, you can stay at their two-bedroom cottage, Sunrise Lodge (from $215 per double). With a fully equipped kitchen, open log fire, barbecue facilities, DVD library and indoor hot tub, it’s a great place to hole up and get away from it all.

Take the right fork at the valley turn-off, and you’ll soon find Logan Brae Orchard (139 Shipley Rd, Shipley, (02) 4787 8440, open February-August). Third-generation apple farmer Graham Jackson grows and sells Jonathans, Bonzas, Fujis, Pink Ladies and Galas for $8-$12 a box, as well as apple jelly, jam, and quite possibly the best juice you’ve ever tasted.

A bowl of the famous muesli at Whisk & Pin Store and Cafe (1 Railway Pde, Medlow Bath, (02) 4788 1555) is a stellar start to the day. Their baking mixes and gluten-free products are worth a look, too.

Clockwise: The lounge room at lilianfels; hominy Bakery’s chocolate and hazelnut

biscuits; Jennifer Ingall at hominy; the riesling vines at Dryridge estate.

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On the west side, make the journey out to Adam’s Shed (2264 Great Western Hwy, Hartley), where mother-and-son team Marie Sheldon and Adam Moseley hold wine tastings of their stock sourced from 12 boutique wineries in Mudgee and Orange. Among the farming supplies, also look for Small Acres Cyder apple cider and Tabletalk tapenades.

the scenic route homeChestnut and walnut season is over for another year, but if you find yourself back in the area from April to mid-May, don some gloves and head up Mt Wilson to forage at one of many plantations. At Fern Hill (The Avenue, Mt Wilson, (02) 4756 2008), a one-kilo bag of chestnuts will set you back around $10.

Wander around the cool-climate grounds at Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, then refuel at Restaurant Tomah (Bells of Line Rd, via Bilpin, (02) 4567 2060) with braised rabbit pie or lamb shanks. Find a seat on the deck to enjoy the stunning views.

You might feel like you’re off the beaten track out here, but you’ll still need a booking to secure a table at bustling roadhouse Apple Bar (2488 Bells Line of Rd, Bilpin, (02) 4567 0335). These guys are famous for their crispy woodfired pizzas with toppings such as roast pumpkin, feta, bocconcini, pine nuts and pesto.

There’s no finer way to round out your journey than with lunch or dinner at Lochiel House (1259 Bells Line of Rd, Kurrajong Heights, (02) 4567 7754). The resumés of chefs/owners Monique Maul and Tony Milroy are peppered with fine-dining experience, including stints at Rockpool and Bayswater Brasserie. Seasonal is a key word at this circa-1825 cottage, which has a small kitchen garden to provide unusual leafy greens such as chickweed and oxalis. The menu changes often, so you might find braised pork neck with roasted baby carrots, and for dessert perhaps a soft meringue roulade filled with vanilla cream and rosé jelly on top of shortbread ‘pebbles’. d.Thanks to Tourism New South Wales for assistance with this story. For more information, go to: visitnsw.com.

the guide.

adam’s shed ............................................... 10apple Bar .................................................... 13arjuna Indian Restaurant ............................ 20avalon........................................................... 19Bakehouse on Wentworth .......................... 16Blackheath Growers’ Market ........................7Blue M Food Co & Cafe ................................ 18Blue Mountains Chocolate shop ................. 18Common Ground .......................................... 19Darley’s ........................................................ 17Dryridge estate .............................................9escarpment ...................................................7Fern hill ...................................................... 11Fresh ............................................................ 19hominy ......................................................... 19Josophan’s ................................................... 16Katoomba Wines ......................................... 19leura Candy store ...................................... 16leura Cellars .............................................. 16

leura Whisk ................................................. 16lilianfels ...................................................... 17lily’s pad Cafe .............................................. 16lindsay’s Cafe ................................................3lochiel house .............................................. 14logan Brae orchard ......................................8Mash ...............................................................1Megalong Beef ..............................................9old leura Dairy ............................................ 15picklemouse Corner .................................... 16Restaurant Como ...........................................2Restaurant Tomah ....................................... 12silks Brasserie ............................................ 16The Blue Mountains Food Co-op ................. 19The Carrington ............................................. 19The Falls Mountain Retreat ...........................5Vulcans ...........................................................7Whisk & pin Cafe & store ..............................6Woodford honey ............................................4

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