12 Kangaroo Valley restaurants and cafes every visitor must try

From cafes with house-fermented kombucha to character-filled pubs with buzzy beer gardens and delis helmed by award-winning chefs, it’s a great time to explore the Kangaroo Valley restaurant and cafe scene.

Kangaroo Valley restaurants and cafes have been drawing road-trippers and city dwellers for decades. This tiny township occupies a prime slice of country NSW real estate, sitting pretty in a wide valley, flanked by lush farmland worn tight and snug like a green velvet cardigan.

One of the best ways to experience the Kangaroo Valley is, of course, on foot, hiking to its many waterfalls and swimming holes dotted around the mountains of the Southern Highlands. But if you’re spending a long weekend capitalising on the valley’s many outdoor adventures, you also need sustenance, right? These are the Kangaroo Valley cafes and restaurants to visit on your travels.

1. Wildes Dining

Best for: Point Green beef flank steak with chimichurri and watercress with corn ribs on the side.

The peppy new tapas menu at Wildes Dining is worth staying in for when you’re booked in at Wildes Hotel. Build your feast at incrementally with a selection of appetisers and side dishes that are great for grazing. The tapas menu is available between 4PM and 8PM every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
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​The tapas bar menu at this restaurant with rooms provides ample reason to stay and play at the hotel, one of the best places to stay in the Kangaroo Valley. Dishes such as creamy burrata, indulgent cured beef loin and delicious mushroom bruschetta are terrific successes and made to share. Round out your composition of plates with dishes from the a la carte menu such as crumbed pork cutlet with fennel slaw and garlic and parsley butter or the market fish with spinach and Jervis Bay mussel sauce.

Address: 152 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley

2. Terra & Mare Pizzeria & Italian Bakery

Best for: Terra e Mare Pizza with pork and fennel salami, mozzarella, olives and anchovies. Drool.

We’d heard that Terra & Mare Pizzeria doles out some of the best woodfired pizzas in Kangaroo Valley so we gave it a try. Terra & Mare means ‘land and sea’ so you can expect to get a taste of that bounty at this Kangaroo Valley restaurant that specialises in handmade pasta and sourdough pizza.

If you’re in this neck of the woods, we’d suggest you pop in for some carb-heavy sustenance ahead of your hike the next day. Note: this is not the place to take Nonna (Unless she’s a progressive from Piedmont who gets the joke about The Italian Nightmare). The pizza is slathered in smokey BBQ sauce, ham and pineapple and regardless of what your naysayer mate from Naples says, it’s delish. The lamb neck ragu with rigatoni pasta is also worth shouting about. Give it a twirl.

Address: 162 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley

3. The Friendly Inn Hotel

Best for: Juicy burgers enjoyed in the beer garden where you’ll find out where ‘The Friendly’ gets its name.

Ask a local where to eat lunch in Kangaroo Valley and they’ll likely say The Friendly Inn. This laidback, heritage-listed pub, dating back to 1897, is one of the region’s oldest. Beyond its menu of crowd-pleasing pub staples (think burgers, steaks, salads and the ubiquitous schnitty) ‘The Friendly’ certainly lives up to its name, welcoming dogs and families with open arms.

Relax in the pub’s beer garden around a picnic table with a cold schooner or glass of rosé, and watch the kids tear around the playground. There’s even a pétanque court and a roster of live music. As the sun drops, you can go from canoeing the Kangaroo River to cocktails in the beer garden overlooking the region’s soaring escarpments. Sorted.

Address: 159 Moss Vale Rd, Kangaroo Valley

4. Yarrawa Estate

Best for: A glass of Chambourcin and a cheese platter.

This Kangaroo Valley winery is not strictly in the village of Kangaroo Valley. Nor is it strictly a restaurant or café. But it’s still worth highlighting this boutique, husband-and-wife-run winery. Yarrawa Estate lies just a 14-kilometre drive north-east of Kangaroo Valley. Beyond enjoying the owners’ warm country hospitality, weekend visitors to Yarrawa Estate can sample Mark and Sue’s fruit-forward Verdelho, buttery chardonnay and peppery shiraz.

Enjoy your tutored tastings of award-winning wines from the Kangaroo Valley with a cheese platter, accompanied by some of Sue’s homemade pickles, fruits, nuts and preserves. The vineyard is located between the rugged escarpments of Kangaroo Valley, which is known for its rich volcanic soil and temperate climate.

Address: 43B Scotts Rd, Kangaroo Valley

5. Osteria La Vallata

Best for: Brasato di Manzo (beef cheeks) served with whipped mash potatoes and portobello mushrooms.

Golfers have a new reason to work on their handicap with the opening of Osteria La Vallata at Kangaroo Valley Golf & Country Retreat. The Woolshed, under head chef Marco Salvestrin, presents nuanced Italian dishes informed by someone who doesn’t live in the mother country but has his heart in Australia. And the new restaurant has amplified the offerings at the Jack Newtown-designed course, with a menu of greatest hits that also emphasises seasonal ingredients.

The backbone of the menu is pasta and gnocchi under a melody that sings of the Mediterranean. Start with the Greek salad and antipasto misto and follow it with pappardelle all’anatra (duck ragu) and tiramisu. Cena conviviale!

Address: 391 Mt Scanzi Road, Kangaroo Valley

6. The General Cafe

Best for: The Frankenstein that is known as the ‘Cross-Breed Dog’: half banh mi, half frankfurter. What a beast.

Homemade organic sourdough? Tick. House-fermented small-batch kombucha? Tick. A bounty of fresh, seasonal produce gracing the cafe’s breakfast and lunch menu? Tick. Perch on one of the tables out front and watch the locals parading by, or head to the tranquil, leafy, sun-dappled veranda out the back. The cool folks at The General Cafe can cater to vegetarians and those who are dairy-free and gluten-free. And there’s often new specials to try, such as the Italian-style meatballs on sourdough toast, or the roasted mushrooms with creamy white polenta.

Address: 51 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley

7. Kangaroo Valley Bakehouse

Best for: The signature lamb and mint pies.

The best meat pies in Australia are enjoyed while standing amid a knot of people congregating on a footpath talking about the footie or the weather. And lovers of the iconic meat pie should do just that at this Kangaroo Valley stalwart. Made with love, and flaky pastry, the Kangaroo Valley

Bakehouse doles out all the classics: steak and mushroom, beef and Guinness, and, of course, the traditional Aussie meat pie as well as a curried veggie number. But there are also sausage rolls, apple pies and old-school milkshakes on offer, and fresh bread and pantry items to stock up on.  Take your sweet time savouring Australia’s national dish while getting tips on the best things to do in the Kangaroo Valley.

Address: 150 Moss Vale Rd, Kangaroo Valley

8. Maddison’s in the Valley

Best for: The best chicken schnitzels in Kangaroo Valley: order the Mexican which arrives slathered with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and melted cheese.

It’s hard to miss Maddison’s in the Valley as you drive through the dinky little village of Kangaroo Valley. The Kangaroo Valley cafe is housed in a heritage bank building and features a striped awning and outside tables filled with diners enjoying breakfast, brunch and lunch. Join the locals checking the chalkboard for daily specials (and the words of wisdom) or study the regular menu for classic cafe fare. Maddison’s in the Valley is a simple, no-frills kind of cafe in Kangaroo Valley, as some of the best regional eateries are, and it serves a very satisfying bacon and egg roll for the weary traveller.

Address: 158 Moss Vale Road, Moss Vale.

9. Cambewarra Lookout Cafe

Best for: Hefty burgers accompanied by a choice of local beers.

The Lookout Cafe on the peak of Cambewarra Mountain is a great place to perch. The venue, which has been operating as a cafe since 1909, offers panoramic views over the Shoalhaven. The terrace, which is open to the vast skies, is one of the best vantage points to look out over Kangaroo Valley. Here’s the scoop: there’s a gelato cart and picnics on the grounds are also possible. Travelling with your dog? That’s a complimentary puppycino right there. Plug the Lookout Cafe into the GPS. It’s one of the best venues with a view in Kangaroo Valley. Check the cafe’s Facebook page for The Lookout at Dusk events with live music.

Address: 182 Cambewarra Lookout Rd, Beaumont.

10. Kangaroo Valley Coffee Co.

Best for: Beetroot lattes if you want to be bougie

What many road-trippers are surprised to learn is that Kangaroo Valley is a village as well as a valley. And you will find many of the residents of this sleepy, charming riverside town queuing for their morning brew at the Kangaroo Valley Coffee Co. after their morning walks. Coffee has played such a role in community and culture in Australia and this has filtered down into the regions where there’d be a bit of a brew-ha-ha if the java was not up to scratch. You will find the Kangaroo Valley Coffee Co. in the back of a lovely little cottage that houses The Hive KV, another hub of the community. Take a moment to sit and breathe here where coffee is more than a drink; it’s a moment. There are blankets and a fire pit to keep you warm in winter.

Address: 170 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley

11. Sweet As Kangaroo Valley

Best for: Lollies, chocolate and gelato

Time will stand still when you watch your children eyeing off all the homemade candies, sweets, gelato and fudge on offer at Sweet As Kangaroo Valley, as they are made to taste exactly as they did when you were a kid. What was once Homelea Cottage is known as Sweet As Kangaroo Valley. The family-run institution aims to support as many artisans as it can such as Woodstock Chocolate Co. hand-made in nearby Milton, as well as The Pines Gelato, churned in the paddocks of Kiama. Sweet tooths will be satisfied when they add scoops of liquorice allsorts, Fluffy Crunch fairy floss, and Lovers Lane Rocky Road to the mix.

Address: 149b Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley

12. Hampden Deli, Dining & School

Best for: The tasty tarts and cakes intricately decorated with edible flowers are hard to pass up.

Hampden Deli is the brainchild of fine-dining powerhouse couple Nick Gardner and Stevie-Lee Bounader. Here, you’ll be able sample local produce in the form of tasty sweet treats and delicious sangas. Not only that, but you’ll often have the chance to learn about the food you’re eating, too. The Deli regularly runs classes on foodie topics like wine pairing, and how to brew the perfect cuppa joe.

Address: 4/160 Moss Vale Rd Kangaroo Valley

Want to know more about where to stay and play in Kangaroo Valley? check out our guide to Kangaroo Valley here.