Jonah’s Restaurant And Boutique Hotel

Situated atop the idyllic Whale Beach on the Northern Beaches, Jonah's is a Sydney institution. The hotel and restaurant offer sweeping ocean views, making it an ideal spot for a staycation or even just a long, leisurely lunch in summer.

The restaurant is headed up by Executive Chef Federico Tidu and serves contemporary Italian fare made with top-quality local produce. Think fresh seafood platters, squid ink linguine, grilled prawns with bisque bechamel and pickled fennel to start, followed by mains such as Murray cod with chicory and orange, roast lamb with radicchio and asparagus, and whole Eastern Rock lobster.

As for dessert, there's raspberry semifreddo, chocolate delice with hazelnut and blueberries, and lemon curd and almond crumble with peach sorbet. 

Of course, a stellar lunch isn't complete without wine. And luckily Jonah's Restaurant has more than 1600 bottles for you to choose from, with a good mix of international and Australian drops—namely 11 vintages of one of Australia’s most recognised wines, Penfold's Bin 95 Grange.

If you're really treating yourself, book a stay in one of the 11 boutique hotel rooms. Every room offers spectacular ocean views and comes with a private balcony and jacuzzi. As a hotel guest, you'll also get access to the picturesque clifftop infinity pool, as well as in-house beauty and massage treatments, breakfast in the restaurant, and access to the cocktail bar. 

Jonah's Restaurant is open to non-hotel guests every Thursday—Sunday for lunch and dinner. 

Image credit: Jonah's via Destination NSW