In the belly of Whale Beach
Why on earth would you drive when you can fly to Jonah's in 12 minutes and whale away the hours in glorious style?
By Dan Rookwood
Jonah's has more than just a view to recommend it
Palm Beach is to Sydney what the
Hamptons are to New York: an exclusive
weekend playground for the
rich and famous. Less than an hour’s
drive from the hustle and hassle of
the city, it has the fresh air of relaxed
exclusivity. And if you want somewhere
suitably decadent but discreet
to eat while you’re there, then Jonah’s
is top of the A-list.
But why drive there when you can
fly like the rest of the jetset? Soaring
above Sydney’s coastline in a sixseater
seaplane to lunch at Jonah’s
is the ultimate indulgence. The only
problem with the flight – apart from
the price – is that it really doesn’t last
long enough. It takes just 12 glorious
minutes from the moment you take
off at Rose Bay and climb away from
the Opera House and Harbour Bridge
until you get to Barrenjoey lighthouse
and touch down on the millpond that
is Pittwater where a car will be waiting
to take you five minutes up the
hill to Jonah’s.
Established in 1928, Jonah’s was
originally a solitary roadside diner on
an otherwise completely untouched
part of the coastline. The archive
pictures on the wall in the restaurant
bar show how the area has been
transformed in the last 80 years from
a rough diamond to a tastefully blingencrusted
sand-fringed bracelet.
Nowadays Jonah’s is the place to be
– and anyone who’s anyone has been
there. Perched on the cliff just above
Whale Beach (the next beach down
from Palm), it has perfect 180-degree
views of the Pacific. The food, while
pricey (we’re talking $36–$48 for
a main without sides) does the vista
justice. It’s mod-Oz made with a
French influence and local ingredients.
The cocoa bean crusted bass
groper fillet with saffron and basil
was sensational – we still talk about
it at home now. And though we didn’t
have room for the chocolate indulgent
cake at the table, we were delighted
when it was sent to our room afterwards
in case we “felt peckish later”.
General manager Sean Byrne sets the
high service standard himself, buzzing
around each table, pollinating the
place with relaxed efficiency.
For those who don’t have a plane
to catch immediately, you can stay
overnight and, following a brisk dip
in the sea, settle down to a hearty
brunch while you see if you can
spot any of the whales for which the
bay is named and famed. The hotel
has 11 rooms and one penthouse
which, although not spectacular, are
all very well appointed with views
and private terraces. The bathroom
opens up at such an angle that you
can enjoy a Jacuzzi bath with a glass
of something equally bubbly while
looking out to sea.
That’s how to live the high life – for
a weekend at least. It was while topping
up our glasses that we spotted
our seaplane coming into land to take
us back down to earth. C’est la vie.
Jonah’s, 69 Bynya Road, Palm Beach
2108 (02 9974 5599 www.jonahs.com.au) Lunch daily; dinner Wed–
Sun from 6.30pm. An overnight
package including flights, dinner and
breakfast with Sydney Seaplanes is
$700pp. The fly and dine deal with no
overnight stay is $465pp. (1300 732
752 www.seaplanes.com.au)