Whispers of Palm Springs and a marine palette make for a breezy beachfront setting at Bannisters Port Stephens, a boutique hotel overlooking Salamander Bay – a seaside getaway north of Sydney.
Set below the lobby – which is awash with gelato-hued furnishings including eucalyptus pink cushioned couches, vintage B&B Italia armchairs, and gumnut green velvet sofas that reference the hillside – is Rick Stein's restaurant, the celebrity chef's third venture with the Bannisters hotel group.
‘The concept for the lobby and casual terrace restaurant was to be fresh and young, but nod to the nostalgic motel feel from its past,' explains Romy Alwill from Sydney-based Alwill Interiors who, together with designer Mia Ward, also crafted Stein's restaurant. ‘We wanted Rick’s to have its own uniquely Australian feel relating to the surrounding bushland and also the stunning views down the bay.'
A moulded U-shaped bar sits centre stage in the lofty open plan dining area, it’s Prussian Blue shade anchoring it firmly to waxed terracotta tiles. Similar deep sea-shaded arced leather banquettes stud the dining areas decked with sand-toned smoked European Oak floors and wicker dining chairs. ‘They’re punches of Rick’s signature blue (fresh from the Pacific of course!),’ adds Alwil. Hand-coloured Japanese wallpaper seeps into a feature wall, gently undulating like ocean ripples under the flicker of leather wall sconces sprouting from cantilevered arms.
While you won’t often find Stein tossing pans over flames in the kitchen, he worked closely with head chef, Mitchell Turner, designing a menu that nets the best of local catches. Signatures include: Madras fish curry, steamed mussels with macadamias and parsley and an ultra creamy fish pie gratinated with breadcrumbs and parmesan, all lending themselves perfectly to generous pours of chilled white specially crafted by the nearby Hunter Valley’s Brokenwood Wines in collaboration with Stein.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
147 Soldiers Point Road
Soldiers Point
-
SMAC Venice hosts a substantial show about celebrated Australian modernist Harry SeidlerA comprehensive overview of the life and work of the late architect Harry Seidler helped inaugurate Venice’s new SMAC gallery in Piazza San Marco
-
Sex, scent and celebrity: what perfume ads of the 2000s reveal about consumer culture todayIn All-American Ads of the 2000s, the latest instalment of Taschen’s book series chronicling print advertising across ten decades, a section on perfume is a striking precursor for consumerism in the age of social media
-
Shola Branson draws from the antique and modern for his must-have jewellery piecesShola Branson's jewellery in SMO gold combines a range of eclectic influences
-
Book a brutalist one-room wonder Down Under, the Vipp Tunnel in TasmaniaThe Danish design brand's bookable showcases arrive in the southern hemisphere, thanks to the vision of Tasmanian architectural firm Room 11
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Eve Hotel Sydney: a lush urban escapeA new Sydney hotel makes a bold and biophilic addition to a buzzing neighbourhood that’s on the up
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Lo Scoglio: an Australian vacation rental with regenerative principlesTucked away in Byron Bay’s hinterland, an Italian-style farmhouse presents a sustainable approach to luxury
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Melbourne Place: ‘an alchemy of colour, texture and personality’Designed by Kennedy Nolan, Melbourne Place is the Australian city’s newest independent hotel, oozing creativity and urban energy
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
Six hotels where you’ll find the winter sun this FebruaryFrom intimate seaside inns to lush tropical resorts, here are six Wallpaper*-approved winter sun escapes
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
