Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club's bistro in good hands

Head chef Tony Harrison has been manning the pans at some of our favourite places around town for some time now. At Nor East, he's added a few dashes of pizazz to an otherwise solid bistro menu, with promises of more to come as he settles into the new venue.

The menu is fairly compact with a couple of specials on the board. Drinks are reasonably priced and the wine list features a strong Hunter line-up.

I start with a Boydell's sparkling verdelho and a half dozen Port Stephens oysters, because, well, why not? They are small and concentrated, briny and minerally. A French mignonette dressing of finely chopped eschallots and vinegar counteracts the mineral finish, but I actually prefer them natural. They truly are a decadent way to kick off a meal.

Another great snack to start with is the signature king prawn bruschetta. They come as one serving, but could easily be shared between two if you're having other things to nibble on.

Sitting on a big slab of toasted sourdough is a creamy mixture of prawn meat and herbs, but nothing too overpowering.

Tony has shared his chicken liver pate here and it's a real delight. Smooth and so very meaty, offset by a sweet quince jam and bitey pickles. There's no complaining for lack of bread - five chunky pieces of sourdough are provided to smother in the paste.

There are other great plates for sharing, or ones for hoarding by yourself - in this instance that's the fresh sugar cured king fish with roasted beets and mixed leaves. It's pretty and colourful and one to savour. On the other hand, a half kilo of crispy deep fried buttermilk chicken wings with Sriracha aioli is great for many hands and washing down with a refreshing ale.

Mains are stock standard: schnitzel, bangers and mash, fish and chips, scotch fillet, rump, or a burger with the trimmings. However, they are not standard renditions. Enjoy fish and chips (really big chunky ones cooked well, fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside) with mushy peas (bit more pasty than mushy), old school malt vinegar, tartare and pick one or two fillets depending on the size of your appetite.

The schnitty comes with chips and salt or mash and veg and a real roast chicken gravy. Or you could ask for a red wine jus or roast chicken veloute. See? Bistro food, no frills, but a little something extra.

There's a fresh Coral Sea parrot fish special, as well as linguine with prawn, chorizo and chilli. I'm keen to return for the pork, veal and fennel sausages with buttery mash and roast pork gravy.

There are desserts such as a pan, a brownie or pan cotta with white chocolate caviar and blood orange. A mille feuille special with poached rhubarb and creme patissiere would be delicious if you could get your tongue around pronouncing it after a few schooners. Kids are catered for, and there are plenty of gluten free options, not so much vegetarian - we're on the water here, folks. Pop in on the weekend for a feast of all the breakfast classics: bacon and egg roll, BLT, veggie plate, beans on toast, eggs, and more and check out Street Food Sundays - a selection of features and smaller dishes that will make the end of the weekend the easiest and tastiest place to be. If you're keen for some waterside dining, this is a relaxed, picturesque place to go about it. Tony has raised the food stakes, and over the coming months it will no doubt get better.

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