The lowdown
The Stunned Mullet has long been one of Port Macquarie’s favourite restaurants, but few outside the town realise what a wine mecca it is, too, with a vast and comprehensive list full of incredible treasures, both domestic and imported.
The regular’s tip
As incredible as the list is, there are always off-list wines to be had – just ask.
The nuts & bolts
Opened 2005
Function spaces: 30 guests
The world may have changed since this Port Macquarie fine diner opened in 2005, but the view has remained the same. Visitors still vie for prime position along the waterside edge of the Stunned Mullet’s resort-style dining room, which looks out across the Pacific Ocean.
The view is not the only reason the Stunned Mullet has a loyal following, however. Owner Lou Perri passionately curates a large specialty wine list with head sommelier Tom Riedl. It’s a lengthy document that runs many hundreds of bottles deep, celebrating wines from Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany…
Four pages of half-bottles is made up of straight-up classics, ranging from Bandol Rosé to Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. The Champagne list is helpfully segmented by grower and grand marque, too. If we were splurging on oysters by the ocean, we’d make a beeline straight for the Chablis, but there’s also incredible depth of top-flight white and red Burgundy – think Domaine Leflaive, Roulot, Dujac, Rousseau… And for those with a more lo-fi bent, the brilliant Jean-François Ganevat is well represented, along with other icons. It’s an extraordinary list.
Chef Timm Lendt joined the team in 2018 after three years at Reuben & Carla, a rustic-cool steakhouse in Berlin. The beachside restaurant has retained its single Good Food Guide chef’s hat under his watch.
With mains tipping $40+ and dinner bookings essential, especially in summer, this is more destination dining than wine bar. Perri says lunch times are best for guests who like to “graze and sip”, although a more extensive by-the-glass list (beyond the 30+ already on offer) and snack menu are in the works post-pandemic.
