9 January 2011

Bells at Killcare, Killcare


A belated happy new year to everyone out there and I hope you all had a relaxing Christmas and new year break! I wouldn't say that my holiday season was particularly relaxing as such but thankfully Sir D and I took a little break before Christmas and we headed up to Bells at Killcare on the Central Coast.

 Killcare Beach (left); The fireplace in the cottage (right)

We stayed in one of the cottages on the Bells property which were cosy and well-stocked. There was a huge bed, a spa bath and a real fireplace! Yes I was quite excited by the fire - Sir D got it working every night and it did a good job of warming up the place which got quite chilly once the sun set. There was a breakfast hamper provided every morning which we cooked ourselves on the bbq on the deck, and the rest of the days were spent exploring the nearby beaches.

Seashell light on the table (left); Olives and parmesan crisps (right)

On the last night we headed to the restaurant to indulge in a three course dinner. The dining room is spacious and decked out in nautical blue and white tones and seashells. The waitstaff are smiling and pleasant and very attentive to our every need, and after we place our order a small plate of mixed olives and parmesan crisps arrives on our table.



Veal crudo with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and Reggiano - $24


My entree, the veal crudo, arrives and it is like a steak tartare of sorts, combining chopped raw veal meat with parmesan, olive oil, lemon and spring onions. It is a tiny bit chewier than steak tartare but not unpleasantly so, and the flavours are clean and zingy. Halfway through the dish though I am wishing that I left my parmesan crisp to eat with the crudo since the textures of the dish are starting to just feel mushy in the mouth.

Tagliatelle with rabbit bolognese and pecorino - $25

Luckily at this point I swap with Sir D who has ordered the tagliatelle with rabbit bolognese. It is almost the polar opposite of the veal dish with bold, deep flavours and perfect pasta, and little delicate curls of pecorino scattered on top. We both agree that this is our preferred entree.

Roast duck breast with pickled turnips from our garden and citrus sauce - $39

For the main course I order the roast duck breast. I don't really like pickles and the pickled radishes are so vinegary and sour it makes me pucker! I leave most of these behind on the plate, but the duck is pink and succulent and pairs well with the orange-y sauce and I have no problems finishing that off.

Grilled grass-fed beef loin with roast garlic, red wine sauce - $39

The beef is also a standout, it's super tender and is cooked perfectly to medium rare as ordered. I have a serious case of food envy - while the duck is nice I'm secretly glad that we agreed to share our dishes because I think Sir D has picked all the winners tonight!

Tartufo di Amadei chocolate - $16.50

Onto desserts! I'm set on ordering the chocolate tartufo dessert and it arrives in all its chocolatey glory on a creamy sugary base that tastes like a creme brulee, minus the crunch factor. The tartufo itself is like a giant chocolate truffle with cocoa powder dusted on the outside and creamy chocolate innards.

Strawberry semifreddo with rhubarb, blood orange and strawberry jellies - $16.50

Initially we can't decide what other dessert to get but then we spot a red wobbly dessert heading towards a few tables. Upon consulting the dessert menu we realise it is a strawberry semifreddo with rhubarb, blood orange and strawberry jellies. It wobbles towards our table and we attack the jellies, each with their distinct flavours with my favourite being the strawberry. The jelly cones sit on top of a thin biscuit disc which sandwiches a frosty strawberry semifreddo and it's the perfect way to end a fantastic meal.


With our bellies full we head back to our cottage without forking out a cent (since the meals are included in the accommodation package). We get the fireplace going and lie back in a food coma watching episode upon episode of various TV series in bed. Relaxation indeed.

107 The Scenic Road
Killcare Heights NSW 2257
Ph: +61 2 4360 2411
Restaurant open 7 days from 6pm; Friday to Sunday from 12pm

Manfredi at Bells on Urbanspoon

13 comments:

  1. Relaxing bliss! Should keep it in mind the next time I need a mini-getaway.

    It may just be that I'm weird, but I'm seeing an Elmo-like face on top of that semifreddo...

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  2. How lovely! Killcare is such a calm, relaxing place.

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  3. Awww, those jellies look fantastic!

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  4. What a great looking getaway. I love the photos of olives, they look so oily and nom nom. The jellies are cool too!

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  5. The semifreddo looks so cute and what an amazing getaway. Have only heard good things about Bells.

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  6. HAHAHA wobble wobble wobble that semi freddo looks so awesome!

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  7. Looks like a lovely and relaxing place to stay. Love the wobbly jellies :)

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  8. What a beautiful getaway! So going to check this place out when I need to escape the city life and need to chill!

    That semifreddo looks so cute and like a face (eyes are the red jellies and nose is the orange one)! It sounds really amazing and I love wobbly desserts, so much fun!!

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  9. mm wow thinking of staying here one day :)

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  10. sounds great! what a lovely little escape :)

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  11. Sounds like you had an awesome time away!

    Don't you hate it when other people pick better food than you do? At least you get to share, so that's something :)

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  12. Looks incredible. You're so lucky to have experienced it!

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  13. Hi mademoiselle delicieuse - LOL I was staring at the picture of the semifreddo for ages wondering where the Elmo face was then it hit me!! hahaha

    Hi joey - It was great - not too far away from Sydney but far enough to get a sense of calmness :)

    Hi YaYa - hehehe they were too cute to pass up! When I saw them wobbling towards me I knew I had to get it!

    Hi Mark - Hehe I still haven't convinced my tastebuds that olives are tasty so you're welcome to my share of them!

    Hi Helen - Yep, it's a great place to go to get away from the city for a few days :)

    Hi chocolatesuze - hahaha seriously it wobbled so much! I should've done a video of it =P hehe

    Hi sara - Yep I definitely recommend it for a romantic getaway!

    Hi Phuoc - Yeah I loved it! And it was so close to the beach as well :) I totally missed the face on the semifreddo until mademoiselle delicieuse pointed it out and now that's all I see hahaha

    Hi Julie - Do it! I highly recommend it :)

    Hi Betty - It was awesome! Definitely one of those places where you can just lie back and do nothing for the whole day if that's what you want

    Hi Simon - I've noticed that Sir D has a habit of always choosing the better dish when we eat Italian, so from now on I'm letting him decide! Sharing is caring :)

    Hi OohLookBel - It was great, such a serene and relaxing location

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