Surf lifesaving clubs are as Australian as fish and chips, potato cakes and the slap of thongs on concrete. At Captain Moonlite, the restaurant inside Anglesea’s SLC, you’ll find all those things, but the potato cake is served on a plate, the fish and chips have a vodka-spiked batter, and the flip-flop of thongs is just as audible as the soft rattle of pearls. This seaside restaurant balances the familiar and the surprising, and most of the time it works, whether it’s super-sized prawn cracker dusted in seaweed or a cheesecake of Fromager d’Affinois piped onto an Anzac feuilletine base. Pairing hapuka fillet with ricotta gnudi and Jerusalem artichoke is unconventional yet inspired, but barbecued octopus suffers from too much smoke and competition from other elements on the plate. At times, service can feel disjointed in skill and temperament, but the sweep of the beach, a proudly Victorian wine list and the charm of dining surrounded by club memorabilia all add up. If this is the new formula for coastal dining, send the memo far and wide.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
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Captain Moonlite
Modern Australian
Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club 100 Great Ocean Rd Anglesea, Vic
Julian Kingma
