The Flooded Gums Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the Fairways Meet the Table

Set among the flooded gum-lined fairways of Bonville Golf Resort, The Flooded Gums Restaurant transforms each evening into an intimate fine dining experience. Candlelight, an open fire in winter, and the quiet drama of the surrounding gums create an atmosphere that feels genuinely removed from the ordinary — without trying too hard to say so.

The Kitchen and the Cellar

Executive Head Chef Darren Ryan drives a modern seasonal menu that leans confidently into Australian produce. Entrées range from Hervey Bay scallops with XO sauce and pineapple relish to tempura Mooloolaba prawns with wasabi mayonnaise — the kitchen makes a point of using only sustainably caught Australian seafood. Mains follow suit: local line-caught fish, slow-cooked lamb shoulder with native plum and beetroot relish, and a miso-glazed spatchcock with saffron corn purée. Desserts hold their own, from a warm flourless chocolate fudge cake to a Basque cheesecake with lemon curd and macerated strawberries.

The wine list is where The Flooded Gums has earned particular recognition. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence — the only such honour granted to a regional NSW property at the time — sits alongside Fine Wine Partners and Gourmet Traveller Wine List of the Year accolades. The list spans age-release and current vintages from Australia's most acclaimed producers, alongside European, New Zealand and South American selections. Sommelier guidance comes courtesy of Niels Sluiman, consulting sommelier from sister property Jonah's Restaurant at Whale Beach, whose training shapes a waitstaff genuinely equipped to match wine to food.

Daytime and the Broader Experience

By day, the Bonville Brasserie handles breakfast and lunch with the same attention to produce — smashed avocado on sourdough, buttermilk pancakes, tagliatelle with East Coast wild-caught prawns, and a 300g scotch fillet overlooking the 18th green. The setting, with kookaburras in the surrounding gums, is quietly hard to beat.

Access to the restaurant is currently reserved for resort accommodation guests, members, and golfing guests — making a stay-and-dine package the natural way to experience one of regional Australia's most quietly decorated dining rooms.