Address: 161 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 3396
Hours: Open daily from 11:30am

On The Mall, the Fitzroy, a historic building with a rather wild past offers typical Australian cuisine in the Thunderbolt Bistro. Slip past the bar and lounge to find the tables and chairs in a plant-filled shady oasis, or grab a table overlooking The Mall for al fresco dining and people-watching. We can attest to the great garden burgers with all the trimmings. Steak and pasta are terrific selections on the menu and seafood is a favourite with many loyal customers.

Weekends, the Fitz serves up entertainment in a laid-back environment with popular recording artists such as benjalu, Josh Pyke, Killing Heidi and Eskimo Joe. In good weather, the young, hip crowd spills onto The Mall and out to the back deck.

And if you are planning an event, the Fitz has a sizeable function room with a small stage and a big deck out back for those warmer summer evenings. Call for bookings.

Address: 22 Fitzgerald Street
Phone: 02 4577 5422
Hours: Tues-Sun 11.30am-10pm (lunch and dinner)
Wheelchair access

A recent addition to the upmarket scene in Windsor is Restaurant 22. Reviewed in the Daily Telegraph (12 July 2011), by the foodie critic Simon Thomsen, our young chef Jarryd Faint received quiet but solid praise along with a helping of wise advice. The menu is tweaked weekly - no mean feat - keeping locals enthused about returning.

While the setting is not as sophisticated as some, the ambience is warm and welcoming. These new owners - it is a family affair - have a vision and we are confident they will gain a loyal clientele and be very successful. The menu reigns (as it should); the setting can follow.

The menu definitely is sophisticated and the presentations are beautiful -- Dale O'Grady oversees each plate. Fortunately, we faced a modest number of select menu choices.

We won't go into details about the menu as it does change, but we know the desserts are smashing and once a success, hopefully always a success! Try a chocolate sampler plate or our favourite, the Citrus Sampler. What a wonderful combination of consistencies - light and dense - of lemon delicacies. Even for chocolate lovers, this is a sampler to try.

Address: Lachlan Court, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 7236
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-3.30pm

A touch of quaint elegance has entered the historic Windsor scene: Mishy's - serving up English high tea in Lachlan Court. What a wonderful, if calorie-loaded tradition - a terrific way to treat yourself. The tearoom is charming, tables are set for four (or less) with the ambience of old-English customs.

With a friend on a dreary winter's day, we enjoyed an afternoon break of petite savoury sandwiches and yummy sweets - the scones were particularly delicate and flaky. Who could ever pass up cream and jam? We owe the English so much!

As Mishy's is a family endeavour, birthday parties, bridal showers and Mother's Day celebrations all have that personal touch. And as you might guess, there is a story behind the birth of Mishy's. Ask Michelle.

Address: Cnr Baker & George Streets
Phone: 02 4577 2077
Hours: Daily 7am-5pm

In 2010, Windsor welcomed the delicious savouries and sweets of master baker Rob Pirina, also the proprietor of the famous Glenorie Bakery Café in the Hills District. His Bakehouse sits on the most prominent corner of Windsor - next to the paddlewheel.

Proof of our luck came when the Outback was selected among five Daily Telegraph winners for 2011's 'best pies in Sydney'. Locally, Rob's Flabbit Pie gets press - the media loves a legend and the folks around town love the Flabbit myth as well as the Flabbit Pie! We won't disclose the ingredients here.

The Bakehouse has big European-style tables for sharing freshly ground coffee and delectable breakfast sweets any time of the day. We love the apple and walnut loaf - a delicate and lightly sweetened pastry.

Displays in the Bakehouse make everything too tempting and when a wonderful aroma fills the shop and wafts out into The Mall, discipline is demanded - perhaps only for today!

Address: 9 Baker Street
Phone: 02 4587 8499
Hours: Tues 5:30 till late; Wed-Sun noon-3pm, 5pm till late

Calming Tuscan décor with high ceilings, timber floors, white linen and a beautiful bar in this 1840s building make an intimate and sophisticated setting for a delightful foodie experience. Biviano's is located on Baker Street across the street from the Hawkesbury Regional Museum and its wonderful historic collection.

Seafood is a must - soft-shell crab, oysters and fish are fresh and always on the menu. And for that touch of the worldwide slow food movement, Cittaslow (literally 'Slow City') in Windsor, we will return to sample the lamb or veal. The chef's special recipes are from his Italian grandmother. Bookings are required, particularly on weekends. We suggest you always call - why risk disappointment!

Address: 99 George Street & Thompson Square
Phone: 02 4577 2206
Hours: Daily 11:30am till late

The bistro continues to serve its loyal patrons and families a menu of great Australian food including 'healthy options choices' for brunch, lunch or a late evening dinner. Burgers, melts and big sandwiches are staples, and for vegetarians, a veggie burger served with terrific chips. We don't know if this dish is new to the pub's menu, but the Caesar salad with chicken was excellent - long slices of moist white meat on the bed of crisp greens - and a very large serving too!

It's not uncommon to find the terrace or beer garden crowded on any given day, in any season - tour groups hoping for a ghost sighting from Macquarie's past often fill the dining area. Because of the Macquarie's long history, we love this old building with its thick walls, timber floors and the comfortable furniture in rooms opposite the bar. The Macquarie, designed by convict Francis Greenway, is living evidence of the Hawkesbury story - success borne out of adversity.

Family Day is every Sunday, and on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, live entertainment sparks up the level of frivolity.

Address: 89 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 2926
Hours: Daily 9am-late

You can expect a constant crowd of ice-cream lovers in this shop, regardless of the season. Brightly lit, with delightful photographs on the wall (the owner is a professional photographer), the Creamery is a magnet on George Street.

On a weekday or weekend morning seated on the sunny verandah, indulge in the fresh berry pancakes served with scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Our ice-cream-loving teenager dove in as though his plate might escape him! For those needing a little 'pick-me-up' or 'wake-me-up', don't look past the locally roasted organic coffee.

We are milkshake enthusiasts and without reservation, we claim, 'Windsor Ice Creamery makes the best thick milkshake in all of New South Wales.' Try a chocolate shake, made with vanilla ice-cream - smooth and delicious.

Families will continue to queue up morning, afternoon and late into the evening to choose from the 32 flavours. What a dilemma!

Address: Shop 2, 80 George St (Thompson Square)
Phone: 02 4577 3349
Hours: Open daily from 8am
(Best cafe in the Hawkesbury - 2009 Local Business Awards)

The Bridge Café is one of those little jewels that we seek in the café scene, no matter the city or town. You are grateful when the aroma of freshly ground coffee wafts out its doors every morning. Sisters and friendly owners, Melissa and Melanie, breeze through delivering loaded plates and steaming mugs to a steady crowd, particularly on a weekend morning. (Calling out 'Mel' will get someone's attention!)

Good food, perfect cappuccinos and the welcoming staff are a winning combination, and the locals will attest to that. Rarely is it quiet at The Bridge, either inside or out on the terrace across from the Macquarie Arms Hotel.

The doors open at 8am for the early-morning crowd, but you can order the hearty breakfast all day. (Try the freshly squeezed juices.) For lunch, 'Bridge Burgers' are a favourite among the weekend cyclists. Weekend or weekday, coffee and conversation at The Bridge are a great way to start your day in historic Windsor.

Address: Level 1, 244 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Clarendon
Phone: 02 4587 9300
Hours: Open daily, lunch and dinner

BUY ONE LUNCH (OF $20) AND GET THE SECOND LUNCH 'ON THE HOUSE'

This restaurant feels like a party with its high ceilings, lots of windows, and a wrap-around verandah overlooking the runway of the Richmond RAAF base. You can choose either a table or booth; the staff will accommodate your needs if your party is greater than six. Plus it's a child-friendly place.

As for the menu, it is varied and tasty. Servings are quite hearty and steaks are served up by friendly wait staff. The house specialty is the '18-hour slow-cooked' prime rib steak. For dessert try the rocky road sundae. A word of warning: this irresistible dessert is served up for two; go it alone if you dare.

The ambience is fun, festive and casual. We love sitting on the verandah, where we can watch the 'big ones' at the RAAF base practise 'touch and go' landings. On a March afternoon when the Hawkesbury heat has subsided, 'The Hog' is the place to relax.

Customers return again and again - Hog's Breath is casual, fun and service is great, a perfect recipe for a great experience!

Address: 61 Richmond Road
Phone: 02 4577 4222
Hours: Daily 6pm till late

Located in the Sebel Resort on Richmond Road, Harvest Restaurant offers up contemporary Australian cuisine. Grilled beef and lamb are favourites on the à la carte menu. From their extensive wine list, you can choose a local Hawkesbury wine. Don't overlook the special Friday Night Fish Market; it's a seafood feast that demands a return trip.