Windsor Restaurants

Restaurants and Cafés in Historic Windsor

Decisions, decisions, decisions: where to grab a quick bite? Which café? Is there a romantic place for dinner? There are so many choices in Windsor that eating is a dilemma as well as a pleasure!

Fish and chips, Greek, Thai, Indian or Italian cuisine are just a few of the choices available. Local café fare is traditionally Australian, but an international flavour is easy to find. Don't overlook restaurants located on Baker and Fitzgerald Streets, or the outdoor bistros tucked away in the local pubs. Perfect for watching the people-parade are the many café tables that spill out onto The Mall. This is one of the most charming aspects of a day in Windsor.

For evening dining, there are several upscale choices along The Mall and Baker Street. Biviano's Italian has a new Tuscan look- it's beautiful - and Vault 146 is a bit more casual while still delivering great food and service. Just beyond the historic village, "Harvest" at Sebel Resort continues the upmarket choices. A few kilometres from Windsor on Hawkesbury Valley Way, you'll find the casual and comfortable "Hog's Breath". Each restaurant offers its own ambience and some great menu choices.

Windsor Food And Wine

Many cafés do not require a reservation, but check this section for each restaurant's details. The listing begins with those that are on the historic Windsor Mall. A separate section is reserved for those establishments beyond The Mall. Good Eating!

Windsor Cakes and Baked Goods

Address: 187 George Street at Fitzgerald Street, The Mall
Hours: Daily 6.30am-2pm

The baker is up at the wee hours to prepare freshly baked goods and scrumptious cakes. Buy the slice, or buy the whole cake. Hawkesbury locals are out the front early each morning.

Windmill Café

Address: 185 George St, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 9466
Hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am-4pm

Picnic tables out the front under the shade of leafy trees are the perfect place to enjoy the Windmill's hamburgers, tasty sandwiches, freshly made quiche or a hot chicken dish.

The Cake Gallery

Address: Shop 1, 168-172 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 7875
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-2pm

Next to the old Post Office building on the corner of George and Fitzgerald streets, The Cake Gallery holds sovereignty on The Mall. Sleepy-eyed groups gather for a latte and a freshly baked pastry, to read the daily news or talk quietly about politics and the weather. This is the café for waking up slowly and planning your day in the Hawkesbury.

Fitzroy Hotel

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

The Fitzroy, a historic building on The Mall offers typical Australian cuisine in the Thunderbolt Bistro. Slip past the bar and lounge, you'll 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. Great garden burgers with all the trimmings are served up on big platters. Melts, lobsters, steak and pasta are just a few of the other items 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 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.

Fitzroy Hotel

FullAzaBull

Address: 22 Fitzgerald Street
Phone: 02 4577 5422
Hours: Daily 11am-2pm, 5pm to late

FAB, recently opened, is just off The Mall on Fitzgerald Street and across the road from a Windsor icon, the old Water Tower. You won't leave here hungry - servings are more than adequate. We sampled the cook's unusual take on a Caesar salad, crispy with a generous serving of chicken and herbs. Food is traditional home cooking - they like to please.

FAB can accommodate tour and bus groups and the large terrace area with picnic tables often fills with those arriving for a late lunch. On a lovely autumn evening, the terrace lights up quiet Fitzgerald Street.

Simon's Café

Address: Shop 1, 100 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 2208
Hours: Open daily

This kid-friendly café is in constant happy motion, serving up breakfast, light lunches or more substantial fare. If you're looking for a Hawkesbury café where the locals gather, Simon's is the place. Cutting back on the carbs? The chef will accommodate your needs and the friendly staff will encourage you to 'stick with it'.

Billy J's Coffee'n'More

Address: Shop 135b George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 8589
Hours: Open daily

Billy J's is a small surprise tucked away under the leafy side of The Mall. The menu is all homemade - quiche, focaccia and the "specialty" of the house, baked potatoes with toppings of every choice. Day-trippers to Windsor rave about the coffee and you'll find the umbrella-shaded tables full by early morning. Go European style - share a table with a stranger.

Vault 146

Address: 146 George Street
Phone: 02 4587 8146
Hours: Noon to late

The Vault boasts a modern interior in an old-world setting. There's wine-tasting in a vault, a trendy wine bar overlooking the Mall, a shaded deck and a patio for larger groups and jazz or popular tunes on the deck on Sunday afternoons.

The hot rock cooking is a "must" experience. Make your meat selection and cook your own at the table! Save room for a delicate dessert (rosewater meringue with mango cream and strawberries). The Vault is open from noon to late for dining, coffee or tea. We tried the banana tart with caramel sauce and it was a winner for a late afternoon tea.

Great food and a comfortable ambience will make your trip to Windsor memorable. Who would know this was the home of a bank only a year or so ago?

Vault 146

Sweet Treats

Address: 2 Lachlan Court, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 7466
Hours: Open daily

Hot dogs, chicken, sandwiches, fresh juices and yogurt with berries are merely a few of the items on this menu. Tables are available and takeaway is okay, too. The specialty, and it's a winner, is New Zealand ice-cream, and you'll find children dragging their parents towards the shop. There are many, many choices of delectable ice-cream flavours, so you may find a late-night queue on weekends.

Indian Curry Hut

Address: Lachlan Court, The Mall
Hours: Wed-Mon 11am-9.30pm
Phone: 02 4587 7334

The queue lines up quickly at the Curry Hut on The Mall when the door opens around noon. The aroma of Indian spices wafts out onto the street from the spotless serving tables. This is a tiny café, with only a few tables, but they also provide quick takeaway service.

Biviano’s Italian

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

At the top of our dining list in Windsor is Biviano's. Calming Tuscan décor with high ceilings, timber floors, white linens and a beautiful bar in this 1840's 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.

While it is impossible to sample Biviano's extensive menu, we were drawn to our favourite - risotto. On this day served with tender garlic prawns and chicken, white wine and a touch of cream and parmesan, the risotto was a beautiful shade of pink and dotted with parsley. The secret - local cherry tomatoes immersed only long enough to yield tenderness. While additional parmesan was offered, we suggest, 'go easy' - the strength of the cheese risks overpowering the dish's delicate smooth flavour.

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 (meaning literally 'Slow City') in Windsor, we will return to sample the lamb or veal. The chef's special recipes, only recently discovered are from his Italian grandmother. Bookings are required, particularly on weekends. We suggest you always call - why risk disappointment!

Helios

Address: Shop 1, 89 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 0403 160 225
Hours: Call for hours

A recent international addition to the Windsor scene, Helios is open for lunch and dinner Friday - Sundays. Still on our quest for the perfect Caesar Salad, a large bowl of crisp greens with traditional bacon, bread crumbs (and chicken) was quite ample for our appetite. Our lunch partner chose Lamb Souvlaki (skewers) - the lamb was very tender. Helios is on the corner of George and Baker Streets - the ambience cool and pristine - in the café precinct of Windsor.

Macquarie’s Arms Hotel Bistro

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, of course 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. 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. So many "Windsor-ites" before us have shared a meal or a glass inside the Macquarie.

Back to today, entertainment sparks up the level of frivolity on Friday and Saturdays, and on Sundays, the hotel sponsors musicians in Thompson Square.

Macquarie Arms

Windsor Thai Palace

Address: 82 George Street, The Mall
Hours: Open daily
Phone: 02 4577 8000

This handsome historic building with its brick interior walls, , dark wood, tall windows reveals a calm, quiet and cool ambience, great for an unhurried lunch or winding down after work. It isn't formal, and luncheon specials are priced to suit a family's budget.

A varied menu of Thai delicacies - Pad Bai Krapao - is prepared fresh each day. Fresh is more than relative as local produce is a staple among the stir-fry vegetable dishes. The chef will adapt to your wishes for spicy or mild and entrees include curries, salads and Thai-style beef. We always love the wholesome simplicity of the 'Palace's' cuisine where vegetarians are also well catered for. Note: The restaurant does a booming takeaway business.

Windsor Thai Palace

Windsor Ice Cream Café

Address: 89 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 2926
Hours: Daily 12 noon till late

You can expect a constant crowd of ice-cream lovers in this shop. 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" as the case may be, don't look past the locally roasted organic coffee.

We are milkshake enthusiasts and without reservation, we claim, "the Ice Cream Café makes the best thick milkshake in all of NSW". 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 32 flavours. What a dilemma!

Windsor Seafoods

Address: 74 George Street (Thompson Square)
Phone: 02 4577 2155
Hours: Open daily 11am-8.30pm

Windsor Seafoods, overlooking Thompson Square, is a happenin' scene, day or night. The café terrace fills with music, gongs (see below), laughter - even 'Snappa', a blue and gold Macaw, who imitates his noisy owner - and, of course, fresh seafood. This all makes for good food and good fun.

Order the seafood platter for a fantastically fresh lunch or dinner - no pre-cooking here. Salads are prepared from the freshest local produce, seven days a week. The kitchen rarely rests, and if Chef Barry is on duty, 'Snappa' is also.

A hint for the novice: After you place your order, listen for the kitchen gong. This means your meal is ready and waiting. Ours rang many times before we realised it was our lunch! Chef Barry is boisterous and spirited; he loves his customers and he loves his seafood.

Trentino's on George

Address: 3/89 George Street
Phone: 02 4587 7419
Hours: Open daily

Get an early start on the road and you can kick off your day on historic George Street with a leisurely breakfast at Trentino's. Al fresco is the award-winning Trentino's scene, particularly on weekends when the pace slows. This is a BYO restaurant and reservations are recommended.

Windsor Chinese Restaurant

Address: 88 George Street, The Mall
Phone: 02 4577 3647
Hours: Open daily

When you enter this establishment, you are immediately reminded of a festive Chinese holiday as the wonderful aroma of fresh vegetables, or perhaps prawns, wafts through the air. The menu follows the wonderful Asian tradition of many choices. So, don't rush.

The old building has had many lives and its dark rooms and high ceilings reflect the shape and interior of its past and protected history. The outdoor terrace overlooking George Street and Thompson Square is decorated with plants and lanterns, creating an air of serenity and calm.

The Bridge Café

Address: Shop 2, 80 George St (Thompson Square)
Phone: 02 4577 3349
Hours: Open daily from 8am

Voted: 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 distinct smell 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 continuous 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’s Arms Hotel.

The doors open at 8 am for the early-morning crowd, but a hearty breakfast is on the menu all day. For lunch, focaccia and melt choices are a favourite. Coffee and conversation at The Bridge is a great way to start your day in historic Windsor.

Rosco's Burger & Kebab House

Address: Shop 2, 70/72 George Street (Thompson Square)
Phone: 02 4577 7212
Hours: Tues-Sun 10:30am

Traditional burgers - with all the trimmings - and your favourite kebabs are the specialty of this newly opened take-away shop.

Stir Crazy Noodle Bar

Address: Shop 1, 70 George St (Thompson Square)
Phone: 02 4577 2244
Hours: Daily 11am

Watching your waistline? This Asian café offers many healthy (and slimming) options. The choice can be overwhelming, so Stir Crazy has designed a 1-2-3 step formula to help you create your own noodle stir-fry. You'll find a great menu, rich in protein and very low in the bad fats. Clean and contemporary is a fitting description of this café, and the staff are friendly and efficient. The terrace overlooks Thompson Square.

Aldo's Italian Kitchen

Address: 68 George Street (Thompson Square)
Phone: 4577 9400
Hours: Daily 10.30am-2pm, 5-10pm

Aldo's on George Street provides that international cuisine we have come to expect worldwide. Italian is the language of choice in this kitchen, so you're guaranteed an authentic taste of Florence or Venice. The smell of garlic wafting out onto the street is tantalising whether you hunger for pizza or pasta. The chef's secret: Aldo's also does a tasty plate of ribs! Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Francesco Seafood Restaurant

Address: Macquarie Park
Phone: 02 4587 8198
Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday; Call for hours

Buffet-style only
Across the Windsor Bridge, on the north riverbank, you'll find Francesco Seafood Restaurant - with the only riverfront setting in Windsor. Frank and Nancy Taranto serve up a traditional Italian buffet with seafood as a main feature. There's a seafood buffet, seafood platters, salads, hot dishes and, for non-seafood lovers, a variety of other meats. Nancy Taranto loves her food (though she is slim) and she values her customers. A large ground-floor terrace is a terrific spot for a party and on the upper level, the view is unobstructed.

» Food & Wine Beyond Historic Windsor

Sebel's Harvest Restaurant

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 calls for a return trip.

Hog's Breath Café

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

BUY ONE LUNCH - GET THE SECOND LUNCH FREE

This restaurant feels like a party - it is spacious and has 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. It is a child-friendly place!

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

The ambience is fun, festive and casual. Sitting on the verandah, you can often watch the 'big ones' at the RAAF base practise 'touch and go' landings - one of our favourite lunch settings on an Autumn afternoon when the Hawkesbury heat has subsided!

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

Hogs Breath Cafe Windsor

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