The Wine Locker - ERINA

It's like going to Sydney without the travel or the high prices. Food is on point, the service is so friendly and attentive. I had the salmon poke, the risotto and the chocolate pudding with Jaffa ice cream..... it was all heaven! Will definitely be back and telling everyone

I loved this place, the food was amazing and the staff went over and above. The owner came to our table and had a chat and was a lovely guy - really committed to making this a top local venue. He employs a lot of people from the area and has made a great investment in our town. I hope he has all the success and that the community support him back. Was a fabulous meal and a great night out. What a find! Good job staff! Definitely one to come back to!

Another new favourite. Complimentary bread at table. It has a set menu which is great value, along with ala carte. Loved the food, good size servings. Lovely outlook next to river. Great wine list.

This restaurant is upstairs in The Sunken Monkey at Erina.The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, the food was delicious and the servings were generous.Service was quite good although I definitely would have loved another drink if it had been offered.I was with a group of 8, we paid $49 for 3 courses.Some of our group found the air conditioning not cool enough.

To locals, the Sunken Monkey had a prior reputation, and it wasn't a good one. With a new owner and a massive make-over, it is probably well on the way to creating a whole new reputation. What that is, we shall see.However, upstairs has a very nice and stylish restaurant, the Wine Locker.There is a lot of good to say about this, but let's reflect on a few minor things where they could improve, to start with. Just because. The air conditioning is going to be a challenge in summer. Floor to ceiling glass faces west. Into the setting sun. The owner has very grand ambitions for expansion, but the other half of the upstairs has been a construction site for some time now, though it looks like it might become a lounge bar. And given they call it the Wine Locker, the wine list is not extensive and mostly a bit "meh".But restaurants are about food. And in this restaurant I want to wear a cravat and prattle on like some pretentious TV bloke.This chef knows how to set a challenge, and to stake a place amongst our local foodies. A sensible list of 8-9 each of entrees, mains and desserts provides a broad brush to entice you back a second time. What they call a seafood marinara, I call OMG. This isn't a bowl of linguine with a prawn, 2 mussels and a scallop. This is a large plate of beautifully cooked chunks of varied seafood, intertwined with a broad fettuccine in a rich stock. If anything, I'd rather a sauce than a stock: by the time you get to the pasta, it could be a little overdone. And then there's pork belly. Yes, everyone does pork belly these days, but so many porcine abdomens have been destroyed at the end by a cook not knowing how to fine render to perfection. These guys know. The chef knows how to play with food, and he's not about cooking a good meal, but preparing a pice of art on a plate. My wife takes photos of the dishes they serve to the table, which is really the first high-bar to pass.If you can really get through three courses and feel you want more, you are simply a gannet. Each course is more than adequate, and we have to call it first whether we're going for entree/main or main/dessert, because we cant do all. Sometimes, as with all new ventures, mishaps happen as you develop. Recently we had an Alaska flambe cassata. The cassata was extraordinary, but we guessed being a rushed and busy night, the meringue was not whipped enough, was soft and overly sweet with sugar grains obvious. I at least suggested it was a valiant effort and commendable.The wait staff are very keen, and professional. On the whole, highly recommend.