Fine Casual Dining Review: Omeros Fish Bar

The Omeros family have been synonymous with good seafood since 1968 when Michael Omeros founded the Paragon Seafood Restaurant in La Perouse, Sydney – the first restaurant to specialise in seafood in NSW. Since then, the family has had a range of popular restaurants, including the Paragon Seafood Restaurant at Burleigh Heads and the iconic, award-winning Omeros Bros. restaurant at Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast.

Omeros Fish Bar was opened in late 2020 in the suburb of Benowa and is run by John Omeros and his wife, Ingrid. This little suburban restaurant is not on the water and has no view. It is in a small shopping complex and has a simple but elegant urban maritime theme. And it serves some of the best seafood on the Gold Coast.

Start with a sensational Moreton Bay bug roll – crisp and juicy tempura bugs with lettuce and homemade tartare sauce on a soft milk bun. Delicate grilled Fremantle octopus have a charred smoky flavour complemented with taramosalata. There are daily specials like spicy crab dumplings made with blue swimmer crab in a fragrant seafood broth topped with caviar. And, of course, fresh oysters. Don’t go past the homemade potato scallops, symbolistic of the classic Aussie fish and chip shop and the Omeros heritage.

For mains there are curried prawns in an aromatic Thai-style sauce and fresh spaghettini with mussels, prawns, calamari and white fish. Lightly grilled jewfish is juicy and tender served on truffle mashed potato with a fresh tomato salsa and lemon butter. A wild snapper fillet is grilled in a simple butter sauce served with salad and chips. The chips are some of the best I have had – hot, crispy on the outside, fluffy in the centre and well seasoned.

The menu includes some non-seafood dishes as well as a special kids menu. Finish with some excellent house-made desserts, including a rich vanilla bean crème brûlée and a decadent Callebaut chocolate mousse with Italian meringue.

Omeros Fish Bar is fully licensed with a cocktail bar and a small but excellent wine list. This is a little gem of a restaurant tucked away in the burbs where the locals are treated to great value, simple but stylish fresh seafood. It gets busy, so bookings are essential. If you can’t stay for a full meal, drop in for a beer and a Moreton Bay bug roll. Definitely worth a detour.

By Jeremy Ryland