NOW EXPERIENCING:Silver Sands Beach Club

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 06 May 2024

By
Daniela Frangos


Delicious food served at Silver Sands Beach Club in Aldinga Beach, SA

A DJ and a wine critic team up to breathe new life into a surf club. Come for the top-tier wine list, prawn cocktail buns and ocean views, and stay for golden hour Pisco Sours on the deck.

Ambience at Silver Sands Beach Club at SA's Aldinga Beach
Why you goAt first glance this casual seaside dining room is your quintessential Aussie beach club. Oceanfront views? Check. Beers, burgers and fish ’n’ chips? Check, check and check. Surf club next door? You bet. But how many regional beach clubs do you know with bottles of Burgundy and Chablis sitting alongside salt ’n’ pepper squid? Or a menu that goes beyond the basics to include plates of vitello tonnato, a zhuzhed-up prawn cocktail bun and kingfish crudo served with bush tomato and pickled mustard seeds? The welcome mix of high-low is the work of owners Mark Kamleh (an omnipresent DJ around town and the man behind pop-ups like Tiger Mountain) and Nick Stock (a respected wine critic and the former drinks director of Tasting Australia). Together they’ve created a rare sort of venue that’ll keep the kids, grandparents, your wine-loving pal and your beach-bum mates very happy.
Why you stayFor a state with more than 5000 kilometres of coastline, enviable seafood and a dining scene that punches above its weight, South Australia’s seaside restaurants have left a little to be desired. Thankfully, these days local stalwart Star of Greece has been joined by the likes of Pearl and Kuti Shack. But a place like Silver Sands is still a rarity. This is why you’ll be hard-pressed to score a table without a booking during the warmer months. Seats inside and out are occupied by locals and day-trippers, families staying nearby for holidays, hospitality types, and South Australian winemakers sampling the goods on Nick’s list. But this is still very much an extension of the local surf club. Young lifesavers from the club next door might work the floor, orders are taken at the counter rather than at your table and, in case you forget where you are, there’s a vintage surf boat hanging upside-down above the dining room.
What drink to orderThe mixed crowd of regulars is reflected in the beer list, which puts traditionalists like Southwark Stout and Melbourne Bitter alongside small-batch players like Bowden Brewing, Uraidla and pioneering, wild-fermenting brewers Wildflower. Or the more adventurous can knock back a Gimlet made with Never Never gin or a Tiny Friday Pisco Sour on the deck. But you’re a cork’s throw from wine country here, and we dare say it’s the wines you’ll want to try (particularly with a list designed by a man of Nick’s credentials).
What to pair it withThe food, naturally, revolves around things you want to eat when you’re seaside, with an Italian accent courtesy of chef Stefano Longhi, who hails from the Lombardy region in northern Italy. Think freshly shucked Coffin Bay oysters, salt ’n’ pepper whitebait with lemon aïoli, pizza with Spencer Gulf prawns and ’nduja, Italy’s spreadable salami, and squid-ink pasta with tender Cape Jervis calamari and shavings of bottarga, cured fish roe. More classic pub meals include grass-fed porterhouse with porcini butter, chicken schnitties and a signature cheeseburger, plus nuggets, fish ’n’ chips and pasta to satisfy the little ones.
Shucking oysters at Silver Sands in Aldinga Beach, SA
Why we love itPanoramic windows look out to the coastline, a hop, skip and a walk across the stretch of lawn (perfect for the kids to run around on) and down the steps – so close you can go for a dip between courses. Adding to the vibes is a roster of local DJs, who can be found set-up on the deck on weekend arvos.
Don’t leave withoutTraipse the few metres down to the beach. Silver Sands is also one of the only beaches you can drive your car onto, so park up for the day and wander between the sand and the restaurant.
Make it fancyIn keeping with the Fleurieu location, there’s a nice showing of McLaren Vale producers on the list – among them Alpha Box & Dice, Brash Higgins, Hither & Yon, Sherrah, and more – for very reasonable prices. But when you’re in Nick Stock’s house, it pays to look over the special bottles, which might include grower Champagne, Chablis, red Burgundy or nebbiolo from Piedmont. You’ll also find local winemakers (from the likes of Poppelvej, SC Pannell and more) stopping by to pour their freshest new releases.