Bowral has recently been crowned Australia’s #1 country town and #5 town overall by Australian Traveller Magazine. Which officially confirms what Sydneysiders have been doing for years: escaping there the second the temperature drops below emotionally tolerable.
It’s not exactly earth-shattering that Bowral is having a moment. That’s old news. But, for context, it is the kind of moment that now comes with $7.7 million in monthly visitor spend. Largely courtesy of a very polite 90-minute drive by Sydneysiders and Canberrans – who have declared it close enough to justify a spontaneous weekend escape.
And honestly, once you spend 48 hours in Sr Donald Bradman’s old stomping grounds, you start to see exactly why urban folks come back questioning why they’re still stuck in a city paying ridiculous rental rates.
Day 1: Bowral Based
Highly-strung city-slicking types typically arrive at Bowral with intention. A long list of To Dos/Sees/Eats. Anecdotal research suggests that strategy lasts approximately 14 minutes – with the best trips eventually coming together through a combination of “I just wanted to check out the leather jacket in the window” and “ZOMG! I could smell the cheese toasties from this cafe from 200 metres away.”
However, if you’re really stuck for ideas, one of the best places to start is Bowral proper. And specially, a wander through Dirty Janes Antique store, where in approximately four minutes you’ll likely find yourself packing your bag with a vintage lampshade circa-1960.
Next, nearby, Ngununggula Regional Gallery delivers the cultural hit – contemporary, grounded, and just far enough from the main street to feel like you’ve earned your coffee afterwards.
Speaking of which, Lucette brings a French-inspired ease to Bowral dining – the kind of place where a lazy feed doesn’t feel indulgent so much as structurally correct. A few local drops from nearby Centennial Vineyards turn it into a tres bien afternoon and a long lunch that was definitely meant to be shorter.
If you prefer bats and balls over bubbles, the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame spotlight this town’s long association with greatness. And then there’s No. 52 Bowral – the childhood home of Sir Donald Bradman. Recently transformed into a luxury stay, it now sits somewhere between a living museum and very enviable weekend escape. The kind of place where cricket history and modern indulgence share the same hallway without awkwardness. Even if you don’t know your ducks from your deliveries!
Come dusk, you’ll want to check into Ardour at Milton Park, where the estate energy is so strong you briefly consider whether you have been underestimating your entire accommodation strategy in life. Gardens, heritage architecture, and a general atmosphere of “you are now someone who owns linen napkins.”
Dinner out is optional in theory, but not in practice. Our tips include: Leila’s at the Grand (Lebanese we can get behind); Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – where Google Reviewers won’t shush about the “phenomenal” steak tartare and the herb crusted lamb back strap; and Onesta Cucina for excellent Italian.
Day Two: Vineyards, villages, and the art of extending lunch indefinitely
If Bowral is out here giving main character energy, then the surrounding villages are the very good supporting cast.
Start in Moss Vale’s Flour Bar (set inside a beautifully restored 1950s bank) – whose all day-dining serves up some of the Southern Highlands’ best breakfasts and brews – made with Mecca beans.
Then, check out Bendooley Estate in nearby Berrima, where the Book Barn makes it dangerously easy to justify both wine tasting and “just one more chapter” behaviour in the same sitting. It’s the kind of place that convinces you reading is, in fact, a social activity.
If you manage to extract yourself from the vineyards, the Surveyor General Inn – reportedly the longest continuously licensed pub in Australia – does a great lunch, while the historic Berrima Gaol takes you on a walking tour you did not emotionally consent to but are enjoying nonetheless
Visitors to the sleepy village of Robertson should head to Moonacres Kitchen – where chef Stephen Santucci (formerly of Vini, Surry Hills) has developed a cult following for his ability to bring sophistication to the Southern Highlands’ cafe scene. Look at the rhubarb pies below, and say less.
And, while in town, make time for a trip to the Carrington Falls – which provides the required reset button. A bushwalk, a waterfall, and that brief outdoor moment where you remember you are technically a functioning adult with responsibilities elsewhere.
Across town, Artemis Wines in Mittagong, stands out among the 60 vineyards and 17 cellar doors in the region, for perfecting its Sunday formula: woodfired pizza, live music, and the slow realisation that you are not leaving anytime soon.
Finally, check out Osbourn House in Bundanoon – part: restaurant, accommodation, and spa. Or code for: Next time you’re coming back from more than two days.
The new Bowral: Watch this space
Can’t quite quit your Big City Cravings? In one of the most exciting announcements to hit our inbox this week, Burradoo Park Farm by Three Blue Ducks has let slip that they’re bringing a working farm and dining experience that leans into provenance without the lecture.
An awkward exit problem
Somewhere between the gardens, the galleries, and a glorious, antique-induced existential crisis, you’ll probably start to understand the beauty of Bowral, as it does something quite specific: it removes your urgency.
Sydney may or may not suddenly feel slightly over-engineered and unnecessarily fast. Which makes sense when you consider that the Southern Highlands no longer positions itself as a quiet alternative to the city. It is actively competing with it. Just with better air, better wine, and fewer notifications.
