Review - Deck Bar
That familiar Aussie combination of coconut sunscreen, sizzling sausages and the faint waft of weed, hits me as I walk along Dee Why Beach towards my brunch destination.
Nippers in club-branded budgie smugglers race up the sand, and bikies in Santa gear motor past as I enter the light and airy bar-come-Sunday-brunch hotspot.
Sparkling water and golden sand is right in your eye line if you choose an upstairs perch.
Those who have already overdosed on surf, sun and salt should head straight for the milkshakes - available in a catalogue of interesting flavours from Spearmint ($9) to Pumpkin Pie ($9) - to put your mouth back together before tackling food.
The brunch menu stretches beyond the usual offerings, running from a nicely presented, healthy coconut tapioca called Trifly Good ($14), to...
...a mountainous Sweet Potato and Corn Hash Brekky Sandwich ($18).
Homemade Crumpets ($16) get decked out with maple syrup and sweet corn ice cream (better than it sounds), or a duo of excellent, fruit-heavy preserves made by the kitchen.
They’re a shade doughy inside, but the flavour is on point.
And while it sounds like something a stoner sloth might invent in the midst of the munchies, the Vegemite, Avocado and Tomato Stone Melt ($18) (read: pizza) covered with fresh rocket, is a total winner.
Deck Bar
2/23 The Strand, Dee Why
Ph: (02) 99710744