Featuring: Spaghetti Island, Oceanique, West Beach Surf Club Cafe…

YORKSHIRE-BORN chef Toby Gush grew up with a deep understanding of fish and chips, especially fish, but when he moved to Australia, he spent nearly two decades creating top quality Italian dishes for esteemed Adelaide restaurant Chianti.
Then the disruption caused by the COVID virus provided an opportunity to move on to new opportunities and Gush, with his sous chef Gordon Lee, took on the stoves at Oceanique, a relatively new restaurant based at the Adelaide Sailing Club overlooking the broad sands of West Beach.
Until Sam Dunning, his sister Lucy and their extended families – in which resides a long history in hospitality – took over this large restaurant, terrace and function space two years ago, it was largely deserted and unloved. Not anymore. It’s potential for great value dining, for families, holidaymakers and locals alike, has been unleashed – increasingly driven by chef Gush’s skills in the kitchen.
Freed from his Italian straitjacket, however attractive that was, he was able to pursue a long-standing goal: to create Adelaide’s best fish and chips. Which he has done, based on crisply battered, sustainably caught ocean jacket fish from Greenly Island off Eyre Peninsula. These firm-fleshed white fish, a larger, deeper ocean version of the common leatherjacket, are perfect in this context.
To these he adds a terrific house-made (of course) tartare, a bundle of super crisp chips and a salad bowl that varies from day to day but is far more interesting than most of its kind. All up, a terrific plate.
There’s much more than this on the menu, which includes basics such as Waygu steaks, fried free-range chicken and burgers, but Gush has built a network of local suppliers who provide him with a constantly changing range of whole fish and seafood, which is his main love. There’s a short but well curated wine list, and a fabulous view at sunset. What more could you want? Oceanique, 9 Barcoo Road, West Beach. Open for breakfast Saturday-Sunday, lunch Wednesday-Sunday, dinner Wednesday-Saturday. Phone (08) 8294 3232.
While on the subject of fish and chips, there’s another great plate to be had in slightly less salubrious surroundings – in fact a trip back to the 60s and 70s – at the West Beach Surf Club Cafe, which also enjoys fabulous seaside views from its balcony and open terrace.

It’s slightly daggy and old-fashioned in everything except the food and service, both of which are terrific. And although the long menu covers everything from focaccia with chips to schnitzels and curry, the go-to-dish is the beer-battered garfish with chips and coleslaw.
It’s great value, the view is as good as it gets, the open terrace is dog friendly (water bowls under the tables) and best to get in fast because the place is about to be renovated and that old-style charm will be lost. West Beach Surf Club, cnr Seaview and West Beach roads, West Beach. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Phone (08) 8353 8503.
First there was Spaghetti Crab, then Spaghetti Meatballs and now Spaghetti Island, all part of the extended family of restaurants that includes the famed Ruby Red Flamingo, Tony Tomatoes and Coccobello.
This is family-style Italian home cooking but done professionally under the experienced eye of chef and partner Enzo Verdino who, with co-partner Lauro Siliquini, bring together more than 50 years’ experience in providing great value food, wine and fun.
The fun bit is important, too, because Spaghetti Island, in the tradition of its predecessors, is colourful and slightly crazy with yellow walls, black floors and tables, cut-out palm trees on the walls and lots of hanging plants.
This time there are a dozen spaghetti dishes from which to choose, just as the wine list has been ever so slightly expanded – there are now four reds and four whites, four cocktails and two beers on tap – but again the object is to minimise customer indecision and get them happily munching away on dishes such as Spice Tour, a putanesca-style dish with olives, fried capers and chilli, Basil Bay – with basil pesto, green beans and potato, or a spaghetti marinara named Summer Love, with squid and peas in a crab bisque. Not surprisingly, there is also the original favourite Spaghetti Crab, with blue swimmer crab and cherry tomatoes.
No starters or desserts were offered – this is just spaghetti and more spaghetti, but there are plenty of places within a short walk on Gouger Street if you need either of those. Servings are generous, the waiters are attentive and friendly and there are gluten and carb-free options available. Spaghetti Island, 138 Gouger Street, Adelaide. Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Phone 0422 307 303.