Alex Prichard is returning to the pass with a new regional restaurant that’s set to reshape dining on the NSW South Coast. The former Icebergs Dining Room and Bar culinary director will open Sara Dining this winter, a produce-led restaurant tucked inside Moraea Farm, part of Berry’s Linnaeus Collection.
A South Coast vision comes to life
Set among rolling hinterland just outside Berry, Sara Dining signals a shift toward deeply local, land-driven cooking. Prichard—who has called the South Coast home for the past six years—has long spoken about opening a venue that reflects the region’s growers, fishermen and seasons.
Consequently, this project delivers on that vision, with a menu built around Moraea Farm’s on-site garden and a tight network of local producers. Rather than a traditional standalone restaurant, Sara Dining forms part of a broader hospitality ecosystem.
It sits within a restored 1970s garage and workshop on Moraea Farm, seamlessly integrated with the Linnaeus Collection’s portfolio of architecturally designed stays. The product is an experience that blends accommodation, agriculture and dining—a model increasingly seen in high-end regional tourism across Australia.
Prichard describes the concept as grounded but quietly refined. “Sara is about stripping things back to what matters—the ingredient, the season, the region,” he says. “We want it to feel like you’re at a friend’s home, sitting on the verandah overlooking the garden—relaxed, but with real care in what’s on the plate and in the glass.”
A menu shaped by producers
The menu reflects that philosophy, drawing heavily from the surrounding South Coast while incorporating select produce from standout suppliers across the country. Here, you’ll indulge in a strong seafood focus, unsurprising given the region’s proximity to some of NSW’s most productive waters, alongside thoughtfully sourced meats and garden-led dishes.
Opening dishes include Sydney Rock oysters paired with pink peppercorn mignonette and wild boar chipolata, alongside a crudo selection featuring Paspaley pearl meat, Ulladulla-caught blue mackerel and coral trout.
There’s also wood-fired Shoalhaven flathead, a herbed omelette with blue swimmer crab, and a rib eye sourced from retired dairy cattle in nearby Kangaroo Valley. Desserts lean native and seasonal, with a pavlova finished with passionfruit, strawberry gum and fruity sage.
Moreover, the project is a collaboration between Prichard and his wife Angie, and Linnaeus Collection founders Peter and Nadia Yannopoulos. For Yannopoulos, the restaurant marks a natural evolution of the estate, which launched in 2019 with a focus on design-led stays that connect guests to nature.
The name pays quiet homage to Sara Moraea, wife of 18th-century botanist Carl Linnaeus, whose maiden name now gives the farm its identity, and together the names reflect a union of science and sustenance—land understood and land nurtured—echoing the Collection’s philosophy that what grows from the earth is best honoured when it is gathered, shared and returned to the table.
“From the beginning, this was never just about accommodation,” he says. “It was about creating a deeper connection to place. Bringing Sara Dining here allows us to link the farm, the table and the guest experience in a way that feels cohesive and considered.”
Beyond the restaurant
That connection extends past the restaurant itself. Additionally, guests staying at Linnaeus properties can access a range of dining experiences, from private farm dinners to in-room and poolside service, all built around the same seasonal, produce-first approach.
Moraea Farm is part of a deconstructed hotel concept, offering guests access to 32 bedrooms across seven homes, all within five minutes of Berry’s town centre, along with a unique blend of country charm and coastal beauty just 1.5 hours from Sydney. Guests are also only a short drive from Seven Mile Beach, wineries, boutique shops, golf courses and scenic walking tracks, making it an ideal base to explore the NSW South Coast.
Sara Dining opens this winter, with bookings available from 29th April. It joins a growing wave of destination dining venues helping to redefine the South Coast as one of NSW’s most compelling regional food regions—following in the footsteps of venues like Milkhaus in Milton and The Growers by Ponte in nearby areas, which similarly champion hyper-local sourcing and farm-driven menus.
Sara Dining is now open at 450B Coolangatta Road, Berry NSW.
