After a stroll to The Skillion, a swim at Terrigal, or a meander along the boardwalk, Haven Beach Kiosk is a special spot for succulent takeaway fish and chips, and other out-of-this-world ocean delights. 

Bite beneath the crispy batter of Haven Beach Kiosk’s fish and you will soon notice its quality and texture, from co-owners Binisha Bhandari, together with Scott Price, of Yellowtail fame. 

Haven Beach Kiosk’s everyday, affordable fish and chips is the delicate, succulent, slightly sweet blue grenadier from Australia’s southern seas. 

“As much as we’d love to have local whiting or flathead as our regular fish – because many customers have a nostalgic attachment to that – they probably won’t pay $45 for it.

“We hope that with blue grenadier we’re meeting customers in the middle, bringing something affordable that satisfies everyone – from foodies to the kids, parents, and seniors,” Binisha said.

Customers with a penchant for premium seafood can select from the catch of the day – a blue eye cod one day, snapper the next, or perhaps local flathead.

While the premium fish served regularly changes, what remains the same is the sea of customers hankering weekly (in the hundreds) for Haven Kiosk’s simple, satisfying, pleasingly chunky $25 lobster and prawn roll. 

"People were hesitant about it at first, but now we’re selling hundreds each week," Scott said.

Simplicity is summed up by a milk bun filled with the freshest prawns (from coastal Coffs Harbour) and local lobster, dressed in a simple cocktail sauce with a hint of spice and topped with iceberg lettuce. 

Crab-pot-to-plate isn’t far, with the lobster in the lobster and prawn roll painstakingly prepped near the kiosk’s front door. 

"Local fisherman Mitch Sanders fishes right out the front (of Haven Beach Kiosk). Our lobster pots are situated here and off Broken Bay. Mitch transports the pots to his depot, cooks them up, brings them back and we peel all the shells down and extract the meat.”

The taste is a lot like heaven, with all the freshness you can expect from local seafood.

Also tasty, fresh, and lovingly prepared are the prawn cutlets. Made from whole green prawns, they’re peeled, butterflied, and hand-crumbed on site. The kiosk’s generously fat, hand-cut chips are another reason why the venue is seemingly always humming.

“Fish and hand-cut chips are often tied to good times at the beach, and that very much applies to what we’re trying to do here.”

Price says that while he and the team of qualified chefs are proud of the calibre of what’s cooked at Haven Beach Kiosk, they are ever-vigilant about finding ways to improve.

"Our crumbs, our batter – they are constant works-in-progress. We're currently trialling gluten-free batter and crumb. Ultimately, quality is always our priority.

"We'll probably stick to the gluten-free batter as the quality is as good if not better than normal, but you can’t beat proper crumbs. We tried gluten-free but now use a combo of coarse crumbs with some panko for crunch.”

Of course, there’s food fare beyond fish and chips. For the early birds, there are delicious smoothies, juices, and toasties. When lunch kicks off at 11:30am, customers can grab fish and chips, wraps, burgers, and cold seafood (which you can select from a refrigerated glass display – ceviche, fresh prawns, freshly shucked oysters, salads and sashimi).

In good news for caffeine lovers, the La Marzocco coffee machine starts up at 6am and keeps pumping out Will & Co coffee – made with 100% jersey Norco milk or Bonsoy or Milk Lab – until 4pm weekdays and until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Weekends are a more leisurely affair, with a full breakfast menu served from 7am until 11am.

At 11:30am, Haven Beach Kiosk's verandah area tables were filling up with families, couples, and regular walkers when HUNTERhunter visited. Inside tables were filling up too, with one local couple, coffees in hand, eagerly awaiting a bowl of tasty chowder.

While Haven Beach Kiosk is a takeaway venue by nature, owners Price and Bhandari have temporarily opened the rustic, unrenovated restaurant space overlooking the glimmering ocean to takeaway diners. 

“Customers have shared so many stories about the space; they’ve been married here, held birthday parties here. The place has such a history, and a following.”

Big plans are afoot to renovate this rustic-right-now piece of paradise. Long-time Terrigal regulars recall the old fish co-op fondly, and a time when the adjacent carpark was once crammed with campers and humble caravans.

“We really see ourselves as caretakers of this cherished place.”

Although it’s a little way off, owners Scott and Binisha anticipate transforming the rustic space into a two-level Spanish restaurant. 

“We think Coasties and visitors deserve something new here that everyone can enjoy for years to come.”