The BOX on the Water

Pro

Capacity: 100 guestsPricing: From $6,500 minimum spendCategory: VenuesLocation: The Esplanade, Ettalong Beach NSW 2257

4.2 stars from 1820 Google reviews

Website

Highlights

Whole-restaurant hire for five hours, up to 100 guests
Canapé package for 30 to 100 guests at $130 per person
Glass doors open onto the Ettalong Beach foreshore

About The BOX on the Water

The BOX on the Water is a restaurant, bar and beach kiosk on The Esplanade at Ettalong Beach, opposite the corner of Beach Street on the waterfront reserve. The building faces Broken Bay, with Box Head, Lion Island and Barrenjoey Headland across the water, and only a sandstone promenade sits between the dining room and the beach. For an event, the entire restaurant is yours for five hours at lunch or dinner. Inside it is a contemporary coastal room: operable floor-to-ceiling glass doors, polished concrete and timber floors, plywood details and a garden suspended from the ceiling. Seated menus suit 30 to 70 guests, and canapé or seafood packages run to 100. Groups of 11 to 30 who don't need the whole room can book a shared-style set menu during normal service instead, and midweek micro functions cover smaller celebrations such as elopements. Food packages are a two-course seated menu, a ten-canapé cocktail menu or a hot and cold seafood spread, with add-ons like a grazing table, oysters and substantial canapé boxes. Three beverage packages include tap beer, wine, sparkling, soft drinks and coffee, and a mini cocktail bar can be added for groups of 12 or more. Breakfast and high tea packages cover daytime gatherings. You may bring your own florist, stylist, photographer and musicians, and an events coordinator handles planning through to the day itself.

Inclusions & amenities

Venue type

RestaurantBar

Budget

$$$ (Higher)

Food & drinks

Catering AvailableDrink Packages

Features

Cocktail/StandingBanquet/Sit-DownWaterfrontWater ViewsIndoorExclusive Venue HireRelaxed Vibe

Pricing

Exclusive five-hour hire carries a minimum spend that depends on the day and time of year. From May to October it is $8,500 on weekends and $6,500 from Sunday lunch to Thursday dinner; in February to April and November it is $9,500 and $7,500; from mid-December through January it is $11,000 and $9,000. Monday to Wednesday and Sunday dinners have no minimum spend outside mid-December to January. Food packages are $95 per person for two courses seated, $130 per person for canapés and $165 per person for the seafood package. A $500 deposit secures the date and is held as a bond, a $200 service and cleaning fee applies to every event, and extra hours are $300 each. Large group set menus for 11 to 30 guests run from $65 to $99 per person, with a $100 deposit and a 5% service charge.

Food

The kitchen serves modern Australian food built around seafood. Event packages are a two-course seated menu with two choices per course served alternately, a canapé menu of five hot and five cold items, or a seafood spread of chilled oysters, prawns and salmon rillettes plus grilled fish, mussels and scallops. Add-ons include a grazing table, substantial canapé boxes such as fish and chips, paella or sliders, oysters and desserts. Breakfast packages start at $40 per person and high tea at $65 per person for groups of 20 or more. Dietary requirements are handled with two weeks' notice.

Beverages

Three drinks packages for 30 or more guests are $45, $55 and $75 per person, each with tap beer, wine, sparkling, one bottled beer or cider, a non-alcoholic beer and sparkling, soft drinks, juice, tea and coffee. A cocktail hour can be added per drink, and the mini cocktail bar offers two cocktails per person with cheese and charcuterie for $55 per person, or with grazing canapés for $65 per person.

Availability

Exclusive events run as five-hour lunch or dinner sessions and are booked through the functions enquiry form, with a $500 deposit to confirm and 25% due two weeks out. Final numbers are needed seven days before the event.

Frequently asked questions

How many guests can The BOX on the Water hold for an exclusive event?

Canapé and seafood packages are offered for 30 to 100 guests, and the two-course seated menu suits 30 to 70. Groups of 11 to 30 can also book a shared set menu without hiring the whole venue.

Is there a minimum spend for hiring the whole restaurant?

Yes. Minimum spends start at $6,500 for Sunday lunch to Thursday dinner from May to October and rise to $11,000 for weekends from mid-December through January. Monday to Wednesday and Sunday dinners have no minimum spend outside mid-December to January.

What food packages are available?

A two-course alternate-drop seated menu is $95 per person, a canapé menu of five hot and five cold items is $130 per person, and the seafood package is $165 per person. Dietary needs are catered for with two weeks' notice.

How long does an exclusive booking run and how late can we stay?

Each booking covers five hours, for example 12pm to 5pm or 6pm to 11pm, with Sunday evenings running 5pm to 10pm. Extra time costs $300 per hour, and the licence runs to 11:59pm, or 10:30pm on Sundays.

Can we bring our own stylist, florist or band?

Yes. You can arrange your own decorators, florists, photographers and musicians. Set-up access starts 90 minutes before the event, and extra styling time or storage can be arranged for a fee.

Where we are

Suitable occasions

40th Birthday Party 50th Birthday Party 60th Birthday Party Baby Shower Birthday Party Bridal Shower Corporate Event Wedding Reception

Reviews

See all reviews for The BOX on the Water on Google

Ash Singh

2 months ago

Amazing service . We have been here before . Food is amazing as always. Burnt eggplant is delicious!! Enjoyed it will be back !!

Tais Sombini

2 months ago

Great spot right in front of the beach with a relaxing atmosphere. The menu offers a good selection of fresh seafood and fish dishes, and the food was enjoyable. The staff were friendly and the service was good. Prices a…

Kathleen Flanagan

6 months ago

This place is very popular so book to avoid disappointment. The house duck pâté was divine. We went twice as the seafood was excellent and there were good choices. The beach outlook was dreamy and the staff very attentiv…

Felicia Davis

7 months ago

Fantastic meals and fantastic service with a smile. Wait staff were extremely attentive, the food was delicious and the staff ensured all our needs were met. The view was beautiful. Highly recommended.

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