Berry Travel Guide: Cafes, Shopping & Weekend Escape

Around two hours south of Sydney and under three hours from Canberra, Berry is known for its excellent cafes, boutique shopping, and relaxed village atmosphere.

This complete Berry travel guide covers everything you need to plan the perfect weekend escape, including the best cafes, restaurants, accommodation options and things to do.

Next Escape is your guide to real places and real experiences, with practical, independent travel advice based on first-hand visits: the places we’ve explored, the restaurants we’ve eaten at and the walks we’ve done. This page may contain affiliate links; if you book or buy through them, Next Escape may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Is Berry worth visiting?

Yes – Berry has excellent cafes, boutique shopping, and easy access to both countryside and beaches (Kiama is only a 20 minute drive). It’s ideal for couples looking for a relaxed weekend escape or food lovers wanting quality regional dining.

Berry also fits nicely as part of a South Coast road trip. We’ve included it as a stopover on our South Coast 4-Day Road Trip suggested itinerary. This is an easy loop with fairly minimal driving (300 km in total), from Sydney to Kiama, Gerringong and Berry, then back to Sydney.

Why visit Berry?

• Excellent food and wine (especially for a small town)
• Easily walkable with peaceful rural surroundings
• Ideal for couples
• Lots of options for cottages and homes to stay
• An easy weekend escape – just 2 hours from Sydney and less than 3 hours from Canberra

Berry at a glance

Distance from Sydney	2 hours (driving) 154 km
Distance from Canberra	2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours (driving) 216 km
Best for	Weekend escapes, romantic stays, foodie destination
Known for	Boutique charm, homewares and cafes
Ideal stay	2-3 nights
Accommodation	Accommodation options lean towards country houses and cottages rather then hotels. We’ve included a few good options for motel stays below, or check Booking.com and Stayz for more (check both as they have different options).

How long should you stay in Berry?

• Ideal stay: 2-3 nights
• Day trip from Sydney: possible (depending on the Sydney traffic) but rushed and wouldn’t recommend
• Long weekend: perfect
• 3+ nights: good if you’d like to use Berry as a base and then also explore destinations nearby

Best things to do in Berry

Walk Queen Street

Queen Street is an easily walkable strip with boutiques, bakeries and cafes. Homewares are a particular speciality and there are several small independent boutiques. Walking up and down Queen Street can easily take a half a day of coffees, browsing and lunch. A personal favourite is Moss Nest on Queen Street and this is a good spot to park nearby and start your wander through the shops. Other favourites include Sainte (fashion and homewares) and Few and Far (homewares in a lovely, gorgeously designed space).

If you stop by the Berry Museum before you set out, there’s a handy map visual right by the entrance so you can pick out the heritage sites on your walk.

Indulge in donuts and treats

The Berry Donut Van has been a Berry must-do since the 70s and nothing has changed. If a bag of piping hot cinnamon donuts isn’t enough of a sugar load, head to The Treat Factory. It’s not just chocolate and sweets, there’s local olive oils, relishes and spreads too, plus lollies, chocolate and fudge. They also run hands-on chocolate workshops you can book online, including a DIY Giant Chocolate Freckle or Rocky Road session. Next door, the Dairy Bar is a great stop for coffee, gelato, Devonshire tea, sundaes, jaffles and cafe meals.

Explore the nearby beaches

Berry is not on the coast, but it is close enough to make beach stops part of the trip. Seven Mile Beach is just a 10-minute drive from town and is the easiest option for a long walk, picnic or quiet ocean view. Gerroa sits at the southern end of the beach, with headland views and easy access to the sand.

Gerringong is only slightly further north, around 15-20 minutes from Berry, and gives you Werri Beach, the ocean pool and a more relaxed coastal village feel. Kiama is around 20 minutes away and is the best option if you want a busier seaside town, the blowhole, ocean pools and coastal walks.

Visit Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley sits inland from Berry, reached by a 30-minute winding drive over Berry Mountain. It works well as a country contrast to Berry, with a small village, Hampden Bridge, national park walks, river kayaking, wombat spotting at Bendeela Recreation Area and nearby waterfalls including Fitzroy Falls, Belmore Falls and Carrington Falls.

It is not a big-town day out or a restaurant-heavy destination. The reason to go is the setting: the river, mountains, bridge, wildlife and easy access to surrounding national parks.

Personal note: The road between Berry and Kangaroo Valley over Berry Mountain is quite winding in sections. It was closed in parts and we ended up on a few detours so good to check before setting off. 

Wine tasting

The countryside surrounding Berry is home to several excellent wineries, making it easy to build a relaxed afternoon around tastings and scenic drives (designated driver permitting!). Popular options include Two Figs Winery, known for its elevated views across the Shoalhaven, Silos Estate for its historic setting and alpacas, and Mountain Ridge Wines, which pairs tastings with a restaurant overlooking the vines.

Tasting reservations are available at all three and are recommended on weekends.

Play at Boongaree Nature Play Park

A great stop if you’ve got kids in tow. There are mini streets with real signage for bike riding (or learning to ride), plenty of play equipment, and a short loop walk around the oval next door if you want to stretch your legs while they play. Even if you don’t have kids with you, it’s a peaceful, short walk around the edge of the park and next door oval.

Where to eat and drink in Berry

Berry has a fantastic selection of cafes and restaurants, all within an easy walk of (or on) Queen Street. Most restaurants are busy on the weekends so where possible it’s good to book to make sure you don’t miss out. Several are also closed early in the week (Monday/Tuesday).

• Fine dining: South on Albany 
• Piping hot donuts: Berry Donut Van
• Breakfast and brunch: The Garden 
• Casual beer and burger: Great Southern Hotel
• Bakery and takeaway: Milkwood Bakery
• Breakfast with a twist: Berry General Store
• Asian fusion in a heritage building: The Post House of Berry
• Morning coffee and a giant cookie: iv coffee
• Afternoon tea: The Berry Tea Shop
• Italian: Tre Bambini
• Pub classics: The Berry Hotel

South on Albany

Tucked around the corner on Albany Street, South on Albany offers a chef’s set menu of 3 courses for $95 per person. The set menu changes every couple of weeks and generally features modern Australian style dishes featuring regional food and wine.

Local’s tip: South on Albany does book out so we’d recommend making a reservation. The restaurant is also open twice a month for Sunday lunch so you may be able to snag one of these coveted spots if you are organised in advance!

Berry Donut Van

A Berry institution, the donut van has been in Berry main street since the 70s. Stop here for hot cinnamon donuts and a takeaway coffee. The donuts are popular so depending on the time of day there can be a bit of a wait.

The Garden

Relaxed spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch. At peak times (weekends, lunch) it does get busy but you can make a reservation or they have an electronic wait system so you can wander around the shops after you put your name down for a table. Our picks were the breakfast roll and the smoked salmon salad. 

Great Southern Hotel

Casual pub with house-made pies and burgers. There’s a great deck area to enjoy a beer outside and check the queues at the nearby Donut Van. Grab one of the window stools inside for a beer with a view straight down Queen Street. It’s a great spot to watch the town go by.

Milkwood Bakery

Loved by locals and visitors alike, this bakery is an excellent spot for a takeaway panini, coffee, cake or pastry. If the benches right next to the bakery are full, there are also a few around the back of the building that often have seats available.

Berry General Store

This must-visit café is located off the main street, down Wharf Road, so it is easy to miss if you are only sticking to Queen Street. This is famous for café classics with a twist, alongside great coffee. The space is bigger than it first appears, with indoor seating (including an upstairs area), undercover tables out the front and a big courtyard at the back. On weekends (except in winter) they open for dinner too.

Personal note: A breakfast favourite here is the chilli scrambled eggs with a side of haloumi in hot honey. This is incredibly tasty and so enormous that you won’t need anything until dinner. The eggs benedict is a close second!

The Post House of Berry

Asian fusion in a heritage building, the old Post & Telegraph Office, built in 1886. On our last visit they had an excellent Shanghai Dumpling menu with around 10 different dumpling styles to work your way through.

iv coffee

Open from 6am every day, this is a brilliant, friendly stop for an early morning coffee. They also have a selection of freshly baked pastries (muffins and huge scones on our last visit) and enormous Butter Boy Cookies.

The Berry Tea Shop

This is tucked away in behind and across the carpark from Milkwood Bakery and The Garden. The Berry Tea Shop is a cosy, gorgeously decorated shop and café specialising in tea, perfect for a shopping break with a cup of tea and a scone or cake. There is limited seating, especially in cold or rainy weather, but even if you don’t stay for tea, it’s worth browsing through the selection of teas, homewares and sweets available. If this is on your must-do list and you want to be sure you don’t miss out, you can call to book in a table.

Tre Bambini Italian & Seafood

Friendly Italian restaurant open 5 nights a week for dinner. The portions are generous and delicious and the service is friendly and efficient.

The Berry Hotel

Everything you’d expect from an Aussie pub – weekly trivia, a meat raffle and a great chicken schnitzel – in a lovely heritage building on Queen Street.

Where to stay in Berry

Accommodation in Berry is mostly country houses and cottages, rather than hotels, which may require a little more planning in advance unless you are travelling mid-week or off season. A few hotel and motel options are below and you’ll find plenty of additional options (including self-contained accommodation) on Booking.com and Stayz.

The Berry Inn

3 star inn in a great location close to town. We stayed in an upstairs room which was clean and spacious.  

The Mandala Signature Berry

4 star motel right in the heart of Berry. While it’s not a luxury stay, the rooms are clean, sunny and comfortable and the location is ideal for walking to everywhere. There’s also a small pool area and seating out the front where you can enjoy your morning coffee in the sun.

The Berry View

Recently renovated Palm Springs style motel around 10 minutes walk from Queen Street.

The Homestead

Predominantly a wedding venue, this gorgeous property also has 4 guest rooms and a standalone suite. The Homestead is around 15 minutes walk from Queen Street.

Best time to visit Berry

• Summer: trips to the nearby beach, ice creams and early morning walks
• Autumn: gorgeous autumn leaves, country drives
• Spring: wildflowers, sunny walks down Queen Street
• Winter: cosy dinners by the fire, rugged up walks through the boutiques, piping hot donuts

Personal note: We’ve always loved visiting Berry in Spring and Autumn. The weather is generally mild, a little cooler than Sydney, and comfortable for walking around town. 

Perfect Berry itinerary options

2-day itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in time for a cafe brunch at the Garden → boutique shopping along Queen Street → afternoon beer and people watching at the Great Southern Hotel → dinner at Tre Bambini or South on Albany.

Day 2 – Slow breakfast → countryside or coastal drive → casual lunch at Berry General Store → afternoon wine tasting → return to town for a relaxed evening.

3-day itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive and settle in → brunch at The Garden → boutique shopping along Queen Street → afternoon wine tasting at Two Figs → dinner at South on Albany

Day 2 – Cafe breakfast → drive to Seven Mile Beach for a coastal walk → picnic lunch with supplies from Milkwood Bakery → afternoon exploring Kiama’s Coastal Walk and blowhole → return to Berry for casual dinner at Great Southern Hotel

Day 3 – Berry Markets (if first Sunday) → late brunch → scenic drive through countryside to Kangaroo Valley → final donuts from Berry Donut Van before heading home

What Berry isn’t

Berry isn’t a beach destination – if coastal scenery, ocean pools, and beach swims are your priority, you’ll find those 20 minutes away in Kiama or Gerringong instead. It’s also not a place for nightlife or late-night entertainment. The town winds down early, making it ideal for relaxed evenings rather than lively nights out. While the countryside drives are scenic, some roads (like Berry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley) feature narrow, winding sections that may not suit all drivers.

How to get to Berry

From Sydney:

• Driving – 2 hours (approx 150 km)
• Train – Approx 3 hour train journey from Central Station, usually with a change at Kiama.

From Canberra:

• Driving – 2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours (216 km)

Local travel tip

Berry markets are on the first Sunday of every month, except February, at the Berry Showgrounds. There are around 200 stalls with arts and crafts, clothes, cakes, plants and some food stalls. Parking can be hard to come by so allow lots of time and be prepared to park a little way away and walk.

Berry is a favourite weekend destination for Sydneysiders, so consider booking midweek for a quieter experience. If visiting on the weekend then book any restaurants in advance to be sure you get a table. If visiting early in the week then you will find many of the restaurants closed on a Monday or Tuesday.

FAQs