To the sound of crashing waves, in an indoor surf park 20 kilometers off the Sydney coast, you have the opportunity to sit by the turquoise waters and drink an espresso martini.

You can lie on manicured green grass, lazily watch surfers attempt to ride barrel waves in the middle of Sydney Olympic Park, and enjoy fish tacos, grilled cabbage burritos, and dulce de leche churros .

Food and drinks come from Sandy’s, a kiosk-style cafe located in the Urbnsurf modular electromechanical wave machine complex.

The vibe is laid-back but, in almost every way, it’s far from the beach. On a warm spring day, it’s not too crowded. Parking is a breeze. The grounds, a mix of landscaped lawns, native plants and surrounding bushland, frames two sparkling clean bays of water.

“You can just head there, soaking wet in your wetsuit, and crush a burger straight after your surf. »

Hamish Watts, Applejack Hospitality

Every few minutes, white-topped waves surge toward curving shores that appear to have been cleaned by hand.

And, on the edge, the nonchalantly upscale Sandy’s kiosk is a place where you can order a large glass of Rameau d’Or Petit Amour de Provence, a flat white in a chocolate-colored ceramic cup and saucer, and a pretty good grilled chicken. bowl, plump with barley, quinoa, kimchi, black beans, diced pineapple and coleslaw.

There are good hot chips and Butter Boy cookies and, if it’s morning, breakfast burritos, bacon and egg rolls on potato rolls and acai bowls with passion fruit, strawberries, bananas, granola and optional peanut butter swirls.

All around you, surfers, in half-on wetsuits, grip long boards and watch intently as the waves cross two bays. They are hungry. They eat fried chicken burgers with chipotle mayonnaise and bronzed, batter-coated slices of poultry the size of a cheeseboard. They whip up Yuzus sodas, strawberry iced matcha teas, and chunky black Gabriel Beans before splashing around to tackle another hit.

Sandy’s, which opened in May, is overseen by Applejack Hospitality, which also runs Rafi Urbnsurf, a fine-dining restaurant above the cafe. Hamish Watts, co-founder of Applejack, says Sandy’s is a place for surfers of all ages or anyone who wants to watch.

“You don’t have to surf to come here,” he says. “Around 90 per cent of our trade is done by people from the local constituency or surrounding suburbs, many of whom visit Sandy’s or Rafi’s to eat and drink. It’s a place that provides a sort of feeling of escape, in a place a little far from the sea.”

Watts says he and business partner Ben Carroll wanted a cafe that encapsulated the seaside vibe.

“We’re both surfers,” he says. “We thought: what would we want? We want fish tacos. We would like some acai. We want a really good burger. We want margaritas. We want a really ice cold beer. We want ice cream for the kids.

“It’s all that kind of thing, where you can just swing around, soaking wet in your wetsuit and crush a burger straight after your surf. We wanted it to be super easy, super accessible, no airs and graces with this clubhouse, hanging out with your friends after surfing with the feeling of the previous session.

The lunch and dinner menu, which includes corn chips and guacamole, nacho fries with brisket, five types of burgers, a variety of tacos, burritos, and chicken and veggie salad bowls , also includes eyelet snack packs for kids including hot chips, cucumber and cut fruit, a cookie and a choice of cheese quesadilla, cheeseburger or fish sticks.

“It’s a great place for kids in the summer,” says Watts. “It’s fenced and patrolled, there are sessions for all ages with bodyboards, and there are cabins and picnic tables with umbrellas. You can just hang out and watch the water and surfers and feel a certain level of escapism without having to fight traffic to the beach.

Spectators must book in advance to visit Sandy’s without surfing. But once inside, there is no time limit.

Staff update a blackboard to show the water temperature is 21 degrees with sunny skies and a little wind. The tables are cooled by aerial misting surfers. Everyone is fascinated by waves.

The only thing missing is the seagulls. Today there is a lone bush turkey, pecking between diners dipping hot chips in tomato sauce, and crowds of broad-shouldered, wild-haired surfers watching tapes of their surf session on the Sandy’s screens. The waves are always perfect.