Gympie now boasts many restaurants guaranteed to supply a fine dining experience.

Many years ago Tobin’s Cafe in Mary Street was hailed as the place to go for morning or afternoon tea or lunch.

I remember fondly being taken to the Cafe for a special treat after a day shopping in our then bustling Mary Street.  Pie with mashed potato and peas with gravy was considered to fine fare and it was.  Homemade dessert followed.  Plum pudding, lemon meringue pie or similar with custard and the best cream you have ever tasted.  Milk shakes made in metal containers which were then poured into tall milk glasses frothing over the top.   Spiders.  Now there was a special drink for a hot day.  Lemonade poured over several large scoops of ice-cream.  Or perhaps you were more adventurous and had a lime spider.

Then in the sixties (I think) Gympie came of age with the opening of the Dorith Restaurant in our brand spanking new Arcade.  The Dorith catered for evening meals and receptions of all kinds with its very own chef who would wander out in his whites to talk to patrons.   How grand we thought we were to have such a posh restaurant in Gympie.

Gympie was introduced to international cuisine with the opening of Sun’s Chinese restaurant which proved to be very popular with its distinctive decor and flavoursome food.

Unfortunately these icons have closed their doors but the memories linger.

By Dianne