Our story
The Ponte family, from Sydney to the Shoalhaven.
After years running restaurants and wine bars in Sydney, Sharon and Thiago Menezes moved to the South Coast in 2020 and opened Ponte Bar and Dining on the Shoalhaven River. The Growers by Ponte is their second act: a 400-seat restaurant and bar at Worrigee, run by the same team, with the same idea at its heart. Good food, shared.
The kitchen and the floor
Twenty years of kitchens and wine bars, between them.
Thiago is the executive chef. Born in Brazil to a farming family, he grew up with paddock-to-plate long before it had a name, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, and spent fifteen years alongside some of Australia's best chefs. Twelve years running wine bars is what shaped the list here as much as the menu.
Sharon runs the floor, the functions and the business. The two met working together at Hugos in Manly, and her rule for the room is the one they keep at home: everyone is looked after, nobody is rushed, and the table is always big enough for one more.
The concept
Good food, at your own pace.
We built The Growers to be relaxed and family friendly. Order when you are ready with the QR code at your table, then take in the garden and the Worrigee golf course views while the kitchen does its thing.
Seasonal and local
Shoalhaven produce first: local tuna, Sydney rock oysters and Greenwell Point butcher sausages.
Made for sharing
Starters for the middle of the table, mains worth passing around, and a menu that assumes you will order across it rather than down it.
Hand-picked wines
More than 200 Australian and international wines, chosen by Thiago for every budget.
Built for gatherings
Set menus, canapes and a Brazilian BBQ feast for every season and occasion.
Recognition
Award-winning wine lists.
Sharon and Thiago Menezes have built award-winning wine lists, recognised in Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards in 2022, 2023 and 2026, alongside Restaurant Guru recommendations. Thiago brings the same care to the list at The Growers by Ponte.
Wednesday to Saturday from 11.30am. Book online, or walk in and we will find you a spot if we have room.