Jackson’s Restaurant and Bar has proved a popular addition to Port Moresby’s dining scene since it opened in 2016, part of a major upgrade of the Gateway Hotel’s food and beverage offering.

Jackson’s Restaurant has dishes ranging from rack of lamb to pizza.

The eatery overlooks Jacksons International Airport, providing an opportunity for a farewell lunch before you get on that plane, or a lazy weekend afternoon watching Air Niugini flights come and go. With the Owen Stanley Ranges in the distance, the views are a great asset, but the full menu, built around the kitchen’s stone oven, is the main event.

As well as a mouth-watering range of gourmet pizzas (try the four cheeses pizza, if you dare), well-presented signature dishes include a rack of lamb, barramundi with a citrus salad and a slow-baked chicken with that taste that only comes from a wood fire.

Char-grilled steaks are also on offer, and there are plenty of pasta and seafood options, too (the garlic prawns are a particular favourite), plus a solid kids menu. The short but sweet dessert menu is well worth a visit – where else can you have your tiramisu made with Bougainville cacao?

The wine list has plenty of variety, featuring mainly Australian and New Zealand wines. With a bar of equivalent size upstairs, locals often find a lunch turning into an afternoon session on the balcony, perhaps augmented by a share plate or cheese platter.

WHERE: Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby

PHONE: +675 327 8100

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STYLE: Modern bistro/Italian

TYPICAL PRICE: PGK42–85 for a main course; pizzas PGK42–60.

BYO: No. Fully licensed.

OUR FAVOURITE DISH: Stone-fired lamb rack

IN A WORD: Memorable

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2018 edition of Paradise, the inflight magazine of Air Niugini. See airniuginiparadise.com