The Perfect Saturday Lunch @ Cottage Point Inn

A few months back I received a very special birthday gift from Mr & Miss J – a gift certificate to dine at Cottage Point Inn. I am told it is a place best visited on a nice sunny day. So we waited patiently, and finally came the day when both Mr M & I are free, and the weather is forecasted to be perfect. And boy it is worth the wait!

Getting there is said to be part of the experience, and it is. Especially when you see two bushfires on the way and your GPS is not willing to co-operating. But the long drive is rewarded when we arrived. Stunned by the peaceful setting we felt like we are a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city living.

We are seated with a gorgeous view of the waterfront, and throughout the service we watched guests arrive by seaplanes, ferries and private boats. We also encountered some special guests – kookaburras – that are fed by the restaurant regularly. Apparently if they don’t get fed, they will start stealing from our plates!

The stunning view from our table

Guests arriving by seaplane 

Here comes the kookaburras 

Before I came I learned their new Executive Chef Ehren Ryan is only 29 years of age. However when the food arrived on our table they looked like they could have came from any hatted kitchen – they are clean, elegant and the flavours are well balanced. I loved the deboned oven-roasted quail that is perfectly executed, moist, superbly complimented by the creamy celeriac puree, earthy truffles and delicious mushrooms.

Chilled Cucumber & Fennel Soup

L Loves... Bread that tasted like cheese scones 

Eastern Rock Lobster Ravioli, Consommé, 

Cucumber Fondant, Chervil & Tarragon 

L Loves... Deboned Oven-Roasted Quail, Perigord Black Truffle Mousse, 

Wild Mushrooms, Celeriac Puree  

Cootamundra Lamb Rack, Baby Spring Vegetables, Cassoulet, Mint Sauce 

Darling Downs Beef Tenderloin, Brussel Sprouts, Horseradish, Beef Jus  

Broccoli with Toasted Almonds & Sherry Butter   

L Loves... Dauphine Potatoes
Crisp puffs of rich, garlicky potato mash

None of the desserts on their menu appealed to me at first so I asked if they could prepare a soufflé in another flavour than the one on the menu (which is orange & dark rum soufflé with honey and ginger ice cream). The chef is very accommodating and offered a raspberry and blood plum soufflé instead. The soufflé is beautifully puffed up and fluffy – and the creaminess from the vanilla crème anglaise perfected the warm, slightly sour and sweet soufflé.   

Raspberry and Blood Plum Soufflé, Plum Ice Cream, Crème Anglaise    

Lemon meringue pie is not something I would normally set my eyes on but the one served at Cottage Point Inn is phenomenal! The dish is deconstructed and beautifully laid out on the plate. The lemon curd reminded me of the best lemon tart I have ever tasted – Mr J’s take on Heston Blumenthal’s lemon tart – the velvety filling and the brisk citrus sharpness as you bite in… oh this dessert is so sour and so yummy – these are two adjectives Mr M can’t imagine to go together, so I happily swapped my dessert with his :P

L Loves... Lemon Meringue Pie – Lemon Curd Meringue, 

Lemon Yoghurt Sorbet, Lemon Peel & Thyme   

This is not the type of restaurant where you come for a quick meal, or where the staffs rush you along so they can reset the table for another seating. We enjoyed every moment of this wonderful, relaxing experience before we headed back to reality. 

Au Revoir!

L's Verdict:

·      Taste: 8/10 

·      Ambience: 4.5/5

·       Value: 3/5

·       Service: 3.5/5

·       Creativity and other WOW factors: 4/5  

Overall rating:  23/30

Cottage Point Inn

2 Anderson Place

Cottage Point NSW 2084

Ph: (02) 9456 1011

Lunch: 7 days from Noon to 3pm
Dinner: Fri-Sat 6.30pm to 9.30pm & Sunday 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Visited September 2012

Friendly advice: For the ultimate experience, book the Fly/Dine Package from Sydney by Seaplane or Sydney Seaplanes. Note the restaurant does not allow BYO and does not serve tap water. Mineral water are priced at $8 a bottle.