Cottage Point Inn

So, after a nine month engagement, a fun-filled wedding and a 10 day honeymoon, I am back to the blog. But where to start after so long away?

It is tempting to skip straight to our 7 days in Tasmania, but our visit to Sydney's Cottage Point Inn deserves a mention. Whilst the boat ride from Palm Beach highlighted waterways more reminiscent of a QLD tourism campaign than Sydney's better known sights, the destination was far more important than the journey. A filling entree of house-smoked salmon, delicately layered into a terrine and served with scampi and basil mayonnaise kicked off a fabulous meal. If a rich start is not your thing, the pan fried Hawkesbury River squid with leek and squid ink risotto delivers just a much flavour, but in lighter form.

The menu is unsurprisingly seafood-you could almost imagine the fish was caught off the outdoor deck that morning. Duck leg confit was certainly tempting, but when in Rome! So instead I opted for pan fried ocean trout which flaked away beautifully to reveal a vibrant mango, chilli, cucumber and coriander salsa underneath. The citrus vanilla and hazelnut dressing was mostly citrus but overall the meal was a perfect follow on from my rich entree.

The boat allows a mere two hours or so to complete your courses, and you're encouraged to notify staff upon arrival if you want three. The caramel banana soufflé and citrus pannacotta, among others, failed to tempt me. Instead I opted for the palate cleanser from the degustation menu. A spherical scoop of strawberry sorbet served in a glass topped with Moet. I wouldn't have accepted anything less than French, it was our honeymoon afterall.

As we finished our Jules Taylor ?07 Pinot Gris, from an extensive international wine list, we peered from the deck to the water below and waited for our return boat-trip. Decadence might have increased had we taken the seaplane or stayed overnight, but I couldn?t think of a more relaxing, luxurious was to spend day 2 of the honeymoon.

Photo courtesy of Cottage Point Inn