Tucked behind the frivolity and fever of the street-level bar in the Sheraton Hotel complex, Noosa Beach House offers the calm and sophistication of a five-star resort with the lure of a celebrity chef in TV’s Peter Kuruvita.

While the restaurant trappings of crisp white linen, soaring ceilings, glass and timber floors may emanate polish and class, the seafood-heavy, Sri Lankan-driven menu offers something for all. Think accessible curries alongside indulgent whole crustaceans cooked one of three ways.

Start perhaps with poached spanner crab in a subtly spiced Jaffna curry, its sweetness emphasized by a pumpkin puree, while puffy wild rice brings necessary crunch. Then move on to Kuruvita’s signature Sri Lankan snapper curry, the crispy-skinned fish delivered with the nuanced curry sauce, rice and raita on the side for diners to add as little or as much as they like.

Desserts also bend towards flavours of the island nation and favour fruit, such as a palate cleansing pineapple number with a crumble of stellar chickpea shortbread. But if making a choice proves overwhelming, lean on the affable and amenable staff, who are well versed in the menu as well as the food-focused wine list, which offers seasonal specialties, alongside much-welcomed half-bottle servings.

Must-eat dish: Sri Lankan curry