The snacks arrive on the white tablecloth before you’ve even had time to ask for bread. Two slabs arrive. There’s also macadamia butter and cultured whey butter, miniscule and delightful kingfish tarts with pops of herbs and finger lime. It’s a welcome befitting a place as chic and sunny, as elegant and fun as the restaurant by the pool at Halcyon House boutique hotel.

It’s worth the road trip from Byron Bay or the Gold Coast. Hell, it’s worth the road trip from Sydney. Capri, Mallorca, any savvy beachy escape to the sun where the well-heeled holiday, can wait – Halcyon House and its in-house restaurant Paper Daisy are the epitome of unfussy and fabulous. The options are endless and appealing: stay for lunch, stay for a dip and stay over. The dining room is blue-and-white themed without going scenic Grecian, and takes summery, fresh and comfortable to the next level.

Chef Ben Devlin’s menu spans coal-roasted fish with almond, zucchini and pomelo, and at night his paperbark-roasted fish with sugarloaf cabbage, potato and kelp is a must-order. The chef cooks the fish inside a roll of Aussie paperbark. Never has it been more delightful to dine Australiana; it’s bush tucker but not as you know it. A few large prawns come coated in green rice bubble crumb; it’s sophisticated snap, crackle, pop. Potato dumplings, aka gnocchi, come with cabbage broth and horseradish; rich with umami and meltingly smooth.

Desserts are bordering on hit and miss, and a custard apple sorbet with strawberry, rhubarb and macadamia chocolate is refreshing without being delicious. There’s a lot going on there, it’s fruity without being particular fabulous and we’d rather focus on another glorious cocktail.

Must-eat dish: Green rice crumbed prawns with chilli and ginger pickle salad