There’s a formal vibe to the main body of the restaurant but out on the terrace looking over the expansive pool to the palm trees lining the beach beyond it’s a cinch to sink into holiday mode.

Chef Spencer Patrick, who’s from the UK where he was head chef as various London Marco Pierre White restaurants and won a Michelin star, combines classic technique with local produce to turn out compelling dishes such a grilled prawns beneath a thin blanket of squid ink pasta in a pool of bisque or perhaps a main of roasted barramundi with clams, scallops, sweet onion, seaweed and whey.

The 12-hour braised short ribs, with fermented cabbage, bubble and squeak, turnip and mead, is a fine example of the benefits of slow cooking.

Reina Patrick runs the front of house with aplomb and the wine list is well curated with plenty of climatically appropriate whites.

Desserts might be sweet roasted pineapple teamed with kulfi, cardamom and curry leaf as an ode to the tropics or a rather English and rather luscious marmalade souffle with buttered toast ice-cream.

As of June this year, the restaurant is now serving breakfast with Queensland spanner crab omelette and crepes among the options.

Exceptional dish: Grilled prawns, ink pasta, bisque