Halcyon House makes you want to jack it all in and live your best life, ordering cocktails by the pool. It’s a coastal haven with chilled beats, beautiful people and a beachside decor that makes you want to move straight in. Inside is Paper Daisy, the award-winning restaurant led by Jason Barratt. When he filled the (rather huge) shoes of Ben Devlin in March, many surely wondered if he would keep the quality high, the menu interesting and the food memorable.

He doesn’t disappoint: the menu is exquisitely crafted. Local, ethically sourced food still takes centre stage and Devlin’s foraging legacy lives on. The dishes are littered with achingly Aussie ingredients like Currie Country pipis, coastal herbs and anise myrtle. 

Nothing is made the ‘easy’ way. Fish cooked in local kelp, broccoli charred on coals and coconut ash cannoli all delight. The salted kangaroo entree with blue congo and saltbush is a truly unforgettable dish. Paper Daisy is perfect for lazy Sunday lunches, because you might be here a while. The wait between dishes can be a bit long, but with a wine list as extensive as theirs (and staff with the knowledge to back it), you should make a four-hour meal of it. After all, if you’re going to jack it all in, you might as well <really> live your best life.

Must eat dish: Salted kangaroo, blue congo, saltbush, macadamia