I have wonderful readers – they’re like me and get excited over new food discoveries and want to share them with others and my inbox is full of fantastic reader recommendations, many of which I follow up and/or intend to follow up. Cottage Point Inn was one of those places that reader Wayfarer emailed me about. I saw that it was a gorgeous, secluded spot in Cottage Point, accessible only by car, boat or seaplane it was that remote. I also saw the prices for dinner and accomodation and promptly filed that away for a special occasion.
Fast forward almost 1.5 years later and I’m glad to see that it’s included in the SIFF Let’s do Lunch prgrame which means for $35 we can enjoy a main there, a glass of wine and a coffee! There was a false start, one booking had to be postponed because of apartment renovations so I find myself with my friend MamaMia driving up towards Cottage Point,about 45 minutes drive from the North of the city. We go through the Kuringai Chase National Park and follow the signs towards Cottage Point. Much of the scenery obscured by a screen of trees but the anticipation whets our appetites further. “There are a lot of proposals here” MamaMia tells me and I can imagine the secludedness and the accomodation lends itself to wedding proposals.
We pull up and she looks down at my feet. “Good no heels, you can’t walk down there in heels as it’s quite steep” she says. Indeed there is a woman that removes her stilettoes before going down the sraitrs. There’s a wharf to the right and a sign saying “Only restaurant visitors past this point” and we head towards the restaurant. A woman walks towards us with a clipboard and greets us warmly and we take a seat. As it’s slightly breezy, the plastic has been erected and blankets are on the backs of chairs.
I’m one for entrees, I always seem to prefer them to mains and the king prawn dish with champagne cream, butter brioche and avruga black herring roe is just screaming my name so I opt out of the Let’s do Lunch option and go for this entree instead. MamaMia goes for the Let’s do Lunch which is fantastic value as mains range from $39.50-$46. The local tap water isn’t drinkable so mineral water needs to be ordered (there is an option with the Let’s do Lunch to have a 500ml bottle of San Pellegrino with your meal instead of wine).
Kookaburra pose 1: profile shot
Kookaburra pose 2: other profile with beef in mouth – hold pose dramatically…
Kookaburra pose 3: until it eats!
We sit back and watch other couples and groups being taken to their table. Each time guests come down the stairs a member of staff comes to greet them and everyone in the restaurant looks up and surveys the new arrivals. There is a Kookaburra that is perched on the balcony. A waiter takes a small bowl of strips of beef fillet (only the best will do) and feeds it to the Kookaburra who is perched on his arm and who takes pieces, holds them in its mouth and poses for the cameras (ok it’s just me here) and then swallows them with a flourish. We’re told that the kookaburra comes every day and must be fed or he or she will pinch food from the plates! They also have baby kookaburras and now all of the family come for some beef fillet.
Complimentary bread
We help ourselves to the bread roll, a warm sourdough bun that is fantastic. I usually prefer butter to olive oil and balsamic but this balsamic is nice and fruity (and apparently available for purchase according to the menu).
Steamed king prawns with champagne cream, toasted prawn butter brioche, avruga balck herring roe $32.50
Our food arrives and my prawns smell heavenly. They’re fantastically fresh and they go so well with the champagne cream and avruga black herring roe and softly sauteed spring onions. The only part I don’t really go for is the toasted prawn butter brioche. It’s too hard and crouton like and dry.
Roast, organic, free range Thirlmere chicken breast with mousse filled zucchini flowers and eggplant and tomato salsa $35 as part of Let’s do Lunch
MamaMia’s lunch is more substantial in size as it’s a main and I try a bit. Whilst the chicken breast isn’t dry, it isn’t particularly moist either but the dish is very filling.
I know that the line between women and dessert is a thin one and it doesn’t take much persuading from looking at the dessert menu to give it a try so we choose a dessert each.
View 1: Valrhona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart, Chocolate Macaroon, Honeycomb Ice Cream $21.50
View 2: Valrhona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart, Chocolate Macaroon, Honeycomb Ice Cream $21.50
MamaMia and I tossed up who would get either of these desserts as we both independently honed in on the same two desserts. MamaMia took this one while I took the other one (didn’t matter, we’d still taste the other one). The Chocolate and Salted caramel tart is judiciously salted with the filling oozing out over the edge slowly. And before you get too excited (as we did) the chocolate macaron isn’t a real macaron nor is it a macaroon, it’s just a chocolate biscuit. Still the whole dessert is pleasing and rich.
Poached Bananas, White chocolate mousse, filo wafer and passionfruit $19.50
My dessert looks huge, with the square of layered filo, poached bananas and generous dollops of white chocolate mousse. I always think white chocolate goes so well with passionfruit as well as tangier fruits like raspberry so I do like this combination, especially paired with the golden filo but the bananas are disapppointing as they taste floury and plain. Rather than poaching them, flambeeing them or sauteeing them in butter and sugar would have been nicer.
Coffee and madeleines
We take a stroll to the nearby casual Cottage Point Kiosk, a place that yayasyumyums reviewed a while back which looks like a nice, casual place to eat. The climb back up to the car has us winded (it’s much steeper than you’d think) although this means we may have started to work off part of the dessert.
So tell me Dear Reader, where were you proposed to or where would you like to be proposed to?
And because it’s Wallpaper Wednesday here’s a little Halloween gruesomeness to get you in the mood for Saturday night! A bloody brain pannacotta wallpaper!
Cottage Point Inn
2 Anderson Place, Cottage Point, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9456 1011
Bookings essential
www.cottagepointinn.com.au
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
35 Comments | Add your own
Hey!
We went to Cottage Point two weeks ago, and I have a post set up to go up tomorrow about it. I really liked it there.
We didn’t eat at the restaurant, but we did eat at the Kiosk. Actually everyone else ate, I watched as I hoped my waistline would shrink.
We then hired a boat and went exploring. It was fun.
Can I say that the last set of stairs {at the kiosk} had us out of breathe too. And we couldn’t figure out why. It didn’t look that steep.
Thanks for the review. I’m a sucker for bananas and they look hard to pass up!
I love the Kookaburra
But then I love seeing birds out and about. Birds in cages make me sad 
And I don’t want to be proposed to. I would run screaming. We’ve long agreed that we’re not getting married
I think it’s so cool you get fan mail!
Wish I lived close by…it is so beautiful. At least I can feel like I am there through your wonderful photos! Thanks.
Stay Cozy, Carrie
My now husband just shouted to me from the shower – not exactly the king of romance! Still waiting for him to arrange a romantic seaplane flight for lunch at Cottage Point too – might have to just book it myself…..
Great review Lorraine. I was proposed to on the beach, in the rain at night, at Hawks Nest. My husband was unimpressed when I shook my hand to see if the ring would come off. It didn’t
What a gorgeous spot to eat at and appreciate Nature at it’s best. There are so many beautiful places just like it in Australia and one would have to live more than a lifetime to try them all.
I met my husband while on holiday in India and after three weeks of being courted with a red rose and love note every day, it wasn’t a hard decision when he proposed.Twenty seven years later ( celebrating it this Saturday) we’re still going strong!
This looks like such a lovely, secluded area, I can imagine that it’s perfect for proposals. Your meal looks incredible, especially the salted caramel tart for dessert!
I have such fond memories on this place. My sweet boyfriend took me there for my birthday a few years back as a surprise – and we went via seaplane which was incredible!
I don’t think it’s still on the menu, but the soft-shell crab was TDF
desserts look divine
What a gorgeous place! I am totally going there when I get back to Oz. So romantic and surprisingly affordable.
What a lovely spot! That chocolate & caramel tart looks soooo good!
My fiance proposed on a weekend away to the South Coast (Shoalhaven Wine Festival!) this past winter just before we were about to go out for dinner
Mr Pimi and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary there last year and had a fantasstic meal. The blankets are a lovely touch. As we sat there at the beginning of the meal, admiring the beautiful sunset, a gorgeous cruiser pulled up and couple disembarked and sat at a nearby table for their dinner. I couldn’t help but dream that one day that could be me
Btw, I wore heels but had to get Mr Pimi to hold my hand as I navigated the stairs lol
Oh this place looks amazing. No wonder that MUST feed the birds, it would be hassel with them stealing things off your plate
Heavenly smelling prawns? oh… I wish I could smell them now.
P.S. wallpaper isn’t working
“file not found”
x
Your entrée looks superb, with those juicy plump prawns, but that chicken looks even plumper!
The “macaron” sitting on the gelato combination looks like a plump mushroom too, tee hee.
Proposed to? Uhh… no idea! Might need to address my very-single-status before devoting any thought to that
What an idyllic spot – and those desserts look divine!
What a lovely spot for a meal. I love the look of the entree and the main, but for dessert, the caramel tart would be mine!! I wouldn’t mind where I was proposed to – if it was by the man that I loved, I’d just be thrilled regardless of the setting!
I love this wharf, I love the Kookaburra…and I love the ‘good no heels’! Gorgeous post Lorraine. Would love to visit this beautiful wharf one day!
OMG that chocolate dessert.. droooolll
I got proposed to whilst dear husband was driving. Another hopeless romantic.. NOT!!
Hussyband proposed to me at teh Red Oak Brewery in Sydney, in front of the beer tanks and a bunch of our friends. Really set the tone for our relationship – we both like a good drink, and he is determined to convert me into a beer drinker if it kills him.
We went back a year later to celabrate with the Beer Degustation dinner which I would higly recommend.
The food looks really amazing and your desserts suddenly awakened my hunger pangs. (I really do regret not being allowed coffee; it goes so beautifully with madeleines!)
The kookaburra was cute!
Looks like a great place and fantastic food. I am putting it on my last for when I come visiting down under.
Glad you enjoyed it – there is a certain magic about an evening meal there…after winding your way down the dark stairs to waters edge, the softly lit restaurant lights reflecting on the water are just perfect.
We like it so much that we just moved from the inner city to live up here!
I think I’d go just for the desserts – chocolate and salted caramel tart, oh yeah – what a beautiful setting! Thanks for the crosslink btw
I was 16 when I dined at the restaurant – it was my cousins wedding, there were only 24 guests (I know!! Used to much larger wedding with my Italian family) and to this day was the most enjoyable wedding I have attended as a guest – I still remember the barramundi I had for lunch!!
Oh, how very secluded! I’ll be filing it away for a special occasion as well!
Hubby proposed at beautiful Wineglass Bay in Freycinet. It was one surprise after another…and he completely fooled me with each and every surprise!
kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry, merry king of the bush is he, laugh, kookaburra! laugh, kookaburra! gay your life must be…
love that song, love those desserts.
i don’t care where i’m proposed to, i just want it to happen eventually!
Oh, I’ve always wanted to go here..I heard you can get there by seaplane, which would be nice
Ooh, that chocolate tart….
yikes a bit out of my price range. The food looks fantastic but I’d be happy just with those premium beef fillet off cuts if my kookaburra costume can fool them.
You should definately go to cottage point kiosk! Whenever I have foreign guests i alwasy take them there for the views and the food! they smoke their own salmon and have the most delicious seafood dishes! and all quite cheap too!
This spot looks great!
My husband proposed to me at the Twelve Apostles during our trip to Melbourne, which I thought was purely to “visit relatives”.
Got down on one knee in the freezing wind and asked me to marry him in front of a number of tourists haha. Started pouring with rain 5 minutes later, so his timing was perfect!
the desserts look yum!! The chicken doesn’t look too bad either…oh, that kookaburra!! I’m in love with those birds!
As for the proposal question – I’m with Grace…as long as it happens eventually, I don’t really care where it happens! (Well, within reason, I guess – no bathroom proposal or anything like that – that would be disturbing!! LOL)
Lovely place and food
Hubby proposed to me at a seafront villa in Puerto Rico 10 years ago. Still going strong 
Wauw most of them look so amazing! Cant wait to visit. tyhanks for that great tip!
Hi fat mum slim-Oh fabulous! I don’t know if I could do that. It’s like window shopping-I can’t do that either!
Oh good, so it wasn’t just us? I thought I was going mad too! You’re welcome! 
Hi Fiona-I think that he (and apparently it’s a he) is used to putting on a show
Hi Blond Duck-I’m sure you do too!
Hi Carrie-Thanks! Yes it’s a lovely area! I wish I lived closer too
Hi Jen-Yes do it yourself! I’ve found that’s the most effective way
Hi Amy-Thankyou! Aww how sweet!
Hi Matilda-It’s stunning
Oh how fabulous, every day no less! 
Wonderful to hear!
Hi Faith-The food was fabulous I have to say !
Hi Illegallyblonde-That must have been amazing! Sadly it’s not on the menu but I loved my dish!
Hi Betty-They were!
Hi bronnie-Oh brilliant! Enjoy
Hi Zam-OH that sounds gorgeous, congratulations!
Hi Pimi-Yes you definitely need the blankets during Winter I should think
Ahh maybe it will! Hubbies are great for that!
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-I know, wouldn’t it be funny (at first anyway). Thankyou for letting me know! x
Hi Conor-Plump is good as far as food is concerned isn’t it! Haha plumpness all around! Ahh well the best is yet to come!
Hi Julia-Thanks, it was amazing!
Hi Cakelaw-Haha yes I had my eye on that dessert too but I also love pastry
Yes that is true, it’s the person that counts!
Hi deeba-Why thankyou! I think you definitely should
Hi Lulu-It’s gorgeously glossy isn’t it! Haha Mr NQN isn’t a romantic either but he tries!
Hi Shotochick-Hehe that sounds rather thoughtful!
Hi Midge-It does doesn’t it!
Hehe I thought so too, I think he was the star of the show 
Hi Viktoria-Oh very cool! It’s a lovely place to go to!
Hi Wayfarer-Absolutely there is! Oh really, you must really love it!
It is a beautiful area!
Hi Moya-Hehe! You’re welcome, I hope to go to the kiosk one day!
Hi Stefania- How lovely! I always remember the food from a wedding too especially if it’s good
hi Karen-Absoutely!
Oh that must have been gorgeous! 
Hi grace-Haha you have that song in the US? How funny! I thought it was an Australian song as it was about kookaburras!
Fair enough! 
hi food.4.two-I think seaplane would be a gorgeous way to arrive!
Hi Lobo-It’s not bad for a special occasion
Haha perhaps a adult sized kookaburra outfit? 
Hi Kartini-Smoking their own salmon sounds lovely! Yes I do hope to get there soon one day!
Hi Krystle-Awww how sweet!
And how funny and perfect about the timing! 
Hi Liv-Aren’t they gorgeous? The desserts and birds I mean!
Haha do men even do those? I hope not!
Hi Ellie-Puerto Rico, how lovely! Any plans to go back there for a holiday to celebrate it?
Hi Beau-You’re welcome!
Post a Comment