Osprey Restaurant – Cook Hwy, Thala Beach. Ph: 07 4098 5700

Osprey Restaurant Thala Beach Lodge is one of the world’s best; its natural setting is spectacular and its refined, understated style is designed to soothe the sting of modern living. Osprey restaurant sits magnifcently perched at tree top level. This simply has to be one of the most beautiful places you could ever imagine dining.

So, take yourself ten minutes south of Port and enter the Thala world. Sit yourself down on the breeze cooled deck at Ospreys and prepare yourself for a truly international cuisine excursion. However, far from fusion for the sake of it, Ospreys work the flavour/texture balances superbly well, bringing to the plate imaginitve, cultured ingredients and combinations.

When I took myself and a friend there for a weekend, we started our Saturday with a breakfast that blended tradition and innovation. The ‘on top of the world’ breakfast included six shucked oysters, salmon eggs Benedict, fresh strawberries from the nearby Tablelands and a glass of champagne. The pleasure was topped off by the spectacle of the morning birdlife in the treetops. A fabulous start to our getaway and a sign of things to come.

Our lunch experience was similarly indulgent; a medley of fresh local prawns, bugs, scallops, oysters, mussels and smoked salmon presented with dipping sauces, lime and lemon. Enjoyed with a crisp white it was just about the perfect lazy lunch experience.

Dinner, however, was sublime. With moonlight over the Coral Sea, we sat down to a knockout shared entrée of home made seafood ravioli served in a crayfish essence and garnished with crispy fried leek.

Our mains, the Bendigo lamb rack and the grilled ‘muscovy’ duck breast, showed off the Osprey’s ethos to full effect. With a nod to old school, earthy flavours, both dishes reflected an insightful contemporary approach that delivered great flavour and nuance.

When you combine this with excellent presentation and superior service you have a dining experience that sits several levels above the usual. Even if you’re not staying at Thala the short ten minute drive south is absolutely worth your while. This is quality, folks.

A night, a weekend, even a simple afternnon tea at Ospreys is genuine treat material. It’s luxurious without being pretentious and the canopy setting is utterly bewitching. If that doesn’t get you, the sheer indulgence of Thala’s cool elegance surely will; it’s a world apart.

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