We ate on a quiet night and the service was excellent. The atmosphere from the heavy curtains, soft lighting, old paintings and classy décor was seductive and romantic. The food was wholesome and straightforward in keeping with the traditional country fare and the cold weather.

There was an extensive wine list and some options by the glass but I chose a beer (A$3.30) and my wife had a soft drink (A$2.50). I settled for Thai calamari (A$8.50) while she had chicken kebabs served on rice with a Malay-style sauce (A$8.50). For the main course the choice was extensive. I finally chose fettuccini in a rich carbonara sauce (A$15) while she ordered the seafood delight (A$24.50). This proved to be far too large for her so I happily helped out. We had both been tempted to order the hot and cold seafood fantasy for two (A$45) consisting of crab, lobster, prawns, mussels, oysters, caviar, calamari and marron but realised afterwards that this is a meal for the seriously hungry.

Dessert is one of my weaknesses so after a respectable wait, I ordered sticky date pudding (A$5). I struggled to finish it but it was delicious. I saw the mud cake, the hot apple pie, and the vanilla cheesecake being served to others and decided that I could have happily eaten any of these as well on another occasion. The ambience, the food and service combined to ensure that we had a very enjoyable night.