Harry's unique location with food and wine to match
Harry's on Buderim is the latest restaurant to be reviewed in the Sunshine Coast Daily Restaurant of the Year Awards.
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Nestled in the lush Buderim rainforest, a charming restaurant converted from an old Queensland-style home is hard to compare to any other venue in the state.
Harry's on Buderim is the latest restaurant to be reviewed in the Sunshine Coast Daily Restaurant of the Year Awards and was labelled an "exceptional dining experience”.
While some room for improvement was noted, the stellar venue sat with the "best in the state”, according to our mystery judge.
AMBIENCE AND APPEAL
It's not sleek, modern or even contemporary, but there's a charm to the rustic feel in the old Queeenslander that serves as a dining hall.
It's all about character, and the furniture, artwork and fireplace all contribute to the ambiance.
It's unique. There aren't too many like it on the Sunshine Coast - an old Queenslander wrapped in State Forest Park, overlooking a clearing where, at lunch, picnickers unfold blankets and children play.
CLEANLINESS
The rustic nature of the venue probably limits its appeal as a clean venue.
The toilets were under repair and some of the visible parts of the building facade need maintenance.
But the glassware and crockery were perfect and the floors and furniture were well presented.
PRESENTATION
The décor was in theme and consistent with the style of eating house, but the staff, while in black and well-presented, weren't in a fancy or flash uniform.
Tables were well set but the bar area looked disorganised.
SERVICE
The staff were attentive, welcoming and knowledgeable.
I did feel that there were variations as I saw some tables with a lovely lady attending to them get far more attention than some of the other wait staff provided.
There was one time before entrée when we went a long period of time (perhaps 20 minutes) without any offer of a re-fill of our glass or a water glass refreshment. But overall, it was very good - just not excellent.
This is what the venue does astonishingly well. And it probably isn't surprising when you consider that they have a two-hatted chef in the kitchen.
I chose the Glenbrook Asparagus for entree. It was a delicious infusion of pink grapefruit pulp into crumbled feta and crisp, fresh asparagus. The flavours worked well together: zesty, fresh, clean.
For main, I chose the pan-seared eye fillet.
As you'd expect of a chef the calibre of Stuart Bell, the protein was finely marbled, perfectly cooked and it melted like butter once in the mouth. The olive compote was a lovely savoury accompaniment to balance the richness of the red wine jus.
It was done better than most restaurants I've dined at on the Coast.
WINE LIST
It was a list of reasonable size, but not overwhelming.
There was a good mix of wines from different regions, though not particularly brave as there weren't many lesser-known varietals that would provide an opportunity for diners to experiment.
But the wines selected were good examples of their styles.
I was pleased to see that there were wines from a range of international regions - just disappointed to see that there was nothing from Italy on the list at all.
VALUE
For a venue with such quality of food and the uniqueness of the venue, I thought the prices were very reasonable.
There are a few things I would tinker with, but no complaints about the value proposition.
The Harry's dining experience was top shelf.
The food was exceptional - I'd say up there with the very best in the state.
There's room for improvement in some other aspects of the operation, but good value while dining at a rustic, if not unique location.
It was head and shoulders above most that offer contemporary Australian cuisine.
JUDGE'S SCORES
Ambience and appeal 8/10
Cleanliness 7/10
Presentation 7.5/10
Service 15/20
Food 27/30
Wine list 7/10
Value 9/10
TOTAL 80.5/100
HARRY'S ON BUDERIM
Address: 11 Harry's Lane, Buderim
Phone: 5445 6661
Website: www.harrysonbuderim.com.au
Opening hours:
Lunch: Wednesday-Sunday, noon-2pm
Dinner: Thursday-Saturday, 6-8pm
Originally published as Harry's unique location with food and wine to match
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