Good Food Guide 2003

This enticing 1910 heritage cottage in the quaint hippy village of Bellingen is warm and welcoming. You can sit on the verandah in warmer weather, and enjoy the open fire in the small, creamy, softly lit dining room with its bisto tables and chairs. Bubbly host Toni Urquhart offers attentive, friendly service, and has a keen understanding of the wine list, which features many rarely seen names.

Husband Ray’s menu showcases food local produce, prepared simply, often with an Asian edge. Local barbequed quail has a wonderful sweet- sour edge in a tamarillo dressing. Baby squid with sautéed Asian green has a touch of heat from wasabi verjuice. Marinating spatchcock seemed to make it tough work on barbequed pears with ginger and star anise sauce, but an aged beef fillet is macho enough for mushroom ragout with kumera mash. The banana palm sugar pizza caramelised banana on a flaky puff pastry base – is stunning enough but with honey lavender ice-cream, its total bliss.