Positioned on the waters edge and surrounded by lush palm & pine trees, the newly refurbished Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is the perfect city retreat, even if it's just for one afternoon. With its hint of mint green miami facade, striped umbrellas, crisp white interior and a picture perfect view of the Harbour, it's quintessentially Sydney. The iconic Beach Club is still very much a locals hub, yet thanks to the chic & cheeky makeover, it's attracting Sydneysiders further afield...like me. One short stroll & ferry ride later, we were seated at a wooden picnic table overlooking the pristine water and ordering drinks to cool us down. With six of us out that day, we decided to order a selection of entrees to share and a different main each so we could sample as much of the revamped menu as possible. To begin our feast (& what a feast it was!) we shared:

• Bucket of Tiger Prawns with spicy cocktail sauce, butter & bread - Fresh, sweet, meaty & YUM
• Sticky Lamb Ribs in Hoisin Sauce - AMAZING - do not pass go without eating these!
• Salmon Ceviche with crisp tortilla chips, guacamole, cherry tomatoes & cucumber - Light & simple, though it unfortunately lacked the punch of flavour I was hoping for

For mains, we ordered the below with everyone managing to have a bite off each others plate (sharing is caring you know):

• Spice Rubbed Spatchcock with honey yoghurt - Moorish, tender and full of flavour
• Beer Battered Fish & Chips - A standard serve of fish & chips, good pub grub
• Berkshire Pork Belly, Asian Rainbow Slaw - INCREDIBLE - Declared the winning dish of the day
• Grass Fed Beef Eye Fillet with salsa verde - Cooked to perfection (Order a side of potatoes or fries to go with)
• Crab Spaghettini -Unexpectedly tasted more Asian than Italian, the only dish which didn't compete with its peers
• Snapper Fillet with Italian Puttanesca Sauce - Light, fresh & healthy

The restaurant in the Beach Club is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner 7 days a week. There is a coffee cart manned by a barista who serves early morning walkers and those needing an afternoon pick me up. You may have already guessed it, but the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel also boasts 31 well appointed suites. Fitted with mod cons (wi-fi, plasma tv, in room movies etc), king size beds, marble bathrooms and not forgetting incredible views ranging from Sydney Harbour to the green expanse called Robertson Park. Along with the great food & view, these rooms would almost make you want to purposely miss the last ferry home. Find further information & timetable for the Manly Fast Ferry here. There is also a direct service from the city to Watsons Bay, you can find more info here Highlights: Views, Decor, Bucket of Prawns, Lamb Ribs & Berkshire Pork Belly Lowlights: Very relaxed service, Crab Spaghettini *foodies agenda was a guest of Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel