Noosa Beach House

If dining farm-to-fork is your trip, it’s rather hard to put a foot wrong in Noosa. And while choosing among the excellent options dotted along Hastings Street can be tricky, Noosa Beach House at Sofitel is a strong contender, packing in a breezy bar and an elegant modern-European diner overseen by executive chef Bret Cameron, formerly of Three Blue Ducks and Byron Bay’s Harvest Newrybar.

The best organic and free-range produce from the Sunshine Coast powers the menu here, and from the open kitchen you can expect beautifully plated Mooloolaba tuna crudo; smoked beetroots with macadamia cheese, Davidson’s plum and a beetroot-macadamia crumb; and casarecce tossed with Moreton Bay bug. The crispy-skin duck with parsnip puree is a star, as is the dark chocolate mousse with wattleseed ice cream – smooth and decadent as you’d expect.

Before (or after) dinner upstairs, a cocktail or two at Noosa Beach House bar never goes astray. Here, there’s also an all-day menu of snacks and large plates – including shucked-to-order oysters and steak frites – if you’re after a more laid-back affair. A window seat at the stylish little watering hole is an excellent vantage point for taking in the hum of Hastings Street.