Port Douglas Surf Lifesaving Club

The Esplanade
Port Douglas
Queensland 4877

Right on 4 mile beach, the Port Douglas Surf Lifesaving Club, is situated away from the throng of Macrossan street.

The majority of the seating is set up on the terrace beneath the canopy, with views through the trees to the sand and coral sea.

There are separate counters for food and drinks, and the menu was up on the board as well as the printed versions.

We shares a serve of the Fish Taco's, accompanied by guacamole, salsa, nachos. They were a decent size and contained battered fish, faloursome sauce and coriander, a definite winner.

I had the cioppino or tomato based fish stew, filled with mussels, prawns, scallops and fish and topped with basil and served with bread and aioli.

The grilled reef fish with chips, rocket and tartar wasn't spectacular but delivered the goods.

The food came to around $60 and was pretty good value. It is certainly a good choice if you are keen on beach side dining.

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Star of Siam, Port Douglas

1/12 Macrossan Street
Port Douglas
QLD 4877

With its wide open doors and windows, eating 'inside' at  the Star of Siam doesn't feel to enclosed, in fact you still feel close to the action on Macrossan Street.

Inside there is a definite Thai them to the decor, from the pitched roof of the bar to the chair backs.

The menu offers several classic Thai dishes, plus some less common ones and house specialities.

We shared the fish cakes as an entree, which turned out to be a good plan as they were the largest Thai style examples I'd seen, the texture and flavour didn't suffer either.

The veggie and tofu green curry lived up to our expectations with a good kick of spiciness and  the other expected flavours.

The Banana fish or baked barramundi arrived wrapped in the leaf it had been cooked in.

 

Inside the whole fish was topped with picked garlic, coriander, sliced ginger, and a slightly odd mix of vegetables. The selection of mostly green veggies, along with the wrapping didn't show off or enhance the barramundi but underneath the fish was nicely cooked, however not much different to how we oven cook it at home.

The roti was thinner and crisper than expected, and not so good at soaking up the curry, but still enjoyable.

The meal came to $69 including corkage, it's BYO alcohol only. The service was fairly good although it slowed down a little as it got busier while we were there. Perhaps it would be best to stick to some of the more familiar dishes if dining at the Star of Siam, as the ones we had were good and I'd happily have again.

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The Courthouse Hotel, Port Douglas

1 Macrossan Street
Port Douglas
Queensland 4877

On the corner of Macrossan and Wharf streets the "Courty" is an impressive edifice with plenty of options for sitting outside as well as bars on two floors.

We sat outside when we visited for dinner on a busy Sunday evening.

There aren't any direct views of the sunset, but looking out over ANZAC park on the inlet in the early evening isn't bad...

...then the moon made an appearance.

The menu offered up plenty of pub classics with a few Queensland twists.

 

I had the kangaroo which was nicely char grilled and just over the advertised medium rare I thought. It was served on a roast sweet potato mash, which I would have preferred uncrushed, beans salsa and gravy.

The asian seafood curry was flavoursome and packed with prawns, mussels, squid and scallops.

The meals came to around $60 and the service was efficient, from the order at the counter to delivery. The location and quality of food make it worth a try if you are in town.

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The Tin Shed

7 Ashford Avenue
Port Douglas
Queensland 4877

We had fond memories of a previous visit to the Tin Shed in Port Douglas, officially the Port Douglas and District Combined Clubs, and ended up going back on our first night in town. It has a fantastic location, over looking the river and facing west for the sunset. We arrived as the light was fading on a Saturday night and got one of the few spare tables.

After getting some drinks we perused the menu, offering a variety of classic Australian Pub and RSL style dishes and the specials board, making our selections and heading up to order at the counter.

I had the special of yellow fin tuna, which was just slightly overdone and was served on a Thai style couscous, an interesting fusion of flavours, which just about worked, but did result in damp/sticky grains.

The baked whole baby barramundi was memorably presented, had a crisp exterior and in places was overcooked. It came topped with picked ginger, and was served on lemongrass scented rice and some stir fried veggies.

The food came to around $50 and the staff coped well with the packed dining area. Our expectations, built from our memories of a previous visit weren't quite met, but I would think about going back and sticking to some of the more classic dishes. The value and views certainly can't be faulted.

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