Lunch at Berowra waters inn is a bit like a weekend away condensed into a leisurely afternoon.

It starts with a lovely drive through Sydney’s northern beaches to the restaurant’s beautiful waterfront spot on the Hawkesbury – or, if you’re lucky, a seaplane trip from the Eastern Suburbs.

Either way, you’ll end up crossing the water at some point to the jetty – and feel like you’re on holiday already.

We’re here to sample the degustation, seven courses each accompanied by something delightful to drink, edited to compliment each dish.

We start with crab, corn & foie gras, lovely delicate flavours served with Pierre de la Grange Muscadet Sevre et Maine.

Next up, ocean trout, smoked milk & dashi – almost too pretty to eat, served with Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc from Alsace – a dry yet fruity number that I mistook for Riesling.

Our third course is a perfectly poached egg with ham and potato, served with a local craft beer – Happy goblin Ale – a perfect match.

Chicken, mushrooms & yeast is our next dish, looking nothing like what I expected – beautifully presented with an equally surprising match, Mac Forbes Blaufrankisch. surprising because I’ve never heard of this type of wine let alone the label. Clearly I need to get out more.

Our next dish is even more unusually presented: melt in your mouth braised short rib, with a crunchy green coating, served with sweet onions and a Spaniard; Coto de Hayas Crianza from Campo de Borja.

And then the beetroot and licorice dish arrives – my absolute favourite. Delicious AND beautiful. It’s a crime to spoil this little work of art on a plate, but clearly a crime not to eat it. So I do my best to make it last, savouring every last morsel.

It’s served with a Burgundy; Jacoulet Ratafia de Bourgogne.

Dessert arrives in the firm of hazelnut, chocolate & apricot, a delicious little praline mousse served with another Spaniard; Fusta Nova Moscatel from Valencia.

And sadly our condensed weekend away in a day comes to an end.