Harrisons by Spencer Patrick — Restaurant in Port Douglas

There’s something about sitting under the stars in Port Douglas that makes you remember the little things—the balmy air, the hushed ripples of a nearby pool, the kind of quiet that only exists in places where people come to escape. Harrisons by Spencer Patrick is one of those spots, a place where you can kick off the sandals, take a breath, and feel the absurd luxury of it all. And let’s be honest, when I say “absurd luxury,” I mean the kind of luxury where you’re trying to pretend you belong there while hoping nobody notices your sandals are two years past their prime.

The night was quiet, almost eerily so, as if the universe had pressed pause, leaving us to the whimsical mercy of the staff. They were lovely—genuine without pretense, quick to smile but never to linger. It was the kind of service that seemed to know when to appear and when to vanish, like a mirage that brought drinks and knew the right moment to clear the plates. If I could summon them in real life every time I needed a drink and a disappearing act, I’d be unstoppable.

I started with the hash brown. Yes, a hash brown—but this was no greasy breakfast relic. This was a slab of comfort and indulgence topped with nduja, guanciale, and smoked Yarra Valley caviar. Let me tell you, it’s not every day you eat a hash brown that’s been to finishing school. It was crisp and smoky, and somehow managed to be both utterly familiar and yet something new, a strange paradox on a plate. It was as if someone took your childhood and gave it a degree in Fine Arts.

The main course was a duel between land and sea. The pork chop—a tender loin from Bangalow—sat among lentils, capers, currants, and sage, with slices of Packham pear providing just the right hint of sweetness. It was hearty, comforting, a reminder that pork, when treated with respect, can transcend its station. This wasn’t your standard Sunday roast pork; this was the pork that went to a yoga retreat, found itself, and now meditates daily.

Then there was the barramundi, caught from somewhere out in Far North Queensland, prepared with carrot and ginger, squid, green chilli, and a few sea succulents scattered like a shoreline on the plate. It was delicate, playful—the kind of dish that evokes memories of summers by the ocean, reminding you that fish doesn't need to be complicated to be good. I swear, if this barramundi could talk, it would have a gentle Australian accent and tell you everything's going to be alright, mate.

But the star of the night was Maddy's Chocolate Pudding. It wasn't a dessert as much as it was an indulgence, a sin disguised as hazelnut and cookie crumble, salted caramel, and malt ice cream. Rich, decadent, and perfectly balanced, it made you close your eyes for a moment and think, ‘This—this is what it's all about.’ It was the kind of dessert that makes you believe in love at first bite, the kind of love that involves a lot of heavy breathing and maybe a few tears of joy. I almost wanted to stand up and give a slow clap to the chef, but I was too busy licking the spoon.

Harrisons isn't a restaurant that's trying to impress you with how fancy it can be; it's a place that makes you feel like life can be good—delightful, even—if only for a couple of hours on a warm night in Port Douglas. It’s a place that takes the fancy and makes it feel friendly, where the food feels both elevated and entirely approachable, like that cool cousin who went to Europe and came back with a bunch of stories but still wants to hang out with you on the couch. So kick off your sandals, order the pudding, and enjoy the absurdity of it all. Life’s too...

One of "the" places to eat in Port Douglas. This stylish privately owned restaurant is located at the Sheraton Grand Mirage and influenced our decision to stay in the hotel because we had heard such positive things about it. Regrettably our experience did not reach the high expectations we had based on its reputation. The restaurant features an elegant dining room with an alfresco area by the pool. The service was very professional and attentive and the wine list was good but with a limited by the glass section. An obvious error on this page provided some amusement for my small mind. After enjoying our aperativo we browsed the menu which was separated into appetisers, starters, mains, shared mains and set course tasting menus. We were advised that the appetisers were small so elected to start with the starters or entrees. My wife selected the tortellini of endeavour prawns and I the crab mayonnaise. Judging by the size of the entrees were were intrigued as to how small the appetisers were. My wife enjoyed her tortellini and my crab mayonnaise was delicious and I had just finished saying to my wife how much I would prefer to pay more for less if it was a high standard when I started picking shell out of my mouth. I was disappointed with that and told the waitress who agreed that I should not have found any shell and the dish was removed from the bill which was not an ideal outcome for either party but I appreciated the gesture. Moving to mains I was a little surprised to see so many dishes with an offal element. Of the six mains, two featured offal, one featured black pudding and one dish was lacking its core ingredient but had been adapted using another ingredient. Not being a fan of offal and baulking at the $52 steak and chips I selected the salty belly of pork, with the black pudding and my wife had the roasted barramundi which she thoroughly enjoyed. My pork was perfectly cooked with delicious meat and a wonderful crisp skin but I felt that the black pudding added little to the dish and might have contributed to me feeling a little underwhelmed by it. I suppose I was looking for a wow factor that wasn't there and I confess to not liking black pudding. Finally, I recommend paying the bill by cash to avoid the eftpos surcharge on all transactions, even from cheque or savings which was a first for me.

I'd heard such great things and maybe had built my expectations...

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Harrison's starting with a tour through several private art displays in the Sheraton Grand Mirage foyer.

The food was excellent, service mostly very good with the exception of proving butter instead of the requested oil to a dairy free diner.

Hash Brown. Nduja, guanciale, smoked Yarra Valley caviar was a bit of a miss. The crunch of the hash brown fingers was nice but spicy heat overwhelmed the flavour of the caviar.

Beetroot, Atherton Tablelands, QLD. Smoked, white bean, buckwheat, radicchio, macadamia (vv) was great. Beetroot is difficult to balance and this worked very well. The presentation of this and frankly every dish was amazing.

Leeks. Charcoal grilled, crisp potato, Tablelands mushrooms, spinach, walnuts, mustard (vv) was the dish of the night. It was delightfully on the lighter side, championing the often underappreciated slightly acidic flavour of the crunchy/chewy/charred leeks to wonderful advantage.

Lastly the best duck I've tasted in years, perhaps since trying the 3 day prepared duck at Vasse Felix in the Margaret River in the early 2000s. Duck Breast. Apple, black pudding, cabbage, bread sauce, barley, clove was delightfully. The sweetness of the apple complementing and enhancing the perfectly cooked tender duck breast with the barley soaking up flavours and adding a lovely texture to the dish. The bread sauce was successful although there was a little too much other sweeter apple sauce and jus that tended to overpower the other elements over time.

Go try this restaurant and move away from the beaten path of Steak and Barrimundi. Its the best we've found in Port Douglass and it...