Stefanie Y.
Yelp
Before driving up to Freycinet from Hobart, we were warned that there was little choice for food in Freycinet. We resigned ourselves to sub-par national park food as the price to pay for the beautiful scenery.
However, the Bay turned out to be a really fantastic restaurant. We originally made reservations for later in the evening, but after a long day of hiking, we were so hungry, we decided to just head straight to the Bay. When we arrived, we realized it was actually pretty fancy, with uniformed staff and a well-appointed dining area looking out over Coles Bay.
We were impressed by the menu offerings - every dish sounded interesting. I ended up with the beetroot and gin-cured salmon, a light and refreshing summer appetizer, and the quail special, which was delicious. We also enjoyed the local black lip abalone appetizer - the abalones in Tasmania are different from those sourced from Asia and definitely worth a taste. For mains, the other members of our party loved the eye fillet, which was cooked to perfection and served with a delicious butter sauce, and the southern rock lobster served with a tasty, savory miso broth and soba noodles - the lobster was huge!
It's a credit to the service that we never felt uncomfortable during the meal. Despite the fact that we looked disgusting, we received excellent service. Erika was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and drinks menu, suggesting excellent local wines and regaling us with anecdotes about the wineries. She also recommended the corn creme brulee with spicy chili popcorn for dessert. Though it certainly sounded strange, it turned out to be a really one-of-a-kind dessert that we really enjoyed.
The Bay is such a gem - we were pleasantly surprised by every single aspect of the meal, from the wonderful service to the selection of local wines to the well-crafted dishes. Sometime towards the end of our dinner, we also were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset over the bay. It was the perfect ending to a really strenuous day and delicious meal.