Sydney has surprisingly few restaurants right on the water, let alone ones that get it right, but Catalina has been delivering for more than 30 years.

Just smashing Sydney rocks with a glass of champagne would be a fine way to spend an afternoon. But wait, then there’s the fixed-price three-course menu, and more ways to bespoke your experience with WA marron, caviar or fish tacos.

Plenty of the Rose Bay crowd dip in, and the likes of snapper dumplings in a puddle of chilli sauce feel very now. Go classic, and pert prawn and cuttlefish ravioli comes with an excitingly rich shellfish bisque. Murray cod with Madras-style curry and potato is cooked well, but lacks punch. Maybe it’s the market (but still, everyone likes their spuds cooked all the way through).

The wine list balances new-wave and classic better than you might expect, and with an eye for value too, especially considering that view.

Good to know: Pack your sunglasses. But then, if you don’t, they’ll loan you some.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.