Feels Like Home at Harry’s on Buderim
Deb Caruso discovers a hidden gem that really dishes up the goods when it comes to winter warmth, comfort dishes and old-fashioned, friendly service.
There is a common misconception about Harry’s on Buderim. Because the graceful Queenslander is perched on Buderim Forest Park surrounded by towering trees, people assume it is exposed to the weather, open to the elements and best saved for a fairer day. Wrong. Wonderfully, deliciously wrong.
The truth is that winter might just be the best time to visit one of the Sunshine Coast’s most celebrated restaurants. Harry’s is as warm and welcoming in winter as it is in any other season. The verandah is fully enclosed, heated and framed by views over Buderim Forest Park; the Fire Room offers an intimate dining space, warmed by a fire and walls lined with vintage photographs and historical tales of old Buderim; and the Art Room can adjoin the Fire Room or operate as its own round-table private space.
Harry’s is the sort of place where lunch stretches a little longer than planned, the wine glass is never far away and the outside world fades away. On a cool day or night, it’s exactly where you want to be. Built in 1880 by carpenter and coffee grower Harry Broad, the Queenslander was the suburb’s first guesthouse and was relocated from the top of Buderim to Buderim Forest Park just off Lindsay Road in the early nineties. It stands on Harry’s Lane in recognition of its historical significance.
Harry’s has an easy charm that comes from its history, but it is the atmosphere inside that gives it its character. It feels discovered rather than visited, like a place you are pleased to have found and even more pleased to return to. The setting may be elegant, but the mood is relaxed, with plenty of room for long lunches, good conversation and a comforting winter feed.
Owner-chef Stuart Bell, a two-hatted chef with more than 30 years’ experience, including in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, purchased the business seven years ago and has been building its reputation ever since. Stuart and the team have created a venue that suits everything from intimate catch-ups to larger celebrations. It works as a lunch spot, a dinner destination and a very handy choice for private functions, weddings and celebrations, corporate events and end-of-year gatherings.
For those looking for a place where people can actually hear each other, Harry’s delivers. It is polished without being showy, with dedicated rooms ideal for meetings, group bookings and celebrations that need a little more attention. The team bring extra warmth to the experience. They feel like family and, just like the building, they have history. Stuart and front-of-house host Anton crossed paths at the prestigious Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, while sommelier Wes and Stuart both spent time at 10 Minutes by Tractor in the Mornington Peninsula wine region.
Stuart is finalising the winter menu as this edition goes to print but the early details are enough to make you reach for a reservation. Beef cheeks – slow-braised, rich, served with Paris mash and glazed heirloom carrots – are a winter certainty.
Rabbit is also in his sights – deboned, braised, possibly arriving as ravioli or cannelloni with mushrooms and mustard. Vegetables and sides reflect the season with heirloom beetroots, glazed carrots, goat’s cheese – the kind of winter produce that earns its place. Save room for dessert with the return of the Tarte Tatin. A chocolate soufflé is in development. And then there’s the kumquat soufflé – a surprise success after Anton brought in a bag of organic kumquats from his garden.
“We’ve had customers say they had to force themselves to slow down because they just wanted to keep eating,” Anton says.
That reaction – the almost involuntary joy of a great meal in a beautiful space – is what Harry’s does best. It’s open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday and dinner Thursday to Saturday with an a la carte menu, and something extra when the timing is right. The Degustation menu is hard to refuse and bespoke menus can be created specifically for private functions – imagine Christmas in July with all the trimmings!
Getting there is simple and parking is plentiful. Harry’s is just off the Sunshine Motorway – no winding through Buderim. Twenty minutes from most
of the coast, though it feels like you’ve arrived somewhere entirely its own.
“I think a lot of people just don’t realise we’re here,” Stuart says. “And then when they find us, they wonder why it took them so long.”
WINTER WARMTH
Enjoy the warmth of Harry’s on Buderim. Lunch: Wednesday to Sunday, 12-2pm.
Dinner: Thursday to Saturday, from 6pm.
Available for private functions and corporate events by appointment.
Phone: 5445 6661
11 Harry’s Lane, Buderim.
For menus, bookings and more information visit www.harrysonbuderim.com.au
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