Sails on the Bay

'On the bay' can describe anything within a sniff of a salty breeze; here, the description is literal. Sails' huge windows are one metre from the sand, giving unimpeded views of beach-walkers, swimmers and scavenging seagulls. The nautical theme continues inside with 'sails' strung up in the style of a grand marquee. Linen tablecloths and padded chairs deliver a dressed-up look that makes this a popular place for weddings and functions. The food has formality too, at times magnified by fussy touches. A sardine entree presents two whole fish atop a smear of basil puree, their heads resting on cherry tomatoes, with a dob of tomato sorbet and two piles of almond and garlic crumble. For mains, ocean trout cooked sous-vide might lack the strength of flavour of its accompanying braised fennel risotto. A dessert of apple compote is more successful, lifted with a silky vanilla panna cotta. Service is friendly but can lack polish given the prices. Oh, but the view