Recently opened, The Botanica Vaucluse is set in lush gardens designed by Australian landscape designer, horticulturist and television presenter Charlie Albone. When we arrived in sunshine on the shortest day of the year, it was a treat to first wander under an archway to an upper level of interesting plantings of ornamentals and edibles including Meyer and Eureka lemon trees, strawberry patches and hedges of blueberry bushes plus a koi pond.

When Albone came to Canberra for an event held at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, he was about to leave for Chelsea Flower Show where he won silver-gilt medals in 2015 and 2016. In Canberra he was ambassador for Husqvarna and promoting forestry and gardening tools including a robotic mower.

At The Botanica there is a separate kitchen garden filled with kale, herbs including thyme, oregano, flat leaf parsley, lemon balm, edible flowers from borage and nasturtium, lavender, rosemary, basil, snow peas, sage, pennyroyal and rainbow chard. Residents of the development also have access to this bounty.

Plantings included society garlic, which seemed apt in this setting, which is part of an expensive Eastern Suburbs retirement village, the Mark Moran complex. However all the diners were younger than us and instagramming every dish, particularly the three-tiered crabs. The decor was fresh and charming. Armchair seats had powder pink covers, carpet was soft grey with a splotched dark grey pattern, there was an ornate large mirror, geometric hanging lights, hanging baskets and pots of greenery but the highlight was the wallpaper which was a tropical jungle of lotus, peacocks, toucans and swags of flowers.

Among the trees, beyond the high ceiling-to-floor glass windows, were pomelo, mango, orange, pomegranate, cumquat and avocados, all of which are getting established. Fruits are the inspiration for colourful cocktails served at The Botanica. These include Parsley Bay spritz, Garden Green spritz and the currently trendy ingredient Yuzu spritz. Yuzu (Citrus junos) is the Japanese name for the pomelo.

Apart from the garden in Vaucluse, The Botanica also sources its produce from their own Jamberoo Valley Farm, a 65-acre property farmed using organic and permaculture principles in the Kiama hinterland. Perry says, “It’s the most lush and picturesque place, surrounded by rainforest and green rolling hills. You can look out onto the ocean through gum trees.” He is right - I returned to Canberra via Berry and Moss Vale we drove through that countryside of Jamberoo and the Kangaroo Valley. The soil looked like chocolate and the rainfall, to a Canberran, is high. A Valley Farm Cafe is due to open in The Botanica complex later this year with farm gate produce for sale from Jamberoo.

For lunch the three of us shared roasted whole snapper with a side dish of garden greens with beans, silverbeet, beetroot and multi-coloured heirloom baby carrots.

On the way to collect my coat as we were leaving, I had a quick word about the fish with the executive chef, Perry Hill. It was possibly the best fish dish I have ever eaten because the flesh was sweet and the crust savoury, salty and herbal. Hill said the snapper is flown in daily, fresh from New Zealand, because the flight only takes two hours which is shorter than the eight hours getting snapper from Eden. He generously shared the recipe.

Nearer to Laguna Street, where we parked, and still within the complex, we visited SOL Botanica Providore, a cute cafe with handmade preserves and chocolates, a fromagerie, an artisan bakery with their own gluten free bread, the same coffee which was served in the restaurant which was organic and from Byron Bay Coffee company. They also had an irresistible array of cakes including slices of marble cake which looked right for a birthday treat.

Whole snapper with cherry tomatoes

(For two people to share)

1 x 600g plate sized snapper

120g cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of slow cooked garlic

10 basil leaves

1 tsp capers

100g yellow beans cut into dice

preserved lemon (roasted)

Using a hot large fry pan, roast the whole snapper in a hot oven (220C) for 12-15 minutes. When the fish is just undercooked, add the garlic and basil and gently cook for a further minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, yellow beans and capers and continue to cook the snapper, transferring it from the oven to the stove top. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon.