In what I modestly used to call George’s Law, I always thought that the quality of a restaurant’s food was inversely proportionate to the impressiveness of the view from the eatery. Just look at all those rotating restaurants atop towers around the world. We expect to pay premium prices for their uniformly mediocre fare as part of the price of the view.
Well, thanks to the Neddie’s Harbour Inn and its Black Spruce restaurant, I’ve had to trash my pet theory. Located in Norris Point, overlooking Western Newfoundland’s Bonne Bay sits a comfortable modern inn, featuring gourmet dining and incredible views. Every table in the restaurant boasts a scenic view of the mountains and waters of Gros Morne Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Neddie’s Harbour Inn And The Black Spruce
Sit on the eastern side of the restaurant of for breakfast and see dawn-silhouetted hills overlooking Bonne Bay. In the evening enjoy supper on the western side and savor the orange rocks of the Table Lands fluorescing in the sunset.
The view from the western side of The Black Spruce.
The Swiss owned establishment features a menu laid out by Jason Lynch, a noted chef based at Le Caveau in Grand Pre Nova Scotia. Dishes incorporate fresh produce from Newfoundland’s Codroy Valley along with delectable seafood from the island’s waters such as lobster, mussels, char… some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever encounter.
My seafood chowder made with fresh cod, smoked bacon, creme fraiche and mirepoix was a mouth-watering start to a perfect meal. The Caesar salad was spectacular and the house-made Stozzapreti one of the best vegetarian pastas I’ve had. Desserts often incorporate local fruits such as bakeapples (cloudberries) and partridge berries (lingonberries). Besides being yummy they are packed with health giving anti-oxidants.
Our waitress Sheena holding our orders of house-made Strozzapreti and Cumin Crusted Cod.
Neddies Harbour Inn is great base from which to see the sights of Gros Morne National Park. Towering mountains grace the parks 1500 square kilometers along with fjords that equal those of Norway, wildlife such as moose and caribou and rivers and ponds teaming with trout and salmon. The Tablelands resemble the surface of Mars with its barren fields of red rocks, a rare example of the earth’s mantle that gushed to the surface millions of years ago and solidified.
Amanda enjoying a glass of wine and a great view!
If you overdose on hiking pristine forests, viewing moose and caribou and other wildlife and cruising the islands and bays of the park, you can always take in the cultural offerings. Quaint towns such as Woody Point have converted historic buildings for events such as the Gros Morne Writers Festival, Theatre Festival and various musical and literary offerings.
If You Go:
Photo Credits
All photos by George Burden – All Rights Reserved
Recent Dr. George Burden Articles:
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- The New Rubicon
- The Crown's Perspective
- The Reluctant Sniper
- Massacre
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