When it comes to food, Cairns enjoys the best of both worlds, being well supplied with fresh seafood from one direction and hearty homegrown produce from the other. This has helped the city in tropical north Queensland develop a tantalising food and bar scene – which locals would rather keep to themselves. Sorry Cairns, your secret is out.
Here are our top picks for where to eat and drink in the city.
Credit: Nu Nu
Credit: Nu Nu
For 20 years, diners have been flocking to Palm Cove to claim a coveted table at Nu Nu . The beachfront location with Coral Sea views is sublime – but that’s only half the story. Nu Nu is the love child of Melburnian mates Nick Holloway (who has appeared on Masterchef) and Jason Rowbottom, who brought their fine dining expertise to north Queensland. With its seasonally changing menu – currently featuring fresh catches like mud crab, pacific oysters, coral trout and yellowfin tuna – Nu Nu makes regular appearances on Queensland’s best restaurant lists, and for good reason. If you only visit one fine dining restaurant in Cairns, make it Nu Nu.
If you’re keen to rub shoulders with the celebrities who regularly dine beneath the melaleuca trees and twinkling stars at The Reef House , you’ll need to book a room at the retreat – tables at the property’s al fresco restaurant are reserved exclusively for guests. It’s no hardship, though. Entrust your palate to Chef’s four-course degustation menu, which is likely to feature local, freshly caught seafood paired with wine by the hotel’s sommelier. The Reef House’s signature cheesecake, dressed with tropical fruit, is worth the inevitable compromise to your waistline.
Credit: Vivo
Credit: Vivo
Credit: Vivo
Another Palm Cove institution, Vivo dishes up Australian classics with a hint of Italy tossed in to keep things interesting. You’ll be seated along a wide veranda, with walls covered in white wood panelling and adorned with works by local artists. From buttermilk hotcakes for breakfast to freshly prepared salads and pastas at lunch, Vivo’s menu never disappoints – even long after the last morsels of crispy skin barramundi have been devoured and regrets over extra helpings of dessert have been kiboshed.
In the neighbouring suburb of Trinity Beach, you’ll find L’Unico Trattoria Italiano , an elegant yet intimate spot on the beachfront. By day, this restaurant is favoured by the coffee, breakfast and long-lunch crowd, before morphing at night into an idyllic spot for a romantic candlelit dinner. Book a table on the veranda and bask in the gentle breeze, sway of coconut trees and golden glow of the setting sun. The wood-fired pizzas are divine and come in both gluten-free and vegan variations.
Pair succulent seafood with prime mountain and sea views at Dundee’s , situated on the boardwalk of Cairns’ waterfront. If you can’t sate your seafood cravings here, you’re probably not trying hard enough. There are plenty of other dishes to try, too: kangaroo comes either in satay form (try the crocodile alternative if you dare) or as a chargrilled loin fillet. Meanwhile, diners with dietary requirements are well looked after with a dedicated menu section offering vegan and gluten-free options. For a different ambience, visit the Dundee’s Cairns Aquarium outpost.
Credit: Ochre
Credit: Ochre
Credit: Ochre
Another long-established Cairns restaurant is Ochre , which serves up innovative Australian cuisine in a relaxed waterfront setting. Showcasing the best of the region’s produce, it’s a perennial favourite among those seeking Aussie flavours and ingredients with a bushfood twist. Try kangaroo satays braised in macadamia sauce, octopus accompanied by lemon myrtle chimichurri, or Gulf of Carpentaria bugs dipped in papaya coconut salsa.
A contemporary take on the classic steakhouse, the centrally located CC’s Bar & Grill delivers delicious, quality cuts in stylish surroundings. Here, Crystalbrook Station beef is revered. In fact, beef takes centre stage to the point of being proudly spotlit behind glass in a dry-aging room, much like the restaurant’s adjacent wine cellar proudly displaying its vintages. There’s poultry on the menu too, but really, it’s all about the beef – so unleash your inner carnivore and tuck in.
Credit: Salsa Bar & Grill
Credit: Salsa Bar & Grill
Credit: Salsa Bar & Grill
You’d be doing your tastebuds a disservice if you didn’t sample the spoils of Port Douglas, less than an hour’s drive from Cairns. The drive itself is a treat; the road winds around the coast, with rainforest-covered mountains on one side and the Coral Sea on the other. Once in Port (as the locals call it), make a beeline for Salsa Bar & Grill ; whether you’re after an intimate dinner for two or a lively catchup with friends, it always delivers. Watergate is another of Port’s top contenders, while Nautilus , with its vast gardens strung with fairy lights, has a magical atmosphere after dark.
Credit: Prawn Star
Credit: Prawn Star
Credit: Prawn Star
Not quite take-away, but also not a conventional dine-in, Prawn Star undisputedly offers Cairns’ most unique, and most cheery, dining experience. Turn up to the permanently moored prawn trawler in Cairns Marlin Marina with an appetite for seafood and the expectation that your fingers will likely become utensils. Leave your flashy sandals at home (it’s a boat – things get wet) and be prepared to get close with fellow diners at this jovial hotspot.
Credit: Flamingos
Credit: Hemingway’s Brewery
When Three Wolves first opened its doors to reveal an impressive floor-to-ceiling selection of premium spirits, it planted the seeds for a bar scene to flourish in Cairns which had hitherto been missing. Other ventures swiftly followed: Flamingos Tiki Bar is a Polynesian-inspired hangout hidden below street level, while The Conservatory Bar is a trendy speakeasy boasting an extensive wine list. Meanwhile, the retro-style Calypso Club serves up rum-based cocktails best enjoyed from a poolside day bed.
Inside a heritage-listed brewhouse on Cairns Wharf, Hemingway’s Brewery exudes character and charm, and is perfect for casual catchups with friends. Alternatively, Salt House is a spacious, open venue overhanging Cairns Marlin Marina, and effortlessly switches between boisterous bar and sophisticated restaurant, depending on the time of day or night. Keen for an island getaway? Head to Fitzroy Island, where the laid-back Foxy’s Bar offers unpretentious dining alongside stunning ocean views.