Best Hervey Bay restaurants to try on your next visit

For some time, Hervey Bay’s reputation as the go-to whale watching destination has preceded its growing culinary scene. But a trip to the Fraser Coast’s adventure epicentre offers a dining culture that’s both vibrant and varied. Credit is well overdue for this host of Fraser flavours, where fresh seafood and local produce fuel Hervey Bay’s best restaurants.

If you’re planning your next Hervey Bay getaway, give yourself time to delight in the joys of dining out. From tucking into fresh prawns by the water, to unravelling a butchers’ paper of fish as your family plays in the water park, Hervey Bay can appease every eater.

Follow your appetite through these Hervey Bay restaurants.

Enzo’s on the Beach, Scarness

A true Hervey Bay institution and voted one of the Bay’s best by locals year after year, Enzo’s on the Beach offers unobstructed ocean views just a step away from the town’s tourist strip. Here, it’s just you and the beach.

The kitchen is open all day, so there’s no constraints on your visit – they dish up breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner from Thursday through Sunday. Pop by in the morning for a coffee and big breakfast plates boasting lashings of locally smoked bacon, eggs, hash browns and the works. Vegans and vegos will feel at home here with their own take on a big brekky available, no substitutions or swaps necessary.

Pop by in the afternoon for a speciality cocktail with a side of sunset views (and live music every Sunday afternoon). It doesn’t get much better than stepping away from the day’s activities to settle into a few share platters and your tipple of choice. 

Eat at Dan & Steph's

Three words: relax, enjoy and eat. That’s the mantra the 2013 My Kitchen Rules’ winners live by and it seeps through every corner and crumb of their Hervey Bay joint – Eat at Dan & Steph’s. Its laid back neighbourhood vibe makes it a perfect fit for Hervey Bay’s dining scene, mimicking the dressed down Fraser Coast character and delivering on flavour.

The ever-changing menu is laden with inventive takes on classic dishes. Take a seat and you might find delights like Cuban sangas, chocolate honeycomb hotcakes and calamari tacos to tuck into.

Aquavue

Arrive early to grab a table by the beach for breakfast - or be prepared to wait on weekends. Aquavue is a popular Hervey Bay restaurant, best sought out when you're craving a breakfast or lunch in the sunshine.

From coffee-hour to happy hour, you can bring your dog along and enjoy local flavours with some of the best views in town. Those seeking adventure can pop right next door to Fraserjet to rent kayaks, SUPs, jetskis and bikes - or even sign up for a tour out to K'gari (formerly Fraser Island).

Odyssey Bistro, Scarness

Be sure to carve out a full evening for an impressive culinary journey that will inspire and excite your tastebuds. Relax into Odyssey Bistro’s quaint seaside space with the finest seasonal produce, excellent service and views across Hervey Bay’s esplanade.

No need to research the menu ahead of time, the gourmet lineup changes weekly - and sometimes even daily - depending on what the chefs haul back from their visits to nearby farms and markets. The result is a truly local taste with unique combinations you've probably never tasted before. 

Aegean Waters French Restaurant, Torquay

This gem tucked into the Bay’s esplanade has long been known as one of the best restaurants in Hervey Bay. In fact, it’s now the longest established restaurant in the Bay, dishing up authentic French cuisine for 25 years.

Aegean Waters French Restaurant is an a la carte restaurant with an impressive cocktail bar. A place to experience a blend of French-Cosmopolitan cuisine with an ambience of subtle sophistication – complete with Parisienne décor. Think the romance of dim chandeliers and candlelit linen.  

Original owner and chef, Christian, takes great pride in purposefully crafting each dish. His menu offers an extensive variety of classic creations with a French influence, including his famous chocolate souffle, Grand Marnier parfait, and flaming Bombe Alaska. 

Beach House Hotel, Scarness

It’s not a trip to the beach without a trip to the local pub. If the thought of bistro burgers, beers and breezy balconies has you ready to shout the next round, then Beach House Hotel is the place for you.

Revamped a few years ago, Beach House Hotel boasts a host of boutique trimmings with that same relaxed home-away-from-home personality that locals love. The bistro is modern, laid back and humbly brags a 180-degree view from the deck. The chefs serve up tasty bistro-style dishes seven days a week, with an ethos of making high quality, locally sourced food available at an affordable price.

The bar pours a solid range of local and imported beers and cider, best enjoyed with live music that currently takes the stage seven days a week. 

Bayswater Bar & Grill

If you want inventive riffs on the classic pub feed, there’s no better place to park your appetite than Bayswater. While the vibe is relaxed and casual much like Hervey Bay itself, the food is exquisite. And there’s no such thing as a bad view, either, overlooking Urangan Pier – a popular spot for an after dinner wander. 

You’ll find bistro fare on the menu, with a range of weekly specials locals set their watch to - including $15 lunch specials. The a la carte menu features seafood baskets, cheeseburgers, 14hr baby back ribs, rump steaks and more - with something to please your whole crew. Wander by on a weekend for free live music to boot.

19XO Wine & Cocktail, Torquay

Craving edible innovation? 19XO Wine & Cocktail bar will be sure to quench your thirst. This family-owned business prides itself on quality locally-sourced produce, matched with an equally intriguing menu. Finish your night with signature blazer cocktail, Brass Tacks, known by most locals as their ‘cup of tea’,  an emblazoned cognac, hot buttered rum, Dutch spiced biscuits and Australian amaretto.

The Dock Bar & Restaurant, Urangan

Hervey Bay’s waterfront bar and restaurant, The Dock has more than just incredible sea views overlooking the marina. Serving lunch through to late with a tapas-style menu, this urban industrial themed bar is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. 

Arkarra Gardens Café Restaurant, Dundowran Beach

Take a short drive from Hervey Bay’s coastline and park yourself at Arkarra – meaning “place of many ducks”, given to the gardens and lagoons by Butchulla Aboriginal Elder, Aunty Olga Miller. The Tea Gardens is set on two acres of beautifully manicured greenery, the perfect spot to wind down and lose yourself over a pot of tea or freshly ground coffee.

Pull up a chair in one of their Balinese huts and delight in a selection of homemade sweet treats, breakfast or lunch offerings. The locals would have you ordering a loaded croissant served with hash browns or the salt and pepper calamari salad with smokey aioli. 

Everyone’s welcome at Arkarra Gardens, with onsite parking, wheelchair accessibility, and plenty of options for all dietary requirements.

Now that you're well fed, discover these things to do around town.