Destination delicious: regional Queensland’s best restaurants worth the detour

Step inside the tropical gates of Spirit House and you'll feel like you’ve apparated from Yandina and into Thailand.

What was once a swamp in Yandina has cemented its place into one of Australia's must-try dining hotspots– no mean feat for a restaurant 20km from the nearest beach in a destination renowned for its coastline.

This is an excursion to prepare for, as you'll have to book (often) months in advance to get a table at Spirit House. It's not just a foodie-favourite among the critics, but home to one of the state's best cooking schools. Lending weight to the wait is the coveted one hat from the Good Food Guide (2019).

There’s a special focus on group dining here, and the banquet menu encourages passing your bowl around the table for moreish meals like the hot salmon coconut soup and whole crispy baked fish.

Once you've had your fill, discover more of the Sunshine Coast's best restaurants. 

Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads

Restaurant Labart has been savoured by Gold Coast foodies since it opened its doors in mid-2018, quickly earning a reputation as one of regional Queensland's best restaurants.

It’s no surprise that Labart is cut from Alex Munoz Labart's cloth, the chef who formerly headed up Sydney's Monopole and Cirrus Dining, as well as stints at Est., Marque and Bilson's.

The 60-seater's flavours reflect the coastal freshness of its seaside surrounds, offering the likes of Balmain Bug ceviche with blood orange and shiso, Robbins Island wagyu with butter beans and anchovy sauce, and scallops with artichoke butter and tarragon.

Staying on the Gold Coast and want more regional flavours? Check out this list for the restaurants and cafes you can’t miss.

Tamarind, Cairns

Not many menus come with a glossary of terms but Tamarind’s encyclopedic menu is one that will require your reading glasses if you want to thoroughly examine what’s on your plate.

Thai food is the main event here, delivered in a low-lit dining room that gives nothing away about the casino (Pullman Reef Hotel Casino) just outside its doors.

From organic Tablelands pork sustainably farmed in a sow stall-free environment to desserts concocted using dairy products by the Italian Gallo family who emigrated here in the 1920’s, the ancestry of every ingredient is traced on Tamarind’s menu.

The pièce de résistance is the Penang Duck Curry, defined by its sweet and spicy sauce of caramelised pumpkin, peanuts, chilli, coriander best poured over scented rice.

Looking for more foodie finds in Cairns? Put your taste buds in transit around Cairns, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands with these guides.

Pebble Beach, Hamilton Island

One of regional Queensland's best restaurants, Jam has been awarded an Australian Good Food Guide Chef’s Hat Award eight years running. Safe to say, it's made its mark on Townsville's dining scene the same way its condiment namesake sticks to your fingers. 

Start the day in Queensland’s sunniest city on the sweet side with a batch of apple and nut crumble pancakes with berries and ice cream . Or simply stick to tradition and order the dish that’s been on the menu for eight years straight: the Asian chicken omelette, made with Saddle Mountain eggs and loaded with snow pea, bean shoot, fried shallots and chilli jam.

More than just serving local's their most important meal of the day, you’ll also find this foodie-favourite packed Tuesday – Saturday for both lunch and dinner. Dinner comes a la carte or degustation style, focused on North Queensland cuisine. 

Want to taste more of the tropics? Get familiar with some of Townsville’s other hero menus by checking out this list.

Zev’s Bistro, Toowoomba

Collecting awards left, right and centre, Zev’s Bistro proves Toowoomba is no small country town when it comes to its culinary game.

Delivering modern cuisine that’s both on-trend and tasty, Zev’s serves up a mixture of hearty and homely dishes. The lamb neck is the jewel in Zev’s crown, cooked to perfection so chewing is almost optional as you devour it along with onion puree, julienne turnip and enoki mushrooms.

If you’re thinking about trying these meals at home, there’s no need to deconstruct your meal; you’ll find recipe-book pages adorning the restaurant’s walls, overlaid with art.

While you're here in Toowoomba, taste your way through the city's best cafes, or head 30 minutes' drive north to Hampton where you'll find new foodie favourite Emeraude. 

Nautilus, Port Douglas

Exploring the world's oldest rainforest is the motivation for many escapes to Port Douglas. But dining while immersed in a forest? Step into Nautilus and you're in for a magical evening. 

This regional restaurant heavyweight should be top of your Port Douglas food itinerary. With 62 years of operation under its belt, it puts the fine in fine dining as you taste your way through a la carte or five and seven course degustations showcasing Queensland seafood and produce, all within its tropical oasis. 

Coast Restaurant and Bar, Hervey Bay

There's something even bigger than whale-watching in Hervey Bay, and that's the flavours at Coast Restaurant and Bar.

An evening here embraces the Queensland ethos: simple, down-to-earth and friendly. Everything on the menu is designed to be shared, from small bites to tasting plates to larger, meaty servings.

While you might like a few friends to split the roast peanut and chilli chicken, you won’t be blamed for going solo on the signature dessert: a banana cake with chocolate mousse, caramel peanuts and candied corn ice-cream on the side. Needless to say, a round of Hervey Bay scallops is a must too.

Still hungry? Continue your culinary tour with this 48-hour guide to eating in Hervey-Bay. 

The Peak Restaurant at Spicers Peak Lodge, Maryvale

Even though you’ll find The Peak at Spicers Peak Lodge 1100m above sea level, this Queensland regional restaurant favourite hasn’t let the altitude or its string of Australian Good Food Guide Chef’s Hats go to its head.

The dining space makes the most of its Scenic Rim location with an open stone fireplace, cosy seating and outdoor terrace. As for what's on the menu? it changes daily, but you're promised the best of the state's produce on your plate, from the house baked sourdough to beef tenderloin and dulce de leche mousse with smoked chocolate. 

Looking for a romantic weekend getaway? Here’s some ideas on how to spend your Scenic Rim rendezvous.

The Cottage Restaurant, Ipswich

Jump in the car from Brisbane and you'll arrive at one of regional Queensland's best restaurants within 45 minutes. 

Set within a heritage Queenslander, The Cottage Restaurant has turned once-bedrooms into intimate dining spaces that helped put Ipswich on the regional food map. More than a pretty face, this restaurant has the accolades to back it up, taking home the Australian Good Food Guide’s Reader’s Choice Award for the past four years.

Come for the seven course degustation and taste your way through duck liver pate, Brisbane Valley quail, smoked kangaroo and barramundi; or celebrate over high tea which is available Tuesday-Saturday through advanced bookings. 

Don't head for home just yet. From cafe culture to bushwalking here's plenty to do here, and you can even make a weekend of it.