Where to eat and drink in Noosa: the restaurants and bars you must try

Noosaville's Sum Yung Guys is a fun, casual dining space that celebrates Asian cuisine and culture, both through its food and well-curated interior design. The four partners, including Masterchef alum Matt Sinclair, have collectively spent years travelling throughout Asia for inspiration.

The result is a suite of their favourite recipes, chosen for their punchy flavours and overall deliciousness - from tropical curries to fried rice with Hervey Bay scallops and hiramasa kingfish lavished with laksa oil.  

This vibrant Noosa restaurant is all about sharing and dining with good company, and a range of inventive cocktails make it all the more appealing. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Sum Yung Guys is a great spot for amazing food and a buzzing atmosphere. It’s popular with locals and travellers alike, so make sure to book well ahead.

Sails

As far as Noosa restaurant real estate goes, Sails is a top contender. With tables so close to Noosa Main Beach you can almost feel the surf spray, this is where you want to be for Modern Australian cuisine and stunning water views.

Operating since 1994, Sails is dedicated to providing fresh, local produce that’s been grown and prepared with care. Everything on the carefully curated menu is worth trying, but standouts include the  sandcrab lasagna and charred ciabatta smothered with house-smoked trout butter. Pair with anything from the award-winning wine list, spread over three working cellars on site.

Bistro C

You may as well have your toes in the sand at Bistro C. This perfectly positioned casual diner serves up award-winning dishes from lunch through to dinner, though you can't miss stopping by for an early sunset drink when the dedicated afternoon menu kicks in: think seafood small plates alongside refreshing cocktails and those Laguna Bay views.

Lanai Noosa

When Noosaville stalwart Thomas Corner Eatery closed, it felt like a piece of the seaside village went with it – until Lanai opened in its place in May 2023. The elegant, light-filled space by the riverfront more than fills the void, and a focus on shareable dishes with sustainably sourced seafood and native ingredients makes it perfect for a group lunch or dinner. 

Bombetta

Noosa Junction holds its own when it comes to local dining - and Bombetta is one of those classic Italian joints you simply can't go wrong with - but with an urban, industrial twist. Delicate pizzas, pastas and salads, with local seafood dishes thrown in, it's the spot to order a bottle of wine and linger over everything. 

El Capitano

Hop off the beach and into Hastings Street’s El Capitano. While the fitout feels more coastal-chic bar than traditional Italian ristorante, the combination is perfectly Noosa – and after a single bite of their 72-hour fermented sourdough pizza, you’ll surely agree. The long list of red and white base pizzas are complemented with antipasti and small plates that range from pancetta-wrapped Mooloolaba prawns to pork and fennel meatballs. As for the vino? You’ll find everything from traditional drops to skin contact wines, but if you opt for a cocktail there’s a creative selection to sip on. The ‘Locals Only’ features Noosa Heads Distillery gin, falernum, mango, grapefruit, lime and bitters – fitting with the sand in sight. 

Alba by Kuruvita

Open, breezy and serene, Alba feels truly Noosa from the locally sourced menu to its sleek coastal fitout. This Noosa restaurant might be one of the newer kids on the block, but it has a powerful team behind it. A venture by acclaimed chef Peter Kuruvita, the venue boasts a café, providore, pizzeria, cocktail bar and restaurant – and even a cooking school. As for the food itself, expect Kuruvita’s signature style of quality produce spiced with global flavours, including the Sri Lankan snapper curry he made famous at nearby Noosa Beach House.

Humble on Duke

Searching for a date night spot that’s more energetic than classic romance? Meet Humble on Duke, Sunshine Beach’s tiny 14-seater restaurant that boasts big flavours. With an ever-changing menu that celebrates local produce and fine Aussie and New Zealand wines – you’ll get to know sole chef, Stacey, well throughout the evening as she serves up creative dishes with modern, Middle Eastern flair. Go for the share menu and you’ll sample the best of everything, from sigara borek to succulent short rib.  

Ricky’s River Bar and Restaurant 

A restaurant that might rival the pandanus palms for status as a Noosa icon, Ricky’s is an essential stop on every holiday itinerary. Its waterfront location can’t be beat for a long lunch or sunset drinks that turn into dinner – especially as a recent expansion has doubled the number of tables with prime views. But after 15-odd years of serving local catch with a refined twist, Ricky’s shows no signs of slowing down – and works to not only showcase the best local produce but grow it themselves, on a farm in the nearby Noosa Hinterland.  

Season Restaurant & Bar

Sitting between Hastings Street and Noosa Main Beach, Season is a go-to for relaxed, all day dining. An approachable menu favours seafood with spanner crab pasta and prawn & scallop ravioli among highlights, but there’s something to please every diner, from burgers to veggie tarts.

Go even more casual and nab an outdoor high table at Season Bar for some people watching with your cocktail. 

Frenchies Brasserie

Harnessing the French food philosophy, a meal at Frenchies starts with the highest quality local ingredients, adds delicate flavours, classic techniques and warm hospitality. And it’s a combination that keeps locals and visitors returning to work their way through each exquisitely plated dish. Expect all the French food you know and love, from escargots and twice-baked soufflé to French onion soup, steak tartare and braised beef cheek bourguignon. 

Bang Bang

Sparkling chandeliers and craft cocktails set the scene for a fun night out at Bang Bang, kicking things off with tropical-inspired concoctions or bold and punchy barrel aged negronis. To accompany is an extensive menu of South East Asian cuisine, ranging from roti canai to beef massaman curry and Queensland barramundi that’s been wrapped and grilled in banana leaf and Thai spices. No need to panic if it’s just the two of you – there’s a banquet option to ensure you get a good taste of everything, and still have room for dessert. 

Gusto Riverfront Restaurant

Overlooking the river at Noosaville, settle into the breezy terrace at Gusto and you’ll be transported into holiday mode. This modern Euro-style bistro is a favourite Noosa restaurant, thanks to weekday lunch specials and a Wednesday happy hour that flows into live music. But no matter when you walk through the door, you can expect great service and flawless flavour – especially if you order the daily catch crusted in macadamia and pistachio.

Noosa Bars

Sunset Bar at Noosa Boathouse

The clue for the best time to be at this Noosa bar is right there in the name. Head up to level three of Noosa Boathouse and slip into locals mode with a Noosa River Sling cocktail and some local oysters. Visit on a Sunday afternoon for live music - you might just never leave.

Locale

Pull up a chair and order a spritz at the long, sophisticated bar inside popular Noosa bar, Locale, and you could be on the Amalfi Coast. Stay at the bar and enjoy the excellent selection of Italian eats, made with the best local produce, or move onto the restaurant if you like.

Choose a tipple from the thoughtful cocktail list, which features all the classics with some signature twists. Vegans are in luck here: Locale uses aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of egg white in cocktails, so there’s no need to pass on your favourite.

Theo's Social Club

Local couple Sam & Maddy spent years balancing life in Noosa’s hospitality industry with adventures overseas, and Theo’s Social Club was born through their passion to combine the best of Noosa with their love for ‘hole in the wall haunts off the tourist path’.

The result is a solid neighbourhood wine bar in Noosa Junction: a few steps away from the main holidaymaker drag but on the radar of a huge following of locals who linger here over the diverse and ever-changing wine list, seasonal cocktails, and graze tasty European accompaniments that makes it hard not to call Theo’s a restaurant in its own right. 

Mr Drifter

Like so many great Noosa bars, Mr Drifter is tucked into Noosa Junction. While it’s known for craft cocktails and a quality line-up of Aussie wines and session-able beers, Mr Drifter’s inventive street food menu brings the crowds, with spicy and aromatic morsels spanning India to Indonesia. Grab a seat, a lemongrass lychee martini, and you’ll feel like a local in no time. 

Whisky Boy

Whether you’re a whisky aficionado or simply searching for a well-crafted cocktail by Noosa River, Whisky Boy delivers. The brainchild of Noosa hospo team Geoffrey Marcq and Jimmy Talve, Whisky Boy is much more than a bar. Alongside your whisky flight (where you can choose from over 75 drops), cocktail or boilermaker, fuel your appetite with delicacies from the char grill like tomahawk steak, eye fillet and drunken chicken, as well as a range of bar snacks. 

Land and Sea Brewery and Noosa Heads Distillery

Venture over to Noosa's industrial estate to visit this design-forward craft beer brewery and boutique distillery. Make a booking for a behind-the-scenes tour or just grab a pencil and checklist to make your own tasting paddle.

Passionate about mindful production processes and carbon neutrality, enjoy live music weekends and moreish beer-bites (with plenty of vegan options), knowing that you’re supporting a business that’s fighting the good fight.

Prefer whisky or gin? The new Noosa Heads Distillery bar is now open and ready to fix you a cocktail. 

Village Bicycle

Expect food, booze and good times at this local haunt that's been serving Noosa crowds for a decade. Open 4pm til midnight Wednesday - Saturday, it's one of the coastal town's late night spots thanks to live music three nights a week, but the graffiti-filled beer garden is the perfect spot to just come and hang out in the afternoon too. As for what you'll be sipping? Queensland craft beers on tap and by the can, as well as a concise wine list - along with burgers, tacos and bar snacks when hunger strikes. 

Looking further afield? Peruse the best restaurants on the Sunshine Coast, and you'll quickly make plans to return for another holiday.