Feed your body and soul with the best food experiences in Queensland

Scooping up multiple awards since its opening in 2019 - including Good Food Guide's 2020 "Best New Restaurant”, along with two chef’s hats, Joy is the little pocket rocket that shook up the Brisbane food scene. Operating out of a tiny location down Bakery Lane in Fortitude Valley, with room for just 10 guests, Joy is pioneering a more personal approach to dining with a distinctly Japanese-Australian influence.

Run by chef Sarah Scott and sidekick Maddie, who handles the wine and cocktails, the two are the restaurant’s only staff. The food is excellent but the focus on service and connecting with guests comes above all else. The pair greet guests by name on arrival, discuss drinks, cook and serve each of the 10 set courses, as well as doing everything in between to keep the kitchen running.

Bookings are hard to come by, so you’ll need to get organised and lock in a date a few months in advance. Perfect for those planning a holiday – jump ahead and secure your spot. You won’t regret it.

And if you can't get a seat, here are other incredible fine-dining experiences in Brisbane including Elska, named Gourmet Traveller's 2022 Qld Restaurant of the Year.

Tour the market gardens at Homage

Inside a historic barn on 12,000 acres of Australian bushland, with views of Queensland’s spectacular Scenic Rim, sits Homage. A commitment to sourcing and serving only the best local, seasonal produce makes Homage stand out. The menu includes vegetables from the on-site market garden, honey from their own bees, and animals raised free range and organically.

The food is fresh and delicious and the menu changes daily to reflect available produce. And if you’d like to see where your food is coming from, book in for one of their market garden tours offered daily.

Sunshine Coast

Get your fill (or join a class) at Spirit House

A list of the best food experiences in Queensland would not be complete without Spirit House. The award-winning restaurant in the Sunshine Coast’s Yandina, is housed in a tranquil tropical-garden setting. .

The food is incredible and guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to the menu, but it’s hard to go past the whole crispy fish - an iconic menu staple that lives up to the hype.

The well-renowned cooking school on site is an excellent way to experience the team’s thoughtful, seasonal approach to food, but make sure you book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Feast on pan-Asian food at Sum Yung Guys

Kitsch, pan-Asian holiday vibes abound at this Noosa restaurant celebrating food and fun.

Led by ex-Masterchef alum, and Queensland ambassador, Matt Sinclair, Sum Yung Guys’ inventive menu features delicious dishes from Japan to Indonesia. A focus on fresh, local produce and lots of flavour, this is the perfect spot to take a big group. Get some King prawn toast to start (and finish if you like, they’re that good). Wash down the great food with any of the inventive, tasty cocktails on offer, or choose from the impressive wine list.

Southern Queensland Country

Devour an apple pie from Suttons

The Granite Belt region is known for its produce and vineyards, and Suttons Juice Factory and Cidery in Stanthorpe is here for pie lovers looking for their fix.

Located on a working apple orchard, Suttons produces a unique range of apple products, including juices, vinegars and preserves as well as their famous apple pie. The Shed Cafe focuses on apple products as well as fresh and regional produce. Get a slice of the apple pie, made from just-picked apples and served with spiced cider-laced vanilla ice-cream – you won’t be sorry.

Outback Queensland

Pick up peach blossoms from Merino Bakery, Longreach

You might come to the Outback for adventure, not a great meal - but you'll find both. In Longreach, Merino Bakery is known for its beautiful fresh bread and baked goods. Beloved by locals, the bakery is the perfect spot for a morning coffee or snack. You can’t go wrong with anything here, but if you’re visiting you must try their famous Peach Blossoms – pink lamington halves sandwiched together with fresh cream.

Gold Coast

Try a bug roll by the beach at Rick Shores

Visiting the Gold Coast and not nabbing a waterfront seat at Rick Shores would be to miss out on a bona fide Queensland icon.

And once you're here, you must order a round of bug rolls. For the uninitiated, it's a fresh little brioche bun, filled with juicy chunks of tempura-battered Moreton Bay bug meat, and topped with crisp gem lettuce, kaffir-lime-laced mayo and just the right kick of chilli. The perfect bite-sized morsel for any seafood lover.

The accolades at this Burleigh Heads restaurant speaks volumes of the entire menu - so make it your top priority.

Southern Great Barrier Reef

Sample macadamia ice cream from Mammino’s in Childers

Located in a humble farmhouse in the country town of Childers, is Mammino’s.

In 1996, Anthony & Teena Mammino were selling macadamias in a roadside stall when they had the idea to take Teena’a grandma’s ice-cream recipe and add madacamias. The ice cream was a hit and before long their side project turned into a full-time business.

Today, the traditional recipes are still made in the commercial kitchen and shop attached to the farmhouse, using all-natural products. Eating a hand-made ice cream while sitting overlooking the paddocks and beautiful countryside is undoubtedly one of the best food experiences in Queensland. 

The Whitsundays

Cool down with mango sorbet from the Big Mango in Bowen

You can’t miss Bowen’s Big Mango - it's 10 metres tall - which is good because if you did, you’d miss out on one of the state's most iconic treats.

You don’t get much more Queensland than the delicious mango sorbet, churned fresh on the premises. Made exclusively from mangoes collected from the town, it’s healthy, refreshing and very delicious.

Jochheims Pies, Bowen

If they’re good enough for Hugh Jackman, they’re good enough for us! One of the best pit-stops in Bowen, north of Airlie Beach, Jochheims’ line-up of tasty pastries attracted the star while the cast of Australia were based in Bowen for filming back in 2007.

Operating since 1963, Jochheims is known for its quality ingredients and perfect crusts. Order a Hunky Jackman Beef Pie if you’re into the classics, or try the creamy prawn pie made with locally-caught seafood.

Make tracks for these places to eat if you're still hungry.

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Taste the tropics at Silky Oaks Lodge

Hovering above the Mossman River and neighbouring the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree National Park, Silky Oaks Lodge, is a stylish (and freshly renovated) rainforest escape like no other.

The beauty of the rainforest provides a stunning backdrop to the magnificent open-air restaurant, Treehouse. Enjoy contemporary Australian meals made from vibrant tropical produce, with a native twist. The crocodile and tarragon cheesecake with smoked barramundi, pickled papaya and chutney and herb salad is a once-in-a-lifetime meal, worth travelling for.

Experience Aboriginal culture with Mungalla Tours

Just an hour from Townsville, Mungalla is an idyllic rural homestead where visitors can join tours to learn the history of the Mungalla Station and the Nywaigi people, the Aboriginal traditional owners of the lands around Ingham in North Queensland.

In the evening, you’ll listen to traditional Aboriginal live music while your dinner is cooked on hot embers in an underground oven. Then it’s time to enjoy your meal under the stars as you listen to Nywaigi stories.

Dine in the treetops at Osprey’s, Thala Beach Nature Reserve

Osprey’s restaurant is housed in the Thala Beach Nature Reserve, just 10 minutes south of Port Douglas. And nature is at the core here, where guests dine in the treetops with panoramic views of Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef.

Produce is sourced daily from local markets and producers: the team takes great care to support the local community by ethically sourcing ingredients directly from the neighbouring Atherton Tablelands and the Coral Sea to ensure one of the best food experiences in Queensland.

Have an immersive experience at Flames of the Forest

A secret rainforest location underneath a canopy of fairy lights and crystal curtains is home to Flames of the Forest – Australia’s only immersive rainforest dining experience. Nestled in a prime spot overlooking the lake and mountains, guests can learn about Australia’s Indigenous people - a soulful experience that includes a locally sourced banquet, with a selection of beautiful wines to accompany the meal.

Led by two local Indigenous brothers and set in the traditional grounds of the Kuku Yalanji people, guests will connect with our country’s ancient people through storytelling and music under the magnificent rainforest canopy.

Still hungry? Here are the best Queensland food festivals to add to your calendar now.