Fuel your sightseeing with this guide on where to eat in Cairns
Itinerary
By Sarah Bristow
Among the impressive collection of natural wonders in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, you’ll find a place overrun with eating opportunities. So while you may have travelled to Cairns to see the reef and the Wet Tropics, you’re welcomed to stay awhile and enjoy the edible adventures to be had in this producer-rich region. This foodies guide on where to eat in Cairns will help you plot your trip.
Coffee
Indulge your caffeine habit at local favourite Blackbird Espresso. The family-run duo of outlets has become a coffee-focused institution up north thanks to the company’s devotion to specialty beans, including rotating single origins, Arabica blends and organic decaf. Sip your chosen coffee with a sweet treat from the cabinet, not forgetting to pick up a bag of beans pre-departure as an edible memento of your trip.
Breakfast
Photo by @caffiend_cairns
A burgeoning cafe culture will greet you in Cairns with the city now well and truly familiar with brunch specialists. Caffiend is a firm favourite for those hungry for a morning nibble - drop by to try its all-day menu for yourself, tucking in to plates of chilli eggs and miso scramble or the dedicated kids options. Open from 7am to 3pm daily, the cafe is equally passionate about sourcing seasonal and sustainable produce.
Lunch
Take your midday meal to new heights quite literally with a trip up the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. Grab a bite to eat in town, like the Australian-inspired crepe from Le Petit Cafe, which mingles bush tomato chutney with egg, cheese, and kangaroo prosciutto. Make your way back down the range aboard the Kuranda Scenic Rail, the heritage train which weaves through waterfalls and rainforest canopy. Book the gold class offering and your journey comes accompanied by sparkling wine and canapes.
Dinner
Photo by @lunicotrinitybeach
Make your way to the idyllic Trinity Beach on Cairns' outskirts and you’ll find L’Unico surrounded by palm trees. The beachside haunt has been serving up traditional Italian dishes formed from locally sourced ingredients for decades and remains popular among locals. Enjoy your feast from the venues’ statement-making verandah, tucking into heaped plates of pasta and seafood plucked from the neighbouring reef.
Dessert
After a wander along the famed Cairns Esplanade, taking a gander at the ever-popular public lagoon, treat yourself to something sweet with a visit to the dessert-focused Gelocchio sitting nearby. The gelato connoisseur merges the Italian favourite with its Australian surrounds crafting gelati from fresh, local fruit. Grab a scoop of mango and coconut, fresh lychee or the creamy chai latte. But the stand-out flavour is hands down avocado, crafted from fruit gathered from the surrounding Atherton Tablelands.
Drink
Sink a few local beers at Hemingway’s Brewery on the Cairns Wharf, the self-proclaimed waterfront gastropub. There are six drinks which form the key range, all made from locally sourced base malts and the crystal clear waters of local resident Mossman Gorge. Worked up an appetite? The family-favourite is also conveniently home to ample pub grub, from sticky wings, to mac and cheese croquettes and hearty burgers.
Prefer cocktails? Head to the rooftop at Rocco, or wander down Wolf Lane.
Local secrets
No guide on where to eat in Cairns is complete without mentioning Rusty’s Markets on Grafton Street. What launched in 1975 as six stalls is now a thriving food-focused hub of 180 individual stallholders, showcasing local specialties from tropical fruit to Asian bites. Open Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon, Rusty’s is a must-visit for the self-confessed foodie. Closer to the airport there also resides Jonsson’s Farm Market, a family-owned enterprise ideal for grabbing a locally made treat pre-departure.
