Tuck into the best Cairns restaurants and cafes on your next holiday

Where else but in Cairns could you expect to nosh on an emu wonton, a char-grilled kangaroo sirloin with a quandong chilli glaze, or wattleseed pavlova? Fusing Indigenous bush food ingredients with the produce of north Queensland, Ochre is one of the most unique dining experiences in the state, maybe the world.

The major pull of their perspective is how expertly they utilise native Australian flora and fauna. Davidson plum, quandong, riberry – these ingredients aren’t found anywhere else in the world, so you can guarantee that Ochre will hit buttons you never knew you had. Their entire menu is a love letter to Australia, and makes for one of the most memorable experiences you will ever have.

Prawn Star

Looking for some of the best seafood in Cairns? You can't beat prawns pulled straight from the trawler and onto your plate at Prawn Star.

If you love a seafood platter and a casual atmosphere, you simply can't beat this spot that's a hit among both locals and travellers. Nestled into Cairns' marina, grab a few friends, some beer and tuck into plates of prawn, mud crab and more.

Moku Bar & Grill

Sitting pretty within Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, the swim-up bar, melon coolers and daybeds aren’t the only evocations of island paradise. Moku Bar and Grill prides itself on creating delicious, refreshing dishes that respond to the tropical climate and enhance the local mood of an endless summer.

If you’ve come with a group, Moku offers a spread of island-inspired share plates that include soft shell crab bao buns and lime-cured tuna, as well as chilled salads, fragrant grilled meats, and whole fish for when you go all out.

Dundee's Restaurant on the Waterfront

This true blue Aussie-named restaurant is backed up with a menu to match, with towering seafood platters, kangaroo and crocodile skewers and an Australian Sampler plate amongst the delights on offer at Dundees. 

With a prime waterfront location right on the boardwalk, nab a table with prime views and you could spend hours feasting and soaking in the views of the marina, Trinity Inlet and mountains.

Ganbaranba

The rule of thumb when travelling in a foreign place is to look out for the places packed with locals. When there’s a line snaking up the street nightly, you know you’re in for a good feed, and that’s just what you’ll find in a bowl of Ganbaranba’s authentic ramen.

Besides being heartwarming and affordable, these noodles are super fresh and every bowl comes with a bottomless flow of iced tea. Add to your order a side of gyoza and you’re eating like a local.

Tamarind

If you’re looking to pull out the stops, Tamarind, inside the Reef Hotel Casino, is the place to go. It’s the kind of restaurant that always impresses, offering fine dining Thai food delivered a la carte or as a degustation that punches with the power of the entire city of Bangkok.

This is the only hatted restaurant in Cairns, so to make the most of the kitchen’s talent a banquet is that way to go. The chefs take care of the selection so you can just concentrate on savouring dishes like Penang duck curry with caramelised pumpkin and roasted peanuts. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy and will stay with you long after you leave Cairns.

Oaks & Vine

Experience one of Cairns' best bars that also happens to have a food menu that will keep you coming back time and time again. Head to the rooftop of Oaks Cairns Hotel in the afternoon to take in sunset, sips and share plates at Oaks & Vine.

This is some of the best ocean view and terrace dining in the city. Watch sunset over the Coral Sea while tucking into tasting boards, tuna poke bowls, burgers, barramundi and more.

Waterbar & Grill

The secret to Waterbar & Grill’s melt-in-your-mouth steaks lies not in the cut or even how the steak is cooked, but in where it’s sourced from. If meat consumption gives you pause, you can rest easy knowing that the meat getting aged is sourced locally from the Atherton Tablelands’ Morganbury Meat Company, an operation in paddock to plate.

Though steak is the obvious choice here, there are plenty of other grill options including ribs and Portugese-style chicken, as well as burgers, seafood, and even a formidable range of meat-centric salads.

Salt House

No doubt about it, Salt House offers one of the best seats in town. Right on the marina, they serve lunch and dinner before an enchanting view of the Trinity Inlet. 

Their whole operation is designed to complement the tropics, case in point the chilled seafood tasting plate that perfectly cuts through the North Queensland heat and celebrates the quality of the local seafood simultaneously. Perfect for seafood lovers.

On cooler nights, it’s all about their custom-built, Argentinean wood fire grill. Choose from the decorated Darling Downs Wagyu, Oakley Black Angus, or certified humane raised sirloin from Bass Strait and Salt House will roast it to a gorgeous char.

Corea Corea

Tucked inside Orchid Plaza is one of Cairns’ best-kept foodie secrets. Built to emulate a classic Korean lunch bar, Corea Corea is where you’ll find authentic, tasty Korean street food, with free mugicha (barley tea) on tap.

Offering a series of fragrant warmers like bibimbap, barbecue ribs and soups, it’s the stone hot pot that shines brightest on Corea Corea’s menu. Whether it’s spicy octopus, barbecued beef, or a mixed seafood, they’re all guaranteed to transport you to a rowdy Korean lunchroom. And make sure you remember to add a side of kimchi.

Rocco

There’s a reason calamari and champagne dominate dining tables across the Mediterranean coastline: they go so well with sweeping vistas of crystal waters. Being Cairns’ premier rooftop bar with a panoramic view of the Coral Sea, it makes sense that Rocco’s would draw inspiration from the Mediterranean.

Sitting atop the five-star resort Riley, this skyscraping restaurant is indiscriminate in its love for Mediterranean cuisine. Saffron chicken, grilled halloumi, Moroccan spiced meatballs, and patatas bravas all get a look in, and a special mention must go to the kingfish ceviche, which is really the perfect thing to go with the Cairns weather and the Rocco view.

Crystalbrook Flynn

Another Crystalbrook Collection player also easily makes the cut of best hotels in Cairns. This is the spot to let your hair down, and if you're dining with a group there is a lot to love: light, airy and open spaces perfect to nestle into and while away a few hours over great food and conversation.

Choose from a smorgasbord of treats at Boardwalk Social, feast on hearty Italian food at Flynn's Italian, then call into Whiskey & Wine for a nightcap - there's award-winning cocktails alongside a huge selection of local and imported whiskies.

Melbourne comes to the tropics in this coffee-first cafe. Unlike Melbourne, the clientele aren’t so much looking for something warm and comforting in their morning brew. Instead, Caffeind is something more like Melbourne on holiday, with a specialty cold drip that will invigorate and refresh you in swift sip.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, don’t go past the house-made banana and walnut bread served with caramelised banana, coconut gelato and coconut caramel sauce, or dip into the chilli eggs for a savoury breakfast.

Apex Milk Bar

Fresh fish and chips, great burgers, and frothy classic milkshakes make Apex Milk Bar one of Cairns’ most beloved tenures.

Their classic diner-style food has been flying off the pass since 1960, which means they not only have decades of experience backing them, they also have the added pull of nostalgia. This isn’t to say they’re stuck in a time warp, quite the opposite. Apex’s longevity is down to their ability to refresh their menu to stay ahead of the curve without compromising on value or losing touch with their roots. Ergo, menu standouts like the roast pork belly roll and the loaded waffle fries.

Looking for more coffee spots while in Cairns? Look here.