12 tasty reasons why you need to visit Noosa Junction

If it’s been a while since you holidayed in Noosa, or your visits tend to stick within the vicinity of Hastings Street, you might not have realised the revolution happening just over the hill.

Noosa Junction has quietly blossomed into Noosa’s second foodie capital, with some of the best restaurants and cafes to be found along its humble two-street strip.

Dishing up everything from intricate Japanese eats to OTT burgers and Australia’s first gut-health bar, let this be your guide to the best restaurants and cafes in Noosa Junction.

Herbert

Call it vegan, vegetarian, whatever you like – at Herbert they prefer the term ‘plant-forward’, putting veggies firmly in the spotlight in inspiring ways (while still making room for the likes of a ginger-spiked kingfish crudo).

Take a seat on one of the sage banquettes and kick-start your tastebuds with something from the inventive cocktail list that heroes house-made tinctures and soda infusions. With plates designed to share – each packing charcoal-tinged, umami flavour bombs – you’ll be plotting your next visit before you hit dessert so you can endeavour to try everything on the menu. Don’t miss the charred watermelon sprinkled with cucumber salt and wakame.

Theo’s Social Club 

The perfect spot to relax into the evening with a glass of lo-fi wine and snackable plates of charcuterie and crudo, Theo’s strikes the fine balance between bar and restaurant. With 80-odd bottles of wine behind the counter and new bins arriving each week, there’s plenty of opportunity to try something new, though the cocktail menu holds its own with seasonal creations and well-made classics. Sit outside under the fairy lights to soak up balmy nights, sidle up to the bar or head upstairs to the intimate loft and don’t be surprised if you decide to skip your dinner reservation elsewhere.

Somedays

It’s a winning formula ensuring a packed house each night in what was once a former Pizza Hut – slow-fermented sourdough pizzas with toppings sourced from local farmers and producers who lean organic and biodynamic, natural wines and local craft tinnies, and a solid vinyl soundtrack. Neapolitan chef Gianluca Donzelli doesn’t leave plant-based friends out either, with vegan ‘prosciutto’ made with smoked radish on the antipasti list and a decadent vegan lamington dessert.

Vanilla Food

Feeling virtuous can also taste damn good when you visit Vanilla Food for breakfast or lunch in their pretty Noosa Junction cafe. While you may have picked up some of their healthy treats from the counter in Belmondos Organic Market in Noosaville, the flagship cafe is the place to be for a sit-down menu fuelled by a thriving garden out back, house-made nut milks, and a solid line-up of local produce.

In gorgeous surroundings – curated by interior designer neighbours, Clo Studios – enjoy breakfast mocktails made on Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits, smoothies spiked with reishi powder or collagen, and dishes like buckwheat waffles with “bacon” and eggs made with tofu “bacon” crumbs, smoked coconut labneh and chipotle cashew cream.

Bombetta

Upholding the great Italian tradition of aperitivo, Bombetta is the place to head between 3-6pm each evening for happy hour-style deals. With a local Boiling Pot beer or a Chianti in hand, tuck into a sizzling pot of garlic prawns or prosciutto-wrapped bombettas (Pugliese meatballs) stuffed with provolone and Taleggio, before diving into the pizza and pasta selection.

Paradise Arcade

One of the first to tip the scales in the Junction’s favour, this fun Mexican joint is known for its tacos, tequila and hip hop. Expect Cali-Mex fare from jalapeno poppers, elote and ceviche through to hearty burrito bowls alongside a line-up of 130 tequilas and mezcals and margaritas on tap.

Jungle & Co

Drop in for a smoothie or stop by for a nourishing soup or salad bowl at Australia’s first gut health bar, Jungle & Co. Working on the connection between a healthy gut and a healthy mind, nutritionist Vladia Cobrdova designed the space to be a healthy hub for everyone, whether you’re vegan, paleo, ketogenic or just enjoy eating healthy food.

Superfood-infused eats are the name of the game here with build-your-own bowls balancing ethical proteins with pre and probiotics, but you’ll also find produce boxes, cleanses, and Vladia’s own cookbook available to purchase.

Sushi Yah Man

Cheap, cheerful and always heaving, locals love this spot for fresh sushi and sashimi served to reggae tunes. Sit at the small sushi train running inside, or nab a spot out on the deck for Izakaya style bites and a cold Sapporo. Save room for the green tea or black sesame tempura ice-cream.

Sumi Open Kitchen

If the closing of Wasabi has left a Japan-shaped hole in your heart on your Noosa holiday, slip into the 23-seat Sumi Open Kitchen for a front-row seat to its Japanese kappo charcoal grill. You only have one decision to make: four courses or six. The rest is up to chef Giles Hohnen who creates the artful degustation with the best in season, plating up dishes may include rice koji-marinated fish through to a comforting chawan-mushi (Japanese steamed egg soup). Add on a sake pairing to tour through family-owned Junmai style (‘Pure  Rice’) breweries at the same time, produced using ancient techniques.

Light Years

Alongside successful setups in Byron Bay and Burleigh Heads, Light Years has pepped up the northern end of Sunshine Beach Road with its chilli caramel pork bao, fire cracker chicken and zesty cocktail list. The suave space, which opened in late 2018, is filled with hand-painted murals, terrazzo benchtops and pops of greenery, with a bold Leopard Room available for private dining.

The Village Bicycle

Arguably the hub of the Junction, The Village Bicycle is a local fave and the spot for late-night bites with the kitchen staying open till 11pm. Swing by for live tunes, good chat, and dishes that are best washed down with a bevvie or three in the graffiti-emblazoned beer garden (hello, poutine, tacos and buffalo wings).

Ze Pickle

Is there a better combination than burgers and 12 rotating taps of (craft) beer? Devotees of Ze Pickle would beg to differ, though it still takes a brave soul to take on one of their artery-clogging Triple Loco or STFU creations, the latter with four angus beef patties interlaid with everything from maple bacon to fried chicken and mac and cheese.

Admittedly, you don’t come here for your daily dose of veggies but you can keep things (relatively) lighter with a plate of wings, or a schezwan chicken or vegan burger. Drinks read like a Willy Wonka experiment, from the sour patch or frozen bubblegum margs to an old fashioned garnished with a rasher of flamed orange and maple bacon.

Featured image: Light Years