Where to Eat in Cairns, Port Douglas & Palm Cove
Overseas visitors should try some unique Australian food. Sample delicate barramundi and coral trout, and be tempted by luscious tropical mango, paw paw, lychee and rambutan. You can even try emu, crocodile and kangaroo meat - if you dare!
Cairns City Dining is a free brochure that lists a great selection of fine restaurants, cafes and eateries in Cairns and its surrounds. You can usually find it anywhere from your hotel reception to shopping centres and visitor information kiosks.
When it comes to dining in Cairns, the Esplanade or Shields Street should have what you are looking for. These main restaurant precincts offer a wide range of cuisines and a great night-time atmosphere.
On the Northern Beaches, you only need to walk along the beaches and pick a restaurant. Why not grab some fish and chips to enjoy on the beach?
Just wander around Kuranda Village and you'll discover an abundance of local, European and Asian delights, and high quality vegetarian cuisines.
The multi-award winning Red Ochre Grill has created a whole new Australian cuisine, utilising traditional native fruits, berries, game meats, and fresh seafood. The restaurant also offers the best wines and beers of Australia to accompany your food. The menu changes seasonally and is unique in its use of Australian native foods and regional produce.
Stop by the retail shop where you can buy some of the Red Ochre Grill's most popular sauces and dressings. This retail gourmet selection of native Australian products is perfect for the home chef wishing to recreate the flavours of the outback, or as a gift to introduce friends or relatives overseas to the wonderful culinary adventure of Australian cuisine.
Red Ochre Grill can arrange excursion tours, wine tasting and cooking either in-house or at a variety of outside locations.
| Where: | 43 Shields Street, Cairns. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4051 0100 |
| Website: | Red Ochre Grill |
Enjoy the finest quality seafood dishes at Barnacle Bill's Seafood Inn.
Dine indoors or al fresco, and choose from a wide range of fabulous wines to complement your meal. The extensive menu includes a selection of Great Barrier Reef seafood, such as coral trout, prawns and crayfish, as well as barramundi, mud crab, oysters and more. You can also try crocodile or kangaroo dishes.
| Where: | 103 The Esplanade, Cairns. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4051 2241 |
| Website: | Barnacle Bill's Seafood Inn |
Experience an authentic Australian dining experience at Dundee's On the Waterfront. Located on the Cairns boardwalk, overlooking the harbour, this friendly, informal restaurant serves a wide range of dishes, including seafood, pasta, salads, grills and desserts. You can even try crocodile, kangaroo, emu and buffalo!
| Where: | 29 Spence Street, Cairns. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4051 0399 |
Pesci's On the Water is Cairns' only seafood restaurant overlooking the famous Marlin Marina. It specialises in fresh local and southern seafood and modern Australian cuisine. Make the most of the gorgeous location and magnificent waterfront views, and ask for an outside table!
| Where: | Pierpoint Road (Pier Marketplace), Cairns. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4041 1133 |
| Website: | Pesci's On the Water |
If you are looking for an informal and casual dining atmosphere, head to Après Beach Bar & Grill. The restaurant serves a wide variety of food and is popular with locals and visitors. So, make sure you book ahead!
| Where: | 119-121 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4059 2000 |
| Website: | Apres Beach bar |
Far Horizons is a delightful restaurant located on absolute beachfront at Palm Cove. At times, the restaurant sets up dining on the lawn among the palm trees beside the beach, which creates a unique paradise atmosphere. Every Friday and Saturday night there's also a guitarist performing live.
| Where: | Angsana Great Barrier Reef Hotel, 1 Veivers Road, Palm Cove. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4055 3000 |
