Cairns Dining | Cairns Food And Wine
Cairns offers the very best in restaurants and dining options and with such a vast variety of tastes and flavours drawn from all over the world, every visitor to Cairns City is sure to find something to tantalise their tastebuds. From unique Australian cuisine including Kangaroo, Barramundi, Crocodile, or Emu to Asian, Greek, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese delicacies, the sky is the limit when dining out in Cairns Australia. You will be sure to enjoy your Cairns dining experience as so many of the stunning restaurants in the region are multi award winners. But don't just rely on what the experts say, locals frequently dine out in Cairns citing the fresh local grown produce, good quality, great taste, and superbly prepared and presented food is what keeps them coming back, time and time again.
Many of the major hotels, resorts and short term self contained holiday apartments are conveniently located around the known dining precincts of Cairns. The most popular of Cairns dining locations is of course the venues with beachfront or marina views where you can catch a cool breeze whilst enjoying a meal. The Esplanade Cairns has many upmarket seafood, Italian and Mod Oz cuisine restaurants for those that want to enjoy a nice evening in the Cairns City. In amongst these restaurants are the more easy going budget cafes, burger bars and kebab shops for families, backpackers and those that would rather spend money on the Cairns tours and attractions instead. Inside the Cairns Nightmarkets you can select from a wide range of food outlets in the mega food hall when you just want a quick easy bite to eat or fast takeaway for the family.
Another great waterfront dining area in Cairns City is the extensive Cairns Marlin Marina Boardwalk. Here you have some of the most beautiful views overlooking multi million dollar super yachts and tinnies bobbing up and down in the water along with the added bonus of witnessing tropical sunsets behind the lush green mountains with a cocktail in hand.
The restaurants along the Cairns Marina boardwalk range from ocean fresh seafood specialists, to upmarket Italian, specialty steak houses, lounges and cocktail bars with Tapas and funky music and Australiana cuisine with a dash of European flavourings just to round it off. Shields Street and Spence Street Cairns also has some cozy little gems of restaurants that do not want to pay the big rents for the location they would rather spend it on the food and ambience of their little location and keep the costs of food down for their guests as well so make sure you have a wander around Cairns and find these little gems that will save you lots of money.
In Cairns you can also select to join a boat for a Dinner Cruise. Your choice is to stay on one of these vessels and enjoy a sumptuous buffet dinner with drinks and entertainment on board for around two and a half hours whilst cruising up and down the calm Cairns trinity Inlet. The other dinner cruise choice is to join the vessel for a sunset cruise down the Inlet again for a few hours and then disembark at Cairns Marlin Marins and enjoy a three course meal at Dundees restaurant. An absolutely fantastic way to experience dinner in Cairns all year round.
Take a peek at some of our organised dinner shows and night time events around Cairns and Tropical North Queensland.
So as you can see from these examples below Cairns offers a huge array of dining options, locations and styles in the heart of the City and surrounding streets. Just ask your hotel or resort accommodation provider for some tips on where to find the best value meals or the most awarded restaurant in Cairns city and I am sure they would be pleased to brag about where they think the best place to dine in Cairns is.
Ochre Restaurant
1 Marlin Parade, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4051 0100
Waterfront Dining at Cairns' Most Highly Awarded Restaurant. Experience a culinary journey of Australia at Ochre Restaurant - specialising in sustainable Australian regional produce. With items on the menu such as fresh seafood, native game, bush food and premium local produce Ochre will delight your tastebuds with their exciting modern Australian dishes.
Wash your uniquely Australian meal down with a smooth glass of wine and complete your meal with a Quandong Creme Brulee.
Ochre is located on the waterfront at Harbour Lights 1 Marlin Parade, and is open daily for Lunch & Dinner. Drop down on Sunday afternoons for "Chill Sessions' with live music on the first Sunday of every month.
Dundee's On The Waterfront
1 Marlin Parade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4051 0399
Come and enjoy a relaxed dining experience at Dundee's. Located on the boardwalk at the Harbour Light Complex this restaurant offers the best marina views with stunning Rainforest mountains as a backdrop as well as a wide variery of food to suit all foodies.
Dundee's is open from 9:30am for coffee and cake, lunch is served from 11:30am to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:30pm till late.
Salt House
6/2 Pier Point Rd, Cairns, QLD 4870
(07) 4041 7733
Salt House is located right on the waterfront and boasts and exciting menu of Australia cuisine infused with Asian flavours.
As you enjoy your sumptuous meal in the superbly designed and handcrafted timber restaurant, you will be treated to panoramic views of the gorgeous Trinity Inlet and rolling mountains on the horizon.
Open daily at 7am for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Salt House has made a name for itself as one of the trendiest and hippest places to eat in Cairns.
Cafe China Seafood Restaurant and Noodle Bar
Rydges Plaza Hotel, 32-40 Spence St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4051 0423
Cafe China Seafood Restaurant and Noodle Bar is touted as being Cairns very best Chinese restaurant. Their mouth watering Peking Duck is a locals favourite.
The dish features extra crispy duck, thin slices of cucumber, drizzled in ho sin sauce, and tightly wrapped up in thin light pancakes. Not in the mood for a la carte, no problem. Cafe China Seafood Restaurant and Noodle Bar also offers delicious Yum Cha or you can order seafood from the tank.
Make sure you stop in at Cafe China to experience the gourmet Chinese cuisine at either their Spence Street, Reef Hotel and Casino, Rydges Plaza Complex, or Smithfield location.
Coco's Restaurant
17 Abbott St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4050 2101
Located within the stunning Pullman Cairns International, Coco's Restaurant offers exquisite dishes featuring some of the finest fresh local produce of the region.
Open every day for breakfast, lunch (A La Carte only) and dinner from 6:00am til 10:00pm, Coco's Coco's Restaurant also puts on a fine High Tea from 10:30am till 4:00pm as well as special occasions lunches such as Mother's Day. Coco's Restaurant will not disappoint you.
Bookings are essential, phone (07) 4050 2101 to reserve your table
Mizuna Restaurant
122 Lake St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4080 188
Taking its name from a delicate peppery green leaf found in gourmet salads Mizuna Restaurant is the ultimate in class and sophistication. Boasting a menu full of fresh local fare, Mizuna Restaurant has plenty of exciting and unique dishes to satisfy the fussiest diner.
Located in the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Mizuna Restaurant is open for breakfast from 6.30am - 10.00am Monday to Friday and 6.30am - 11.00am Sunday. Dinner is served daily from 6.00pm - 9.00pm.
Tamarind
35-41 Wharf St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4030 8897
Located within the Reef Hotel and Casino, Tamarind puts an Asian twist on authentic Western cuisine. The multi-award winning restaurant was most recently named the winner of the Best Prestigious Restaurant by the Queensland Hotels Association Award for Excellence. The menu features hearty oriental soups, mouth watering tiger prawns, and scrumptious Japanese scallops.
Tamarind is open daily for dinner from 6.00pm - 10.00pm.
Perrotta's At The Gallery
38 Abbott St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4031 5899
This hip and funky restaurant is located just steps from the exciting Cairns Regional Art Gallery.
The perfect spot for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch, Perrotta's At The Gallery features a large covered outdoor balcony.
With plenty of tasty treats from eggs benedict, steak sandwiches, and pasta meals, it is not hard to see why the local hipsters make this their weekly meeting place to catch up over a delicious meal and a wine or two. Perrotta's At The Gallery is open daily.
Perrotta's is open 7 days from 6:30am til 10:00pm
La Porchetta
108-114 Grafton St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4031 6661
With roughly 70 restaurants Australia wide, La Porchetta is a family favourite. Serving pizza, pasta, salad, meat, poultry, and desserts La Prochetta never fails to disappoint.
Located right next door the Birch Carol and Coyle movie theatre on Grafton Street, La Porchetta is the perfect spot to grab a meal before heading into watch a film.
Barnacle Bill's Seafood Inn
103 Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4051 2241
You will find this seafood lovers Mecca right on the Esplanade, making it the perfect spot to indulge in some fine fare while enjoying the terrific view of the Cairns Trinity Inlet.
Barnacle Bill's extensive menu features plenty of fish from the Great Barrier Reef. Indulge in some coral trout, prawns, crayfish, barramundi, mudcrab, oysters, and much more.
Barnacle Bill's also offers some traditional Australian dishes including kangaroo and crocodile. Open daily from 5.00pm until late, Barnacle Bill's Seafood Inn is a must for seafood connoisseurs.
Mondo Cafe Bar and Grill
34 Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph : (07) 4052 6780
With Trinity Bay views and a fine selection of international cuisine Mondo Cafe Bar and Grill is the perfect spot for some causal alfresco dining. Located at the Cairns Hilton Hotel, Mondo Cafe Bar and Grill offers plenty of vegetarian options as well as top quality steaks, burgers, pasta, and seafood dishes.
Special evenings include 'Family Night' every Tuesday and live entertainment every Friday night.
Mondo Cafe Bar and Grill is open daily for lunch and dinner from 12.00am - 10.00pm
Cairns Dinner Cruise
Our Cairns dinner cruise departs at 6:30pm and throughout the evening you will cruise the Cairns harbour, sailing past historical sites and places of interest, see the hustle and bustle of the busy waterfront in this beautiful Far North Queensland port city and watch the day disappear.
The setting night sky in Cairns replaces the sun with a stunning sunset over the mountains and then the stars and moon align to light our way up river and the city lights up to mark the beginning of a night on the town for others.
Kick back and relax with a cocktail to take in the harbour views in good company for the next two and half hours on your Cairns sunset dinner cruise with your loved one or your whole family.
Book your sunset dinner cruise in Cairns right here.
