Restaurants in Cairns
For cheap eats, head to the Esplanade along the seafront; it’s lined with cafes, pizzerias, fish-and-chips places, food courts, and ice-cream parlors. The northern beaches—particularly Palm Cove—also have some great restaurants (sometimes with prices to match!).
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11 Results
- Cafe
Caffiend
Tucked away between an alley full of street art and an arcade, this atmospheric little cafe is easy to miss. Tipped off by a friend, I headed here for what I’d been told was the best coffee in Cairns—and ended up staying for lunch! Terrines, salads, soups, a big BLT, croque monsieur,…$$In Cairns - Cafe
Candy
Green plastic hedges mark the outdoor area at Candy, but head inside for the full impact of this quirky little cafe/bar. Huge murals and dangling chandeliers give the place an offbeat but sophisticated feel. Another tip from a local—and yes, the coffee here is good—led me to this…$$In Cairns - Italian
L’Unico
Ask for a table on the veranda, overlooking Trinity Beach’s esplanade and the sea. This smart but relaxed Italian restaurant has a great vibe and terrific staff. The wood-fired oven produces pizzas with interesting toppings (prawns, chorizo, red onion, and paprika, for example), and…$$$On the Northern Beaches - Contemporary
NuNu
With a new absolute-beachfront location under the palm trees, this Palm Cove favorite is still offering the kind of food that may make you drag your eyes from the view to your plate! Dining fare includes some bold choices, such as “bunny a bunch of ways,” or the pricey Queensland mud…$$$On the Northern Beaches - Gourmet Bush Tucker
Ochre Restaurant
If you’ve always wanted to taste crocodile or kangaroo, this is the place to come. You could accuse this restaurant/bar of using weird and wonderful Aussie ingredients as a gimmick, but the diners who have flocked here for the past decade or so know good food when they taste it.…$$$In Cairns - Contemporary
Perrotta’s at the Gallery
The locals flock here for brunch and lunch, particularly on weekends, and you can team a meal here with a visit to the Cairns Regional Art Gallery next door. Breakfast differs from the usual eggs or pancakes, offering delights such as smoked salmon, sweet-potato hash browns with sour…$$In Cairns - Cafe/Bistro
Port O’Call Bistro
This poolside bistro and bar at the Port O’Call Eco Lodge offers good, honest food, such as lamb shanks and steaks, in hearty portions at painless prices. The atmosphere is fun and friendly. There are pasta and curry dishes, and every night you can try one of the chef’s blackboard…$$In Cairns - Contemporary
Salsa Bar & Grill
This trendy restaurant, in a timber Queenslander with wraparound verandas, has seriously good food, great prices, and lively, fun service. Little wonder you need to book well ahead—sometimes up to 2 weeks in advance—and it’s the restaurant of choice for everyone from presidents to…$$$On the Northern Beaches - Italian
Sassi Cucina e Bar
Presided over by gregarious Italian owner/chef Tony Sassi—who’s something of a local celebrity—this traditional Italian cucina offers fresh seasonal flavors done simply and well. Start with some spuntini (small plates) of delicacies such as crispy fried small local prawns with garlic…$$$On the Northern Beaches - Contemporary
Vivo Bar and Grill
White-painted colonial style, complete with wooden shutters and a wide veranda, this is an inviting choice, looking through the palm trees to the water. Choose from some tempting pasta dishes (such as spanner crab linguine) or a simple version of fish [’]n chips, with battered…$$$On the Northern Beaches - Contemporary
Zinc
If you’re like me, you may find yourself coming back more than once to this casual but very smart restaurant during your Port Douglas stay. The food is very good (think pan-fried barramundi with citrus-scented crushed potatoes and a caper and champagne butter sauce, or maybe a prawn…$$$On the Northern Beaches
