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Typically, restaurants on Barrier Reef islands are part of each island's main resort, so many resorts' rates include some or all meals. Some larger resorts have a range of restaurants, with formal dining rooms, outdoor barbecues, and seafood buffets; some have premium dining options for which you pay extra. Dress is generally "island casual." Some upscale restaurants—such as those on Hayman Island—require men to wear jackets for dinner and frown on flip-flop sandals. On the mainland you'll find plenty of casual, open-air restaurants, serving mainly Modern Australian–style meals that showcase seafood and regional produce. With a few notable exceptions, Cairns, Palm Cove, and Port Douglas are your best bets for upscale dining.
Sexy suede lounges, intimate banquettes, and unbroken views of the Coral Sea make lingering easy at this Palm Cove noshery with the region's best and freshest produce. Select from small plates or larger share portions, which include the likes of kimchi butter-poached reef fish, paperbark-smoked duck, and Sichuan eggplant.
This Modern Australian eatery fits the bill: location (riverfront), service (impeccable), ambience (relaxed), food (exciting and flavorful), and wine (top-flight). The menu is a carefully curated collection of local meat, seafood, and vegetable creations, with something to suit every palate, including a comprehensive "plant-based" section to the menu.
Enjoy Coral Sea views framed by palms and melaleucas along with Mod Australian dishes at this classy beachside eatery. Diners come for the Vietnamese Crepe, battered coral trout, and nasi goreng at lunch; and crab tagliatelle or barramundi for dinner.
With sail-shaped tables, chic Eames chairs, and marina views, Bommie has a sophisticated, upmarket ambience perfect for a special celebration. It's the ideal setting for fine Modern Australian cuisine, and the chef's daily tasting menus dazzle the tastebuds.
This fine-dining restaurant sources terrific organic and tropical produce for its Modern Australian menus, which change seasonally, but always feature fresh seafood and premium Australian meats in artful, beautifully balanced dishes, with fine antipodean wines to complement them. For special occasions, there's a luxurious, chandelier-lighted private dining room.
Overlooking a tranquil bay just outside of Airlie Beach, with a large outdoor area and a boat-shape bar, Northerlies has become a local favorite. Its Beach Kitchen and Brasserie menus offer pub classics such as burgers, pizzas, and steak through to seafood platters.
At this open-air restaurant in the Daintree rain forest, wallabies, bandicoots, and musky rat kangaroos might join you at the table as you tuck into a Mod Oz meal that highlights local, seasonal ingredients, including fresh seafood, and wines from the well-stocked bar. Arrive early for a dip in the creek, a rain-forest stroll, or a spa treatment.
This outdoor café and wine bar on the deck at Cairns Art Gallery serves sumptuous breakfasts as well as lunch and dinner. Lunch fare features a signature duck salad, gourmet sandwiches, and pizza, while dinner options include Italian and modern Australian dishes, such as antipasto and pasta.
Rub shoulders with local foodies and enjoy intimate dining after sunset on the large wooden deck of this lively waterside institution that serves tropical Modern Australian fare. The dinner menu offers something for everyone, from ocean trout sashimi and char-grilled local prawns to a mouthwatering Black Angus eye fillet.
Blessed with mountain and ocean views and located in prime position at the Cairns Marina, Salt House serves Modern Australian fare in casual chic environs. A carefully considered menu includes plenty of local seafood, as well as a mouthwatering selection of local cuts of meat cooked on the custom Argentinian grill.
Atmospheric indoor-outdoor dining, attentive service, and a well-stocked bar are nice, but the primary draw at this relaxed restaurant is the food, which highlights the freshest local ingredients. Enjoy braised kangaroo bao buns or pan-fried fish or tiger prawns straight off Port Douglas's fishing boats, and seasonal fruit, vegetables, and herbs from the Atherton Tablelands.
