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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.
Sip sangria at an outdoor table and watch the world go by or grab a seat the bar to watch mixologists at work at this lively tapas bar, where the dishes are so enticing it's hard to decide what to order. Spanish dolls above the bar and framed matador embroideries bring a European vibe to one of the hippest places to dine on the Great Barrier Reef.
