The Best Restaurants in Cairns Right Now

Cairns' restaurant scene benefits from an extraordinary pantry: fresh reef fish (coral trout, red emperor, Spanish mackerel) landed daily at the Cairns Esplanade, the tropical fruit abundance of far north Queensland's orchards and markets, and the multicultural character of a city with significant Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and Pacific Island communities that has created a genuine Asian dining culture rather than approximations of it.

Ochre Restaurant — the Cairns Esplanade waterfront restaurant with a menu built around Australian native ingredients and tropical far north Queensland produce is Cairns' most ambitious dining destination. The crocodile, the kangaroo, the barramundi, and the tropical fruits used with understanding and precision make Ochre a restaurant that represents the Top End's food culture genuinely.

Tamarind — the Crystalbrook Reef resort's Tamarind restaurant provides a formal fine dining option in Cairns that uses Far North Queensland seafood and tropical produce in a menu of considerable elegance. The location and the kitchen's commitment to local sourcing make it the choice for celebrations and special occasions in the Cairns dining calendar.

Waterbar and Grill — the Cairns CBD waterfront dining room provides reliable steak and seafood at the mid-market level that the city's visitor population demands, with consistent quality and a wine list that covers the main bases without excitement but without failure.

Mundo — the Cairns social dining institution with a Latin-influenced menu and the energy of a restaurant that serves both visitors and residents with equal commitment. The cocktail programme and the shareable plates create the Cairns dining experience that the tropical setting implies.

Asian dining on Grafton Street — the cluster of Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants around Grafton Street and the Cairns CBD reflects the city's multicultural character and provides some of the most authentic South-East Asian cooking available outside the major capital cities, at prices that reflect Cairns' visitor economy.

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