Cairns, Queensland — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Cairns, Queensland
Restaurants
Recommended restaurants
Dundees
Going with the 'Aussie Animal' theme is Dundees, a 20-year local success story which is located on the edge of the marina. Cook your own local seafood on a 'hot rock', or sample crocodile, emu and kangaroo.
1 Marlin Parade
Tel: (07) 4051 0399.
Website: www.dundees.com.au
Price: $$
Pattaya Thai Restaurant
An excellent budget option, family-owned and -run Pattaya serves authentic Thai curries in intimate surroundings.
62 Spence Street
Tel: (07) 4051 5748.
Price: $
Perrotta's at the Gallery
Perrotta's is a trendy breakfast, lunch and dinner hangout in front of Cairns Regional Gallery. The dining and people-watching occurs outdoors, under large swishing fans.
Corner Abbott and Shields Streets
Tel: (07) 4031 5899.
Website: www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au
Price: $$
Plantation Bar and Grill
A delightful indoors/outdoors setting (white wicker chairs, terracotta tiles and fairly lit palms), delicate flavors and superb service make this frequent 'Restaurant of The Year' winner a great choice.
The Hotel Cairns, corner of Abbott and Florence Streets
Tel: (07) 4051 6188.
Website: www.thehotelcairns.com/dining.html
Price: $$$-$$$$
Red Ochre Grill
This multi-award winning restaurant serves gourmet dishes made from a wide range of native Australian bush foods, such as acacia seeds and crocodile meat.
43 Shields Street
Tel: (07) 4051 0100.
Website: www.redochregrill.com.au
Price: $$$$
Villa Romana Trattoria
With its cosmopolitan piazza-style café setting and home-style Italian menu, Villa Romana brings a taste of the Mediterranean to the Australian tropics.
Corner of Aplin Street and The Esplanade
Tel: (07) 4051 9000.
Website: www.villaromana.com.au/cairns
Price: $$
Nightlife
Cairns has an extraordinarily lively, though in some places slightly unrefined, nightlife. Many of the venues form a ‘strip' along Spence Street, and in general, entertainment on offer here will be wilder than elsewhere. For more information, pick up a copy of Time Out in the Cairns Post or Xpress, a magazine aimed at backpackers.
Bars: Sapphire Tapas Bar & Lounge, 39 Lake Street (www.sapphiretapasbar.com.au), is a stylish, friendly bar. The Blue Sky Brewery, 34-42 Lake Street (www.blueskybrewery.com.au), is a huge place to try some local beer, and the swanky Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort, between Sheridan and Grafton Streets (www.gilligans.com.au), has a huge open-air beer hall that can fit 1,000, as well as a mezzanine bar with a 24-hour license. The Woolshed, 24 Shields Street (www.thewoolshed.com.au), is popular with backpackers.
Clubs: The Heritage, corner of Lake and Spence Streets (www.theheritagecairns.com), has Indi music nights and a fabulous balcony for dancing on. Cadence, corner of The Esplanade and Shields Street, has a funky vibe and showcases international and local acts and DJs, while Vertigo Bar at the Reef Hotel Casino, 38-41 Wharf Street (www.reefcasino.com.au/vertigo.php), is the home of dance in Cairns, playing anything from funky house, to tough electro and rough breaks.
Live Music: The 12 Bar Blues Bar, 62 Shields Street, has live music, and The Brothers Leagues Club, 99-105 Anderson Street, Manunda (www.brotherscairns.com.au), has regular music from breakthrough bands to top tribute acts. The Edge Hill Tavern, 145-147 Pease Street, Manora (www.edgehilltavern.com.au), has live music from local bands.
