The 13 Best Restaurants in Cairns for Every Taste

It's happened almost completely under the radar, but in the last decade Cairns has become one of Australia’s most interesting small food cities.

It's a place where Torres Strait flavours share menus with Japanese izakaya dishes, and where First Nations-owned hospitality is reshaping what local food actually means.

Here are the best Cairns restaurants to get a taste of how the city is quietly outshining bigger culinary destinations.

Start on a boat, eating prawns with your hands. Permanently moored at Marlin Marina, Prawn Star is a fleet of modest fishing vessels that serve wild-caught seafood straight off local trawlers. Boxes of cooked prawns, bugs, oysters, and reef fish arrive under strings of lights, with a sea breeze and ice-cold beer. You share tables with everyone from German backpackers to Port Douglas tradies.

Prawn Star is open daily from 11am to 9pm, offering al fresco seating directly on the boats and a relaxed, communal atmosphere—expect to chat with fellow diners as you tuck in. Menu highlights include generous seafood platters ($90–$295), and while there's no BYO, the drinks menu features local beer and wine.

Very popular with the “post-reef-tour Aperol crowd,” Salt House is known for their glorious woodfired seafood. Order the grilled coral trout or the coal-fired Moreton Bay bugs with kaffir lime butter and chilli, and eat on the deck overlooking Trinity Inlet. Signature cocktails and a creative wine list complement the seafood fare, and live music features regularly.

Locals will tell you Dundees is “old Cairns,” and they mean it as a compliment. It’s a landmark waterfront steak and seafood restaurant that could have coasted on location alone but doesn’t. If you’re curious about native ingredients, order the Aussie Bush Platter of crocodile, emu, roo and smoked bush flavours.

It's got a lively energy, friendly staff, and stunning views across Trinity Inlet. Dundees is well-known for generous portions and a flexible menu, with standout dishes like the seafood tower, duck spring rolls, and bug tail spaghettini.

Forget the heavy French food you've been used to, C’est Bon serves a tropical riff on brasserie classics. Provenance is important here; bush pepper jus meets Tablelands potatoes; Gulf prawns flavoured with saffron; duck confit gets a rainforest herb lift. The kitchen is adept at blending classic French techniques with tropical ingredients, resulting in elegant yet approachable plates.

The leafy courtyard is popular for date nights and relaxed lunches; look out for seasonal degustation menus and French wine pairings. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends and during the high season.

Moku sets a glorious new benchmark for resort dining. Open-air tropical dining done with Polynesian smoke, seafood, and proper charcoal treatment, the menu features inventive island flavours and locally sourced proteins, perfect for sharing with friends or sampling something new.

Try the coal-grilled prawns with lime leaf, or the Angus ribeye with spiced pineapple glaze. Cocktails lean rum and cane spirit heavy, as they should in the tropics. With poolside views and lush garden surrounds, Moku delivers on laid-back resort atmosphere without sacrificing kitchen standards.

The Gamushara ramen here has become a cult dish and locals queue daily to get their fix. The broth is renowned, rich, and layered. Japanese-owned, independent, staff greet diners with a cheerful “Irasshaimase,” the traditional welcome heard in noodle shops across Japan.​

Ganbaranba is part of the fascinating history of Japanese migration to Australia’s north. Darwin, just across the Arafura Sea, was home to pearlers and traders from Japan as early as 1876 after the Meiji Restoration opened up the borders, leading to distinctive Japanese enclaves in northern cities.

Minimalist and intimate, Yama Zushi is serious about its sushi and fish quality. They excel in clean, traditional sushi crafted with some of Queensland’s best seafood like local kingfish, line-caught coral trout, and seasonal sweet prawns.

For the full experience, sit at the sushi bar and order omakase, allowing the chef to craft a personalised tasting journey. Fresh wasabi grated onsite and a well-stocked bar with Japanese beer and spirits complement the pure flavours.

This humble café serves up delicious hand-folded dumplings crafted in the old northern Chinese style. Jemma's dumplings, especially pork and chive and the prawn with garlic chive, are praised for freshness and authentic flavours.

The kitchen sticks to tradition and avoids shortcuts in dough or filling. It’s a small spot, so come early to avoid the lunch rush and enjoy a quick, delicious, no-frills meal. The friendly and straightforward service adds to the charm, making it a beloved casual eatery.

For over 25 years, Bayleaf has served Cairns bold Balinese food loaded with turmeric, galangal and smoky sambal. Portions are generous and the Cairns-style hospitality unpretentious. The restaurant is helmed by Head Chef Made Upadana, who trained at the renowned Bumbu Bali Restaurant and Cooking School in Bali alongside acclaimed chef Heinz von Holzen.

Bayleaf is known for its signature “Balinese Rijsttafel,” a communal banquet that lets you sample the island’s greatest hits in one feast. Every meal begins with freshly fried prawn crackers and house-made chilli sauce, and there’s always a jar of fiery sambal on each table.

If Cairns had a culinary flag bearer, it would be Ochre. Since 1994, chef Craig Squire has put Indigenous ingredients and local producers at the centre of his menu. Kangaroo wontons, pepperleaf gnocchi, charred crocodile with coconut curry, Ochre is a place for those keen to try Australia’s native produce prepared with skill and imagination.

The wine list favours boutique Australian producers, and the restaurant’s central location means it’s an easy walk from most city hotels.

Cairns sits on the land of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people, and Indigenous Australians have been cooking here for tens of thousands of years. Many food experiences here often happen off-menu, think mud crab spearing in Yarrabah with Traditional Custodians or discovering native lime on country near Babinda Boulders.

Technically just north of Cairns, but worth the short coastal drive, Minjil offers an immersive evening led by Yidinji Traditional Owners, featuring smoking ceremonies, didgeridoo, storytelling, and meals with native flavours like lemon myrtle, pepperberry, bush tomato, and kangaroo.

Palm Cove is a site of ancient meeting and feasting for First Nations people, historically, the Yirrganydji and neighbouring tribes gathered here to trade, settle disputes, and celebrate with fires on the dunes. Advance booking is essential as sessions are limited, and each event is tailored for small groups to encourage a deeper, personal connection

Skip the standard buffet and opt for an Aboriginal cultural food experience, where guides introduce travellers to native botanicals such as warrigal greens, rosella, Davidson plum, and bunya nut. Rainforestation’s bush tucker tours are designed to highlight not only the flavours but the stories and methods of food foraging and preparation used by First Nations communities. The experience is interactive and guests learn about seasonal gathering, bush medicine, and the significance of foods in local lore.

Owned by Djabugay women and named after the local Yirrganydji word for the white-breasted sea eagle, Guyala Café is a vital daytime dining spot in Cairns that brings a First Nations perspective to brunch.

The menu features native ingredients like wattleseed waffles, bush tomato relish, lemon myrtle granola, and seasonal native herbs, crafting dishes that are simple yet soulful. The café opened in 2020 under the vision of hospitality innovator Oliver James, an award-winning barista known for elevating Cairns’ café culture.

Cairns is synonymous with ultra-fresh seafood: coral trout, red emperor, jewfish, mud crab heavy with buttery roe, tiger prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, and oysters, much of it coming straight from local trawlers the morning you dine. Indigenous ingredients like finger lime, pepperberry and lemon myrtle are increasingly woven into modern menus, while tropical fruit like mango, lychee, soursop, rambutan and papaya are celebrated in both savoury and dessert dishes.​​

Advance bookings are highly recommended for in-demand venues like Ochre, C’est Bon and Moku Bar & Grill, especially in the June–October peak and during local events. Walk-ins are possible at relaxed local favourites such as Bayleaf or Ganbaranba, but even these can fill up fast during weekends and holidays, so checking ahead can help secure your spot.​

Absolutely, Cairns is great for plant-based diners. Creative venues like Mama Coco, Perrotta’s, Guyala Café and Salt House consistently offer standout vegetarian and vegan options. For the freshest seasonal tropical produce and rare native greens, head to Rusty’s Market, which is a must-visit for vegans and home cooks.​

There’s great seafood year-round due to Cairns’ thriving trawler fleet. However, prawn and mud crab seasons generally peak from March to September, offering the best variety and value. Always ask your server what’s local and in season, the best restaurants pride themselves on daily catch updates.​

Yes. Guyala Café is Djabugay-owned and a pioneer in modern Indigenous daytime dining, while immersive First Nations food and culture experiences like the Minjil Cultural Experience blend storytelling and ceremony with native ingredients. This sector of the local hospitality scene is growing, with more Indigenous-owned venues and food events announced each year.​

Cairns dining caters to a range of budgets:

• Casual eats: $15–$30 per person (Ganbaranba, Jemma’s Dumplings)​
• Mid-range: $35–$80 per person (Bayleaf, Salt House, Guyala Café for brunch/lunch)​
• Higher-end: $80–$150+ per person (Ochre, C’est Bon, Moku Bar & Grill, some degustations)​

Menus often highlight local and seasonal specials, so check for tasting platters and shared banquets if you’re keen to sample a broader spread. Dress codes are generally casual, but booking in advance is always safe for finer venues or groups.​