If you’re looking for some of the tastiest restaurants Cairns has to offer, then I’m bringing you a list of my favourite haunts.

As a former Port Douglas local, I made countless cityscapes to Cairns and spent month-long stints there. During that time, I slowly but surely ate my way around town and acquired a little black book of delicious eats.

I whipped up this article just before leaving Far North Queensland a few years ago, then I was in the thick of setting up The Glass House and never made it to publish, sadly. But I’m finally giving it the dribbles it deserves because, well, life is too short for average food. These restaurants have continued to receive rave reviews online, and I’ve added a couple of bonus joints that have popped up in the rankings. If any friends tell me they’re heading to Cairns, these are the restaurants I recommend.

What to expect from restaurants in Cairns

The food scene in Cairns has evolved a lot since I first visited in 2013. It used to be renowned for huge seafood factories lined up and down the Esplanade that catered for tourists en masse, which have slowly been canned. While some treasured heirlooms still grace the streets, it now houses a diversity of cuisines and some real tasty grub.

Having recently lived in Noosa, Queensland’s foodie capital, I’d say it easily rivals the food down south. Though thankfully, with a slightly more forgiving price tag and minus the wanky vibe.

For me, Port Douglas still trumps when it comes to Modern Australian restaurants, but Cairns has more diversity and way better Asian food. Its thriving community has brought all the goodies from Japan, Thailand, Bali, and beyond (though rest assured, no Bali belly here.) It also houses a Masterchef guest judge who does his thing in Palm Cove, and there are some tasty, family-run Italian, Greek, Spanish and Mexican eateries in the mix.

What’s special about the restaurants in Cairns over its temperate southern cousins, like Sydney and Melbs, is the tropical food bowl in Far North QLD. From the Atherton Tablelands to the Coral Sea— the produce here is incredible. Many restaurants are harnessing those fabulous fresh ingredients and putting their own tropical twist on the table.

Most places in this list are naturally close to the water’s edge and have a relaxed, casual vibe. While a lot of tourists naturally gravitate towards the marina and Esplanade for supper, which is doused in holiday vibes with awesome views of the ocean and ranges, I’m here to guide you towards those gems tucked away in the backstreets that are easily overlooked.

Best Restaurants in Cairns

I’ve kept things mainly within Cairns CBD, but not all. A few are in the burbs and the locals’ favourite northern beach, Palm Cove. (There are some really great eateries there, so make sure you reserve time for a trip!)

If you’re without a car, then it’s quite pricey to get an Uber up to Palm Cove. However, the 110 bus goes there and runs until late during the week and throughout the night on weekends. (Deets: operates every 30 minutes/hour and takes roughly 40 mins. Price is now only 50 cents one-way (bargain!), cash only – click here for the timetable.)

Okay, let’s get cracking. Here are all my favourite restaurants in Cairns!

1. Wawawa – the one for delicious Jappy Izakaya

Wawawa was a regular Saturday night haunt for me in Cairns. I love Japanese food, and this place consistently knocked up uber-fresh dishes that were perfectly cooked, unpretentious and moreish. These guys always got me flippin’ excited about food.

Wawawa offers a variety of Izakaya favourites, set inside a small and trendy family-run restaurant. We enjoy a bit of sushi so our usual go-to’s were double serves of Aburi Salmon Nigiri and the Spicy Tuna Roll. Other faves were the Wagyu Beef Noodle and gyozas, washed down with Sapporo on tap or a warm sake.

If available, I love pulling up a stool at the bar and watching the head honcho wok hei in the kitchen. It literally takes a couple of minutes and a few rigorous wrist stirs to cook those stir-fried dishes with bags of flavour.

• For more details or to see their menu, head to their website. Bookings can be made by phone and advance reservations are recommended during busy periods.

2. Gambaramba – the one for Cairns’ best ramen

And the winner of our most frequented lunch restaurant in Cairns goes to, Gambaramba!

For quite a while, this was literally all we ate here because we craved it all the time, lol. Even on those sticky hot days. It was worth the sweaty bum.

Anyone who loves a good ramen is usually fiercely loyal to their favourite, and this was ours, though I think you’d be truly hard pressed to find a better ramen in this city. I’ve been to many awesome ramen bars since taking my last sip of thick tonkotsu broth here, across Australia and in Vietnam where I edit this, but my favourite of all still breadcrumbs back to this little unfussy soup bar.

The ramen stock is packed with delicious, porky flavour and the noodles are home-made just using flour and water (I’d recommend them cooked medium). We usually went for the garlicky Ikemen Tonkotsu, or Sunrise for a bit of spice. And when feeling more adventurous, their Mukashi in a House Special broth with chicken and fish was awesome. It was actually the first time I tried a ramen with a fish-based stock and it wasn’t fishy at all like I suspected, but loaded with flavour and umami goodness.

I highly recommend a serving of gyoza for the full package.

• Gambaramba is open for lunch and dinner (11:30-2:30 and 5 pm-8:30 pm). No need to book, walk-ins only. For more details or to see updates, head to their Facebook page.

3. Ollie’s Italian- the one for pukka steak

Ollie’s is perched at a gorgeous spot by the marina with views of the Yarrabah ranges. The Sailor and I came here after an epic 10k hike on the Tablelands and really fancied something filling and delicious. Indulging in a steak dinner is a treat for us these days, and when we do, we like to do it properly.

Ollie’s 21-day-aged Tassie Grass-Fed Scotch Fillet was cooked in their charcoal Jospher oven, and it was one of the best steaks I’ve had in FNQ. It was beautifully succulent and juicy and had the perfect amount of caramelisation on the outer.

We paired it with their creamy as mash, tasty Jospher-grilled burnt broccolini and fresh rocket salad. It was a perfect amount to share with space for dessert.

Ollies also offers a range of hand-rolled, fresh pasta and Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza. If you’re into gin, I highly recommend starting with their Citrus Tanqueray.

• Best to book ahead as they can get busy. For more info and to see their menu, head to Ollie’s website.

4. Bayleaf – the one for banging Balinese

Bayleaf can be easily overlooked on a trip to Cairns as it’s away from the main strip, halfway down Lake Street. Unlike most Aussies, I still haven’t been to Bali, but using my well-seasoned snout from many years living in Southeast Asia (including Malaysia), I’d say it probably doesn’t get more authentic than this. We also saw regular Indonesian diners, which is always a good sign.

This restaurant has won multiple awards thanks to their awesome Balinese Head Chef, I Made Upadana. Our satay was cooked on a mini-grill which got us drooling at the table in real time while it formed all the delicious charry bits, and came paired with a peanut dipping sauce.

The rest of the goods were delivered banquet style, with a fragrant duck curry and a chook curry. If you like Southeast Asian flavours, then you’ll have your ‘Asian mouth’ fully satisfied here.

Bayleaf restaurant is attached to Bay Village Tropical Retreat, so it’s easy to get back home if you’re staying there (we have a couple of times), though the food is far better than the resort.

• Best to book as they can get busy, I prefer sitting on the terrace. For more details or to see their menu, head to their website.

5. Nunu – the one for foodies

Oh yeah foodies, hatted Nunu is here for you. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Nunu is not only the best restaurant in Cairns, but the best restaurant in Far North Queensland. The creative saucery using those beautiful tropical ingredients make it a cut above. Dining here got me really jitterbug about food.

Helming the kitchen is head chef Nick Holloway, a clever bearded chap who spent 12 years working at three hatted restaurants in Melbourne before making the sea change up north. He featured on Masterchef as a guest chef in both 2015 and 2021, and has been a regular guest chef at food fests in Noosa & Melbs.

Nick heroes seasonal local produce with a fun, modern and tropical menu. No surprises, it’s hard to get a table for dinner (they were booked for months) so we came for lunch.

We went for a few light bites to start. The caramelised duck ham & molasses pineapple stick and xo bun with pork, scallop & ponzu were packed with flavour and delicious.

After we had the ora king salmon with coconut, finger lime, green mango & papaya – the sauce was so good I wanted to drink it out of the bowl, but settled for using it to dip my chips in!

We also had the deluxe fried rice with tiger prawn, pork, snake beans, egg & bottarga, which was a really elevated version of the humble fried rice.

The setting here is gorgeous too. There’s basically just a path and a few coconut trees separating you from the beach.

• Advanced bookings are highly recommended. For more details or to see their menu, head to their website.

6. Il Forno – the one for Cairns’ best pizza

Hands down, the best pizzeria I’ve visited in Far North Queensland. With third generation pizza chefs continuing to helm the kitchen of this family run business since 1992, the pizzas here are as authentic as they come.

I love my pizzas with a ‘Roman’ style, thin crispy base and quality toppings— but not overly generous with them, that base can’t support it and caves in. Il Forno are masters at that.

They hand stretch the dough and use imported toppings from Italy before cooking it in a wood-fired oven. You know an Italian restaurant is good when it has a large and loyal following of Italians who dine there.

The Sailor and I usually share one pizza and a salad, which is enough for two (if you’re not large eaters). We tried one each once and it was too much, though I’m sure some could wolf it down solo as it’s not too heavy.

Their menu mainly consists of pizza, a few salads, and antipasti. They have always had a pasta special. Our favourite pizza is the Pompei, as we like it spicy.

◇ For more details or to see their menu, head to their website. The restaurant is small and cosy, right across from the beach. Bookings can be made by phone and advance reservations recommended as they can get busy.

7. El Grekos- the one for wholesome Hellenic

Just a hop away from Il Forno in Palm Cove’s “Eat Street” is this lovely Greek Taverna. I heard some plate smashing coming from here one night when I was eating pizza (I think there was a special occasion on) and knew I had to stop by.

The Sailor and I are regulars for Greek nights at home but it’s even nicer to have the Greeks make it for you. Keeping it simple, we love a good souvo and I think you can always judge a good Greek by this dish. I went for the Ares Grill— grilled marinated chicken on an open pitta with chunky chippies and tzatziki. And the Sailor had the Zeus Grill (the same as mine but with grilled marinated lamb), plus a banging Greek salad.

It was an authentic, delicious hug on a plate, and together with the white and blue decor, took us back to our holidays on the Greek islands.

• Bookings advised during busy periods. For more deets and info, head to their website.

Bonus Restaurants in Cairns!

A couple of places have popped up in the rankings since I last visited Cairns. They’re receiving awesome reviews (one is the head chef from Nunu’s favourite Cairns joint) and when I go back, I’d be checking these gaffs out.

8. Finn Finn- the one for terrific Thai

I love authentic Thai food, but it can be hard to come by in Oz. Those punchy aromatic flavour bomb curries we seek often end up being more like creamy coconut soups.

So, if Nick Holloway (head chef of Nunu) says that Finn Finn’s is his favourite joint in Cairns, then it must be authentic, and bloody delicious. If it’s not, you can blame him.

In Nick’s own words, this is a ripping Thai joint with smashing flavours, rock-and-roll vibes and minimalist aesthetics. Their online reviews also speak for themselves.

Do yourself a favour and check it out.

• So good they named it twice. For more deets and info, head to their website.

9. Miguel’s- the one for Spanish tapas

Having spent most of my late teens and early 20s in Spain devouring incredible food, I have a soft spot for a good tapas. The paprikary, garlicky dishes, alongside the nutty cured meats, Manchego and delicious seafood, is one reason I can’t go veggo.

Spanish is pretty thin on the ground in Far North Queensland, so Miguel’s has filled a much needed gap in the market, and to rave reviews.

Their menu includes all of the Spanish tapas classics, some larger plates with flame-grilled aged meats, and postres.

• To view their menu and for a link to book, head to their website.

10. Guerrilla Cairns- the one for Mexican

Tucked away in my favourite Cairns burb, in the up-and-coming Edge Hill, is Guerrilla. It’s said to have the complete package: authentic Mexican food, pukka drinks, service, and overall great vibes.

Foodwise, they offer a range of classic snacks and small plates, a tempting selection of tacos and slow-cooked barbacoa mains. Go check it out and tell me what you think!

• For more deets and info, head to their website.

Honorary Mentions

11. Vitalia’s- the one for hearty, home-style Italian

We both fancied a pizza one Monday night, so we paid a visit to Vitalia’s on the Esplanade. We were lucky to get a table, as they were busy, and it was clear why. Sitting outside, my taste buds were beginning to salivate before I’d even eaten anything! The smells coming out of the kitchen took me back to Italy, and the vibe felt like I was at a friend’s house for dinner.

The pizza was Neapolitan-style, so different from Il Forno, but the execution was excellent. This type of pizza is also hand-rolled and cooked in a wood-fired oven, but only for 60-90 seconds, leaving the crust thin and soft with some bubble and char, and the middle slightly wet. Vitalia’s also traditionally use San Marzano tomatoes from Italy, which have a stronger but sweeter taste, and use a bigger ratio of it to cheese.

To start, we had the big and hearty Arancino Siciliano to share. For the main, we ordered the La Suocera pizza (because it had spicy salami and chilli 🌶 ) and a side salad. They also have a range of homemade pasta and main dishes.

• Best to book ahead as they can fill up. For more info and to see their menu, head to Vitalia’s website.

12. CC’s Bar & Grill – the one for steak fiends

While the Crystalbrook Hotels are generally great for a sundowner and nibs, I’ve found their restaurants to be more flop than flambé. That is with the exception of this steakhouse.

CC’s is positioned just under the suave Bailey Hotel, and unlike the other Crystalbrook restaurants I’ve been to, this one is actually good.

As you walk in, first-timers will be shown the cuts of meat on offer and given a bit of a spiel about them. Extra brownie points are awarded for all the beef being sourced locally on the Tablelands, where Crystalbrook’s has its own ranch. (Owner Ghassan Aboud is starting to become a bit like Rick Stein in Cornwall. He’s everywhere!)

The steak we had was beautifully cooked and tender with great sauces and sides to match. We also enjoyed a succulent scallop starter which was equally delicious.

• Walk-in’s welcome but best to book to be safe. For more details or to see their menu, head to their website.

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So there you have it folks, my favourite restaurants in Cairns.

I hope you enjoy many pukka dinners using this list as a guide. Let me know what you enjoyed, and if you have a haunt that you think should be added to this article, share the love and comment below.x