Best Restaurants in Darwin: 6 Chef-approved Places to Eat

When she was six, Minoli De Silva moved from Sri Lanka to Melbourne, where she became obsessed with the food of her heritage as well as the diverse cuisines of her new home.

She later relocated to Darwin and was working as a chemical engineer when a friend encouraged her to apply for MasterChef. In 2022, after two seasons on the cooking show, De Silva opened Ella by Minoli, a restaurant serving modern Sri Lankan food such as jaggery goat curry with spiced sticky fig. These are a few of her favourite Darwin spots.

Kopi Stop for the Singaporean coffee and congee

“The award-winning barista at this Singapore-style café makes beautiful coffee using beans from Ona, a specialty roaster. My pick of the dishes are the congee with pork and preserved century egg or kaya (coconut jam) butter toast with a soft-boiled egg. The staff are lovely and always remember my name.”

Cathy’s Place for the chilli crab

“I call this iconic spot ‘Cathy’s crab shack’ (4/68 Marina Boulevard, Larrakeyah; 0409 989 888). You don’t go for fine dining but for the experience of eating fresh mud crab prepared by a woman who is a fantastic cook and a real character. I get mine with NT chilli sauce – it reminds me of Singapore chilli crab. Have it with egg rice and bread rolls and listen to Cathy’s stories.”

Hanky Panky Lounge for the Dirty Martini

“This bar is like a speakeasy and you could be anywhere in the world when you’re in there. It doesn’t have windows so it’s moody but fun and approachable at the same time. They do the classic cocktails perfectly – I get a Dirty Martini.”

Lazy Susan’s Eating House for the xiao long bao

“I love doing a dumpling search everywhere I go – who isn’t a fan of dumplings? Lazy Susan’s Eating House does excellent xiao long bao. The wrapper is a good thickness, the pork filling is moist and juicy – it’s simple and done well.”

Yatis Laksa at Parap Village Markets, Darwin

Parap Village Markets for laksa

“There’s an age-old question that anyone who lives in Darwin is asked: ‘What’s your favourite laksa?’ It’s a mark of respect which one you go for, like choosing a sports team. At the Saturday Parap markets, about five minutes from the city, three stalls serve it – Mary’s, the Purple Lady and Yatis Laksa. Mary’s has the biggest queues but I like Yatis. To me it’s more authentic Singaporean-Malay style.”

The Cavenagh Hotel for the steak

“Everyone goes to The Cavenagh on Thursday for Steak Night. It’ll give you the vibe of Darwin. It’s a friendly place and you just can’t beat it for a steak that’s top-quality and really well-cooked. I like a medium-rare Scotch fillet with the peppercorn sauce. Generally I’m full after that and other people have to eat my chips – or I eat them myself and roll out the door.”