As you may guess from the name, coffee comes first at this popular spot. Pop in to kick-start your day of adventure exploring the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest with a cup of of Cairns' best coffee. Serving local Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters beans in various formats – cold brew is a big hit in the tropics – Caffiend is always pumping. And the menu keeps up with the brews: miso scrambled eggs on sourdough with pickled cucumber and French toast with brûléed banana and coconut gelato are our picks. 

With views like these – the azure Coral Sea, misty mountains and boats bobbing in the Cairns Marina, all from the serene pavilion-style dining room – you could be forgiven for not focusing on the menu. Pay it some heed, though, because while Salt House is known for chilled-out vibes, live music and daybeds to recline on, its menu is built around an Argentinian woodfired grill and fresh local seafood.

With its seamless service and elegant, dimly lit dining room, one-hatted Tamarind, located within The Reef Hotel Casino, is among Cairns’ top fine-dining experiences. The menu is a mix of international flavours and local produce – highlights include pan-seared Hokkaido scallops with champagne caviar beurre blanc, chive and granny smith crisp, and Penang duck curry with candied pumpkin, coriander, chilli and peanuts.

Yes, you’ll enjoy a pleasing Italian repast at Vitalia’s – the menu boasts house-made gnocchi, antipasti, such as prosciutto di Parma and creamy burrata, and proper Margherita pizza with San Marzano tomato sauce and fior di latte. But what makes everything taste that much more delicious is Vitalia’s waterfront location at Holloways Beach. Start with an aperitivo accompanied by the sea breeze and take it from there.

Undeniably Australian and definitively Cairns, Ochre Restaurant focuses on native and local produce to great effect. Where else would a menu include salt-and-native-pepper-leaf crocodile, prawns with lemon aspen sambal and tempura Gulf bugs with sweet chilli lemon myrtle sauce?

Located in the trendy Edge Hill neighbourhood, less than 10 minutes drive from the CBD, Noa specialises in Mediterranean and Asian flavours in dishes designed to share. For breakfast, try Skull Island prawns on toast with folded eggs and chilli oil. Come lunchtime, share flame-grilled pork belly bao with gochujang sauce and fried rice with crushed lemongrass and Thai chilli jam. And at dinner, mix it up with grilled Moreton Bay Bug with native bush spice butter, paprika garlic toum and cured egg yolk and pulled pork empanadas with kimchi and Korean salsa.

Look for the queue forming outside this local favourite at 14 Spence Street and you’ve found it: Cairns’ best ramen. With rich, umami-laden broth, noodles with bite and a limited menu of Japanese izakaya dishes, this eatery is always packed. Sit at the bar to watch the chefs do their thing and if it’s over too fast, don’t worry – you can add a noodle refill for $1.50.

A grand 1920s former bank building is now The Chambers, a dining precinct consisting of two bars, a bustling café, a restaurant and a bakery/patisserie. Brunch is an all-day possibility at The Chambers café – there’s nothing like an 11am Mimosa with a fresh crab and smoked salmon brioche roll– or for something more virtuous, The Pantry and Juice Bar has salads, smoothie bowls and fresh juices.

Billing itself as Cairns’ only “truly French” restaurant, C’est Bon marries French cuisine with local ingredients to create a menu befitting its tropical location. The chef, Nicolas Devic, cooked under Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée in Paris and acquired C’est Bon in 2011 with his Australian wife, Debbie. Try the filet de boeuf and crème brûlée.

Situated high above the CBD with views of the Coral Sea, Rocco is on the 12th floor of the Crystalbrook Riley hotel – one of the best stays in Cairns. Start with a glass of champagne as the sun sets – the bubbly list here is extensive – before selecting share plates from the Mediterranean menu. Freshly shucked oysters with pink grapefruit and sumac and Daintree barramundi fillet with cream corn, charred broccolini and ras el hanout butter are a good place to start.

With a direct link to Cairns Regional Gallery, late lunch (served until 5pm) at Perrotta’s at the Gallery can be paired with an afternoon spent perusing the artworks. Take a seat on the covered deck for a Mediterranean meal of pasta (don’t go past the spaghetti gamberi with sauteed prawns, Persian fetta, Calabrian chilli, parsley and lemon), pizza and next-level salads (chilli-salt squid with spiced popcorn, pumpkin and pomegranate is a stand-out).

Sweet, salty, sour, spicy – the classic flavours of Bali make sense in tropical Cairns. At Bayleaf, the menu evokes balmy island evenings, the air redolent of spice and smoke. Try classics such as ayam sayur (poached chicken salad with peanuts, mango, beans, coriander, mint and coconut dressing), nasi goreng (Balinese fried rice with fried egg) and bebek betutu (twice-cooked whole duck in banana leaf).

Inside a heritage-listed building on the waterfront, Hemingway’s Brewery is an independent craft brewery, its Cairns location a follow-up to its Port Douglas venue. Beer comes first but the menu here is no afterthought. It’s of the brew-pub persuasion but well-considered: there are sticky chicken wings and southern fried chicken burgers alongside watermelon and feta salad, honey-glazed prawn and goat cheese pizza, and fish tacos with mango salsa, plus options for the kids.

Hidden away upstairs in Orchid Plaza, Corea Corea is no secret among the locals. The small Korean joint is open for lunch and dinner and serves up the classics, such as bulgogi, bibimbap, hot pot and kimchi.

One of the first small bars to open in Cairns, this laneway haunt has serious whisky leanings, with more than 200 styles on pour. Plenty of other spirits, beers, wines and innovative cocktails are in the mix. If you like theatrics, order Smoke on the Water – flames are involved.

Serving flavourful, plant-forward dishes that change with the seasons, head to Mama Coco on Mulgrave Road for café fare with an eclectic twist. Hearty granola and grain bowls, freshly squeezed juices and house-made baked treats lead the menu reflecting owner Davy O’Rourke’s Papua New Guinean heritage and Southeast Asian influences. Our top pick? The ‘Hey Handsome’ bowl: a mainstay brimming with grilled halloumi, roasted pumpkin, sprouts, pickled zucchini, mint-and-pea smash, brown rice, quinoa and their signature tamarind-and-date chutney.

19 Amazing Things to Do in Cairns