Where Should Food-Loving Clients Eat in Australia? A City-by-City Restaurant Guide for Travel Advisors

Fine dining and budget-friendly picks across nine Australian cities — for advisors building food-focused itineraries.

Published on 8 min read

Australia’s dining scene is one of the world’s most diverse — built on exceptional local produce, a multicultural food culture, and restaurants that take quality seriously at every price point. Use this city-by-city guide to match your client’s itinerary with specific dining recommendations.

How to use this guide: Match each city section to your client’s itinerary. All destinations are bookable through ANZCRO as part of an Australian touring package.

…

What are the best restaurants in Sydney for food-loving clients?

Sydney combines world-class harbour-front fine dining with a vibrant multicultural street food scene — dining here is a destination highlight, not a side note.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Quay – Iconic long-form fine dining with Opera House and Harbour Bridge views. One of Australia’s most awarded restaurants.
  • Oncore by Clare Smyth – Sustainably sourced Australian produce with refined technique and exceptional harbour views.
  • Icebergs Dining Room – Italian-inspired menu with Bondi Beach views. Special occasion without full fine dining formality.
  • Spice Alley – Vibrant Chippendale laneway with budget-friendly Asian street food. Great for casual lunches.
  • Chat Thai – Well-regarded Thai with authentic dishes at accessible prices. Multiple city locations.
  • Bourke Street Bakery – Sydney institution for pastries. Recommend as a morning stop.

Advisor tip: Quay and Oncore both require advance reservations — often weeks ahead. Brief clients to book before departure.

…

Where should travel advisors recommend clients eat in Brisbane?

Brisbane’s dining scene has matured significantly, with strong riverfront options that give the city genuine food character beyond its gateway role to Queensland.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Gerard’s Bistro – Modern Middle Eastern in Fortitude Valley. One of Brisbane’s most distinctive dining experiences.
  • Stanley Restaurant – Cantonese fine dining at Howard Smith Wharves with river views.
  • Otto Brisbane – Italian on the riverfront. Reliable for a special evening in a picturesque setting.
  • Eat Street Northshore – Weekend night market with international street food. Best Friday or Saturday evenings.
  • Honto – Modern Japanese at accessible prices. Solid recommendation for Japanese cuisine lovers.
  • Vege Rama – Plant-based meals with genuine flavour. Strong option for clients with dietary requirements.

Advisor tip: Howard Smith Wharves is a precinct, not a single restaurant — multiple dining options beneath the Story Bridge. Clients who know about it seek it out; those who don’t miss it.

…

What are the best retaurants on the Gold Coast?

Burleigh Heads has developed a genuine food scene that holds its own against any Australian city — position it to clients as a destination in its own right, not just a suburb.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Rick Shores – Pan-Asian with direct beachfront views in Burleigh Heads. Book in advance.
  • Labart – Refined but relaxed dining in Burleigh Heads. Quality without full fine dining formality.
  • Palette at HOTA – Fine dining in the Home of the Arts gallery precinct.
  • Paddock Bakery – Popular local bakery for pastries and coffee. Recommend as a morning stop.
  • Miami Marketta – Outdoor weekend food market. Best Friday or Saturday evenings.
  • Burleigh Pavillion – Beachfront dining and drinks with ocean views. Relaxed meal with a strong sense of place.

…

What are the best places to eat in Cairns and Port Douglas?

The region’s tropical produce — barramundi, mud crab, tropical fruits — gives the best local restaurants a genuine point of difference. Worth briefing clients to explore beyond the resort.

Cairns: 

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Dundee’s – Cairns institution focused on local produce and Tropical North Queensland ingredients.
  • Rocco by Crystalbrook – Rooftop with panoramic Cairns and Coral Sea views. Strong post-reef dinner setting.
  • Hemingway’s Brewery – Waterfront brewpub with local provenance. Reliable for lunch or a casual evening.
  • Lanaway – Urban café with creative breakfast options. Good for early reef tour departures.

Port Douglas:

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Ospreys Restaurant – Treehouse-style dining surrounded by tropical nature. Suits the Port Douglas character well.
  • St. Crispins – Waterfront café with Daintree Ranges views. Good for breakfast or a relaxed lunch.

…

What makes Melbourne Australia’s best dining city and where should clients eat?

Melbourne is Australia’s food capital — the depth and diversity of its dining scene, from laneway café culture to world-ranking fine dining, makes food a primary reason to visit.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Attica – Consistently ranks among Asia-Pacific’s best restaurants. Essential for serious food travellers. Book months ahead.
  • Vue de Monde – Elevated contemporary dining with sweeping city views from the Rialto Tower.
  • Flower Drum – Iconic Cantonese fine dining institution. A Melbourne benchmark for decades.
  • Lune Croissanterie – Melbourne’s most celebrated pastry destination. Expect queues — worth noting in briefing.
  • Soi 38 – Authentic Thai boat noodles. A local favourite clients rarely find without a recommendation.
  • Big Esso – Indigenous Australian street food. Strong recommendation for clients interested in native Australian ingredients.

Advisor tip: Attica and Vue de Monde book out months in advance. Clients whose advisor pre-warned them and helped book will remember the service — clients who discover this on arrival will be disappointed.

…

What are the best restaurants in Perth for food-loving clients?

Perth’s dining scene is one of Australia’s most underrated — exceptional local seafood, proximity to Margaret River and Swan Valley, and an ambitious restaurant cohort making the most of both.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Wildflower – Contemporary Australian cuisine with native ingredients at COMO The Treasury. One of Perth’s most acclaimed restaurants.
  • Lulu La Delizia – Handcrafted Italian pasta in a focused, intimate setting.
  • Bib & Tucker – Beachfront modern Australian at Leighton Beach with fresh local seafood.
  • Toastface Grillah – Perth icon for grilled cheese sandwiches. A quirky, memorable lunch recommendation.
  • Bivouac – Middle Eastern share plates with consistent quality and good value.
  • Alfred’s Pizzeria – Pizza and cocktails in a speakeasy-style setting. Fun casual evening recommendation.

…

What should travel advisors know about dining in Hobart and Launceston?

Tasmania’s food scene is built on exceptional provenance — seafood, dairy, cool-climate wine, artisan cheese — and a culture of farm-to-table cooking that makes it a genuine food destination.

Hobart:

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Fico – Italian and French influences using Tasmanian produce. Hobart’s most consistent fine dining recommendation.
  • Aloft – Contemporary dining with a strong local produce focus. Reliable for a special occasion.
  • Salamanca Market – Saturday morning market with fresh produce, artisan food, and street eats. Essential for weekend visits.
  • Jackman & McRoss – Hobart institution for pies and baked goods. Best as a morning stop.

Launceston:

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Stillwater – Refined dining in a heritage building beside the Tamar River. Launceston’s go-to fine dining recommendation.
  • Grain of the Silos – Paddock-to-plate cooking in a distinctive silo conversion.
  • Du Cane Brewery – Tasmanian craft beer with pizza. Also has a second location near Cradle Mountain.
  • Tatler Lane by Sweetbrew – All-day brunch café with excellent coffee. Good morning recommendation.

Advisor tip: Salamanca Market runs Saturday mornings only — if clients have any flexibility, arrange a Friday night Hobart arrival so they can attend.

…

What are the best restaurants in Darwin for clients visiting the Northern Territory?

Darwin’s dining reflects its Top End position — strong Asian influences, exceptional local seafood, and outdoor markets that take advantage of the tropical climate.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Pee Wee’s at the Point – Modern Australian overlooking Darwin Harbour. The city’s most established special occasion recommendation.
  • Char Restaurant – High-end steak and seafood in the city centre. Reliable for a quality dinner night.
  • Mindil Beach Sunset Markets – Beachside evening market with street food and Timor Sea sunset views. Essential — dry season only (April–October).
  • Hanuman – Thai and Indian with strong local following and good value.
  • Rendezvous Café – Authentic laksa and noodles. A local favourite clients rarely find independently.

Advisor tip: Mindil Beach Markets run Thursday and Sunday evenings, April to October only. If a client’s visit falls in wet season, they’ll miss it — flag this in briefing to avoid disappointment.

…

What makes Adelaide worth recommending for food-focused clients?

Adelaide punches well above its size — proximity to Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, and Kangaroo Island means exceptional wine and produce is woven into the city’s dining culture.

Fine Dining & Must-Try Budget-Friendly Picks
  • Orana – Award-winning fine dining built entirely around Indigenous Australian ingredients. One of Australia’s most distinctive experiences.
  • Africola – Bold North African-inspired dishes in a distinctive setting. Genuinely different from mainstream Australian fine dining.
  • The Central Market – Covered food market with dozens of produce, deli, cheese, and ready-to-eat vendors. Essential for food-focused clients.
  • Parwana Afghan Kitchen – Authentic Afghan cuisine with strong community character and excellent value.
  • Mandoo – Authentic Korean dumplings at accessible prices. Reliable quick lunch recommendation.

…

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Australian city has the best food scene?

Melbourne is widely regarded as Australia’s food capital — the greatest depth and diversity across all price points. Sydney is strongest for fine dining with a harbour view. Adelaide is the standout for clients who want to combine city dining with exceptional nearby wine regions including the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

What Australian food should advisors recommend clients try?

Native Australian ingredients — barramundi, Moreton Bay bugs, wattleseed, lemon myrtle, and finger lime — represent a genuinely distinctive dining experience. Attica (Melbourne), Wildflower (Perth), and Orana (Adelaide) are the best restaurants to experience this style of cooking.

Can ANZCRO help advisors build food-focused Australian itineraries?

Yes — ANZCRO’s destination knowledge covers dining, accommodation, and wine region touring across Australia. Contact the reservations team to discuss dining priorities and advance booking recommendations for your client’s itinerary.

…

To build a food-focused Australian itinerary for your clients, contact ANZCRO’s reservations team or log in to ANZCRO Connect. USA & Canada advisors: 1(800) 941-5360.