Cairns Food
In the tropical north, Cairns offers a wealth for good food and wine, although most people head to the city without food on their minds – looking towards the Great Barrier Reef and the nearby rainforest.
It's a common misconception that outside Sydney the best cuisine Australia has to offer is bush tucker and vegemite sandwiches, but the restaurants of Cairns do something to break this.
The city is home to restaurants offering international cuisine, with restaurants from Australia's neighbours and European countries both popular. Visitors to the city can find French, Greek, German, Malaysian, Thai and Japanese restaurants.
However, heading down under tasting local food is usually preferred. High on the menu of c restaurants in Cairns is seafood, although kangaroo burgers are also well recommended.
Around Cairns there are over 200 restaurants to choose from but many are focused on the seafront on The Esplanade, where the views are almost as good a reason to eat out as the food.
The Red Ochre Grill Restaurant – located in downtown Cairns - is popular locally and with visitors because it specialises in truly Australian cuisine, using mostly fruits, vegetables, meat and fish that is native to Australia.
Heading through the menu may be difficult, as not many people from the northern hemisphere will have heard of wattle seed, quandong or riberry – but it worth taking a chance for a new experience or asking one of the waiters or locals for their recommendation.
One of the most interesting places to eat is in the rainforest. Evening tours of the forests are organised where the food is not really the selling point, but the chance to experience an evening of Aboriginal cultural performances, music and story telling in a unique setting.
For travellers heading to Cairns on a budget, there is also a great range of restaurants to suit those who want to eat well but not shell out too much.
Clifton Capers offers a mix of dishes with the Fish-of-the-Day, always fresh and well cooked, especially recommended. The rest of the menu has a German twist but there is also a good selection of homemade pasta.
The city also has a number of good value Italian restaurants
Australia's now world-renowned for its wines, but its beers are worth tasting too. The wines of Queensland are considered some of the best. Most of the vineyards are located in the south east of the state, away from Cairns, and they are usually run by small family businesses, so the there is a lot of pride in the wine they produce.
The Semillon Chardonnay of the Woongooroo Estate is will worth sampling, along with wines produced by the Murdering Point Winery.
For those who prefer to relax in the shade with a cool beer, Cairns has plenty of pubs to enjoy a glass of Australian beer or two in.
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Eating & Drinking
