Australia · best-of list
The 14 Best Restaurants in Australia
All 14 restaurants our route editors picked in Australia, across 7 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
14 restaurants in Australia, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Melbourne 3 picks
Chin Chin
Melbourne · On our Great Ocean Road route
Busy Flinders Lane restaurant for Southeast Asian share plates.
Tip: No-bookings for small groups; get on the waitlist early.
Photo: Chin Chin · Google
Lune Croissanterie
Melbourne · On our Great Ocean Road route
Fitzroy bakery known for croissants.
Tip: Lines are long on weekends.
Photo: Lune Croissanterie Fitzroy · Google
Queen Victoria Market
Melbourne · On our Great Ocean Road route
Historic open-air market with deli halls and hot jam donuts.
Tip: Closed Mon and Wed; go early for the produce.
Photo: Bob T · CC BY-SA 4.0
Blue Mountains 2 picks
Hydro Majestic Hotel
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Restored 1904 cliff-top hotel in Medlow Bath known for high tea above the Megalong Valley.
Tip: Book high tea ahead and ask for a valley-view table.
Photo: Grahamec · CC BY-SA 3.0
Leura Gourmet
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Cafe and deli on Leura Mall with a back dining room that looks out over the Jamison Valley.
Tip: Ask for a table in the back room for the valley view.
Photo: Leura Gourmet · Google
Port Campbell 2 picks
12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe
Port Campbell · On our Great Ocean Road route
Cafe facing the Port Campbell beach.
Photo: Laney Yong · Google
Timboon Railway Shed Distillery
Port Campbell · On our Great Ocean Road route
Distillery restaurant in an old railway shed.
Photo: Timboon Railway Shed Distillery · Google
Port Douglas & Daintree 2 picks
Daintree Ice Cream Company
Port Douglas & Daintree · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Orchard farm making ice cream from its own tropical fruit, in a set tasting cup.
Photo: Daintree Ice Cream Company · Google
Salsa Bar & Grill
Port Douglas & Daintree · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Long-running Port Douglas restaurant with tropical Australian dishes and seafood.
Tip: Book on weekends.
Photo: Amy McConnell · Google
Sydney 2 picks
Bennelong
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Restaurant inside the Sydney Opera House's smallest sail, serving Australian produce under the vaulted concrete ribs.
Tip: The Cured & Cultured bar menu is a cheaper way in before a show.
Photo: Bkamprath · Public domain
bills Surry Hills
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Bill Granger's cafe known for ricotta hotcakes and scrambled eggs.
Photo: Sir Mlady · Google
Torquay 2 picks
Bomboras
Torquay · On our Great Ocean Road route
Beachside kiosk and bar overlooking Fisherman's Beach.
Photo: Bomboras · Google
Fisho's Torquay
Torquay · On our Great Ocean Road route
Fish-and-chips shop serving fresh seafood.
Photo: Chen Chee Keong · Google
Cairns 1 pick
Ochre Restaurant
Cairns · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Marina restaurant whose menu uses more than 30 Australian native ingredients.
Tip: Closed Sundays; try the native-spiced tasting plates.
Photo: Ochre Restaurant and Catering · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Australia?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 14 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Australia has the most restaurants on this list?
Melbourne has the most (3 of 14), followed by Blue Mountains (2) and Port Campbell (2).
More lists for Australia
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Melbourne 3 on this list
- Blue Mountains 2 on this list
- Port Campbell 2 on this list
- Port Douglas & Daintree 2 on this list
- Sydney 2 on this list
- Torquay 2 on this list
- Cairns 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.