Food · Cairns · Australia
What to eat in Cairns
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Cairns, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Barramundi, Mud crab and Tiger prawns. Wander the weekend produce market tasting unfamiliar tropical fruit, then grab a coffee and hot breakfast from the food stalls. Cairns eats early; many kitchens stop taking orders around 9pm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Barramundi
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected in Australia.
- Food experiences
- 3
8 foods to try
Dish
1.Barramundi
Australia's best-known native fish, a sweet, flaky white fish grilled with lemon myrtle, crumbed or battered with chips. Wild-caught and farmed barramundi both appear on menus.
Where: Seafood restaurants along the Esplanade and around Marlin Marina near the Reef Fleet Terminal.
Dish
2.Mud crab
Large crabs from the region's mangrove estuaries, cooked with chilli, garlic or black pepper, or simply steamed and cracked at the table.
Where: Seafood restaurants and Asian restaurants in the city centre.
Dish
3.Tiger prawns
Local wild-caught banana and tiger prawns are sold cooked by the kilo or served on seafood platters with lemon and cocktail sauce.
Where: Seafood shops near the marina and restaurant platters along the waterfront.
Snack · Vegetarian
4.Tropical fruit
Far North Queensland grows mangoes, lychees, rambutans, mangosteens, dragon fruit, black sapote (the 'chocolate pudding fruit') and soursop, many of them rarely seen in southern Australia.
Where: Rusty's Markets from Friday to Sunday and roadside stalls on the Atherton Tablelands.
Drink · Vegetarian
5.Tablelands coffee
Coffee is grown commercially on the Atherton Tablelands around Mareeba, one of the few coffee-growing regions in Australia.
Where: Cafés in Cairns and plantation cafés around Mareeba on the Tablelands.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Tropical-fruit ice cream
Ice creams and sorbets made with local flavours such as black sapote, soursop, mango and wattleseed are a regional speciality.
Where: Ice-cream makers in the Daintree and dessert shops in Cairns and Port Douglas.
Dish · Vegetarian
7.Native bush foods
Restaurants increasingly use native ingredients such as finger lime, lemon myrtle, Davidson's plum and wattleseed, which grow in the region's rainforests.
Where: Modern Australian restaurants in Cairns and Port Douglas, and Aboriginal-led food tours.
Dish
8.Crocodile and kangaroo
Some restaurants serve farmed crocodile (mild, like chicken) and lean kangaroo steak as an introduction to Australian meats.
Where: Tourist-oriented restaurants in the city centre; kangaroo is also sold in supermarkets.
Food experiences
Rusty's Markets fruit tasting
Wander the weekend produce market tasting unfamiliar tropical fruit, then grab a coffee and hot breakfast from the food stalls.
Tablelands food trail
Drive up to the Atherton Tablelands for coffee plantations, dairies, fruit wineries and roadside stalls around Mareeba and Yungaburra.
Esplanade seafood dinner
Eat barramundi or a seafood platter at a waterfront restaurant near the marina as the sun sets over the ranges.
Quick bites and street food
- Tropical fruit — Rusty's Markets from Friday to Sunday and roadside stalls on the Atherton Tablelands.
Vegetarian options
Of the 8 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Tropical fruit, Tablelands coffee, Tropical-fruit ice cream and Native bush foods. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Cairns eats early; many kitchens stop taking orders around 9pm.
- Book waterfront restaurants ahead in the dry-season peak from June to October.
- Tap water is free and safe in restaurants.
- Public-holiday surcharges of around 10–15% are common and shown on menus.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Australia. Leaving a tip for reef-boat crews or about 10% for good restaurant service is appreciated but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Stinger suit | Full-body lycra suit worn against jellyfish |
| Wet season | Hot, rainy months, roughly December to March |
| Arvo | Afternoon |
| Esky | Cool box |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Cairns famous for?
Barramundi, Mud crab, Tiger prawns and Tropical fruit. Australia's best-known native fish, a sweet, flaky white fish grilled with lemon myrtle, crumbed or battered with chips.
+Is Cairns good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Tropical fruit, Tablelands coffee and Tropical-fruit ice cream.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Cairns?
Tipping is not expected in Australia. Leaving a tip for reef-boat crews or about 10% for good restaurant service is appreciated but optional.