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Which Restaurants in Port Douglas Should You Try?
Port Douglas has an abundance of restaurants for such a small town. This post just covers the very best restaurants in Port Douglas, with photos and recent reviews.
The dining scene in Port Douglas is constantly changing, restaurants and chefs come and go. As we are based in Port Douglas (and we love to eat out!) we try to stay on top of the restaurant scene and update constantly. This page just covers the best restaurants in Port Douglas, for a full guide to where to eat in Port Douglas, at any time of day, you want this dining guide, which is more complete and up to date for June 2024.
Cuisines You Will Find in Port Douglas
In Port Douglas, you can find Asian, Mexican, Italian and Modern Australian cuisines represented. There are Indian, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. There is also a plant-based (vegan) restaurant, Bam Pow that also serves takeaway food.
The Best Restaurants in Port Douglas
One of the very best restaurants in Port Douglas, Jungle Fowl, serves Asian (Thai) food, done very well. The other top restaurants in Port Douglas are Sassi La Cucina, Salsa, Maleleuca and Nautilus.
People who love to eat are always the best people. – Julia Child
Foods You Should Try in Port Douglas
Port Douglas is often associated with seafood, but the reality is, tropical waters aren’t the best place for such creatures. Do try the local wild-caught prawns. These are fished locally and sold directly off the trawler in the inlet.
Reef fish is good to try, coral trout and Spanish mackerel being favourites. Barramundi is also common, if you can find wild barramundi, try it, but a lot of barramundi is farmed. The barramundi farm at Wonga Beach, just north of Port Douglas farm their fish in salt water straight from the mouth of the Daintree River. We tried their fresh barra recently and were pleasantly surprised by how incredibly good it was. You can stop by the barra farm for lunch, you can fish there, or take a farm tour. Full details coming soon!
Much of the more exotic seafood has to be flown up from the south, or imported. So while you can dine on oysters, scallops, lobster, Balmain bugs and mussels in some Port Douglas restaurants, they won’t be local.
Mud crab are fished locally but it’s rare to see these crabs on restaurant menus. Blue swimmer crabs sometimes feature, and these are found in the Port Douglas region.
You’ll see crocodile (farmed locally) and kangaroo on some Port Douglas restaurants’ menus from time to time.
Foods produced locally include exceptionally good grass-fed beef and pastured pork from the Port Douglas hinterlands, plus tropical fruits, chocolate, coffee and tea.
Port Douglas Buffets
Some of the larger hotels (for instance The Sheraton Mirage) have buffet dining for breakfast, or sometimes a seafood buffet in the evening which is open to everyone, not just guest.
