TNQ Writer
From utilising organic and locally sourced produce to reducing food waste with Green Food Australia, these restaurants in Tropical North Queensland are not only delicious, but focus on environmental initiatives too.
Tropical North Queensland is home to experiences that connect you with the region’s rainforests, reef, farms and food producers. The same sense of place makes its dining scene worth exploring, with restaurants finding thoughtful ways to source, cook and reduce waste. Through innovation and care for the greater community, here are some of the restaurants from Cairns to Port Douglas making considered choices around produce, seafood, food waste and single-use products.
Cooking with Organic Produce
The Healthy Hub
The Healthy Hub
Oaks Kitchen & Garden
Oaks Kitchen & Garden
Temple of Tastes
Temple of Tastes
From farm to fork, organic produce brings another taste of the tropics to the table. These local venues make organic ingredients part of their menus, with produce sourced from growers across the region.
The Healthy Hub – Cairns
The Healthy Hub offers a selection of organic, fresh and local produce in Tropical North Queensland, with its store and plant-based café using organic produce sourced from the local region. Located in North Cairns, both the Healthy Hub store and plant-based cafe are powered by organic produce sourced from the local region. This food-court-style cafe is packed full of gourmet and biodynamic foods, at the best prices possible.
Oaks Kitchen & Garden – Port Douglas
With food as lush as the land in which it resides, Oaks Kitchen & Garden is a Southeast Asian restaurant situated just 15 minutes south of Port Douglas amongst beautiful acreage in Oak Beach. Growing organic produce in their very own garden and making the most of seasonal ingredients, their beautiful restaurant and Thai cooking classes (both available only via booking) brings its tropical setting and flavours to the table. For those looking for a sustainable seafood dining experience, look no further than Oaks Kitchen & Garden.
Temple of Tastes – Palm Cove
Inspired by the “produce to plate” principle, the Temple of Tastes menu favours organic products from the Atherton Tablelands. This tropical-terrace restaurant in Palm Cove uses fresh and seasonal produce from artisan growers in the nearby highlands.
Reducing food waste through Green Food Australia
Salsa Bar & Grill
In collaboration with restaurants and cafes, Green Food Australia collects food waste from commercial establishments and processes it into a powerful probiotic to enrich farming soil.
Salsa Bar & Grill – Port Douglas
Under the sway of the Port Douglas palm trees, Salsa Bar & Grill sorts its food scraps and sends them to Green Food Australia for processing. By diverting food scraps from general waste, they help to keep food waste in use beyond the kitchen, while encouraging regenerative farming. Carefully curated with their tropical location in mind, Salsa Bar & Grill uses an array of locally sourced, tantalising flavours to bring you a vibrant dining experience shaped by locally sourced ingredients.
Choosing seafood from responsible sources
Julaymba Restaurant & Bar
Julaymba Restaurant & Bar
Hook-A-Barra
Hook-A-Barra
Through overfishing, creating pollution and causing an imbalance to the entire marine ecosystem, the seafood industry has historically had a harmful impact on our oceans. Choosing seafood from well-managed fisheries or responsible aquaculture operations can help support healthier marine ecosystems. Look for restaurants that can tell you where their seafood comes from and how it is sourced.
Julaymba Restaurant & Bar – Daintree Ecolodge
Nestled in the heart of the world-heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, Julaymba Restaurant & Bar is a relaxing oasis within the magical setting of Daintree Ecolodge. Dine on seasonal produce that is grown at the property or sourced locally, alongside seafood and other ingredients selected with provenance in mind, as you overlook the lagoon amongst the tranquil rainforest. This ever-changing menu features both the tropical tastes of the Daintree and the freshest tastes of the reef, reconnecting you with the flavours of nature.
Julaymba has been accredited by Australia’s sustainable seafood guide, GoodFish, as a restaurant that prioritises the health of the ocean with every dish.
Hook A Barra – Port Douglas
The Hook a Barra kitchen and farm, located 30 minutes north of Port Douglas, is offering a locally produced alternative to wild-caught barramundi. This Eco Certified operator farms their barramundi in Daintree saltwater to bring you everything from classic fish & chips, all the way to delicious barra burgers, fish tacos, gyozas and so much more.
Wrasse & Roe – Port Douglas
With a focus on seasonal ingredients and responsibly sourced seafood, Wrasse & Roe specialises in serving food straight from the ocean onto your plate. This carefully considered modern dining experience is in the heart of Port Douglas, showcasing the finest seasonal ingredients alongside their daily catch.
Sourcing Local Ingredients
CC's Bar & Grill
CC's Bar & Grill
Guyala Cafe
Guyala Cafe
Ochre
Ochre
With one of Australia’s most diverse food-producing regions on its doorstep, Tropical North Queensland’s dining scene makes the most of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. These restaurants highlight regional produce, connecting diners with the unique flavours of the tropics and the growers who bring them to the table.
Guyala – Cairns
Located on the northern end of the famous Cairns Esplanade, Guyala is a fully inclusive cafe connected to the Spinal Life Australia Healthy Living Centre. Acting as an integration between the broader community and the non-profit facility, the thoughtful Guyala menu is constructed of locally sourced and Indigenous ingredients, intending to inspire, boost inclusivity and bring healthy sustenance to all who visit.
CC’s Bar and Grill – Cairns
CC’s Bar and Grill is inspired by the ruggedness of the Australian outback with a large focus on their famous steak sourced locally from the Atherton Tablelands. Equipped with climate calorie information beside each dish, their menu allows you to immediately see whether the ingredients in your meal are locally or ethically sourced, have come from Indigenous producers, are sustainably grown or caught, have minimised waste, or have been supplied in packaging designed to reduce single-use plastic. This restaurant is filled with flavoursome and hearty dishes intended to redefine the typical steakhouse.
Harbourside Bar & Kitchen – Cairns
Harbourside Bar & Kitchen interprets global cuisine with the use tropical ingredients sourced from local farmers and suppliers. This award-winning, restaurant in Cairns overlooks the Coral Sea, with a wine list that features organic and biodynamic wines from a range of producers.
Ochre – Cairns
Ochre Restaurant has long been recognised for showcasing Tropical North Queensland’s produce and Australian native ingredients. The restaurant supports local producers and Indigenous suppliers, incorporates native bush foods throughout its menu, and sources much of its produce from regional farmers, fisheries and artisan food businesses. Through its strong focus on local ingredients, native foods and supplier partnerships, Ochre offers a dining experience that celebrates the region’s unique flavours, culture and agricultural heritage.
