SOTC Blog

A perfect vacay is all about exploring the unknown and experiencing the local culture of the place. With a lot to see and do on a holiday, food is the key that binds us all together. It’s the lock to a man’s heart! Food brings people beyond borders, together and instantly allows you to appreciate your surrounds. So, if your stomach rules the roost when it comes to holiday decision-making, this is the list for you. We’ve tracked down the best food in Queensland worth travelling for.

• Brisbane’s very best Laneways

If you think you know Brisbane is all about urban escapes and typical city life, think again. In between the new hotels, buzzing restaurants and greenery, you’ll uncover some of the best (and underrated) secrets of Brisbane laneways. The network of laneways in Queensland’s capital is a perfect example of a place where city culture comes alive. So, pack your appetite, walking shoes and a sense of adventure. It’s time to venture down the road less travelled – the laneways of Brisbane.

Highly recommended on our list is the fish lane, it’s home to some of Brisbane’s best bites and all within walking distance of Queensland Performing Arts Centre, making it the laneway of choice for pre-show antics. Fish lane is located parallel to Melbourne St, South Brisbane. Here you’ll find favourites like Julius Pizzeria, Chu The Phat, Gelato Messina, Gauge and Billykart, to name a few. Discerning drinkers should make tracks to the watering-hole-in-the-wall, The Next Episode. This cocktail bar knows its stuff. They’re so good at their craft they make ordering a classic margarita seem like a drink for the uninitiated. Next one on our list for all your shopping frenzies would be Albert Lane. Albert Lane is located straight off Queen Street Mall in Brisbane City, making it the perfect place to unwind after a satiating shopping day. Albert Lane is the pathway that connects Queen and Albert Street. Further head to the crowd favourite and in all honesty our favourite too, the Burnett Lane. Parallel to the Queen Street Mall, between George St and Albert St, Brisbane City, Burnett Lane is Brisbane’s oldest and most well-known laneway, Burnett Lane. It will have you covered from your first espresso of the day to your last espresso martini.

Some other recommendations are the Spencer Lane, California Lane, Eagle Lane and Eden Lane. No matter where you choose to head, we guarantee you’ll have the best food, amazing people and cool vibes waiting for you.

• Rooftop Bars of Gold Coast

There’s more to Gold Coast than all fun and theme parks. The rooftop bar scene of Gold Coast has evolved into a much larger scene than what meets the eye. It has become the way of life for the locals and a hotspot for tourists to interact and socialize with Queenslanders. Gold Coast rooftop bars have really hit the jackpot when it comes to location; taking full advantage of south-east Queensland’s famously good weather and even better views. Bend an elbow and lap up the ocean breezes at these Gold Coast rooftop bars.

The first one on our list is The Burleigh Pavillion. Any rooftop bar with views like those at The Burlexigh Pavilion is destined for greatness. Poised over the southern corner of Burleigh Beach, The Pav’s alfresco terrace bar gazes out over the Pacific Ocean, Burleigh Beach and Broadbeach’s skyline. Another hot cake in the rooftop bars category is the collective – located on the old Palm Beach post office site. Twinkling festoon lights, mural-adorned walls and long communal tables makes it one of the most relaxing and sought out after rooftop bars in Gold Coast. Talk about Gold Coast and how can we miss sipping on a drink at Surfer’s Paradise? Head to The Island Rooftop Bar – the Coast’s largest rooftop bar and alfresco open-air patio. Oozing Californian style, the venue is part lounge bar—think, relaxing couches and seating nooks—part bustling bar, with incredible views over Gold coast’s Main Beach.

• Dine with a view in Palm Cove

Amid all the exciting activities that come with a tropical holiday, finding great restaurants that combine your taste preference and beautiful visuals, is difficult. Not too far from Cairns lies a seaside outpost overlooking the sea – Palm Cove. It’s a home to a booming food scene. Vast landscapes and micro-climates of the far north Queensland region has encouraged the chefs here, to create a diverse range of culinary masterpieces. If you’re wondering where to eat in Palm Cove, first on our list would be Nu Nu Restaurant.  Few places come close to Nu Nu Restaurant, a Good Food ‘hatted’ restaurant three years in a row. With views as memorable as the food dished up by celebrity chef, Nick Holloway, there’s no doubting why the fare on offer is worthy of recognition in our favourite restaurants list.

• Hit up the best local farmer’s markets

Whether it grows on trees, under the soil, comes from a paddock or is plucked from the ocean, you can bet you can get it at the farmer’s markets in Queensland. The best way to meet the farmers, makers and growers and fill your basket with the freshest local produce you can get, is to visit a local farmers market. Visit the Noosa Farmer’s market in Noosa for a taste of Queensland’s local produce. You’ll find everything from organic fruit and veg to bush foods, freshly-squeezed drinks and the kind of homemade marinades. This is no hobby-market started by wannabe foodies. The owners also run the Noosa Food eTrail – a DIY food map of Noosa that uncovers where you can go fruit picking, take a farm tour or do a cooking school during your time on the coast.

Another one of our personal favourites is the Rusty’s Market in Cairns. This one is totally worthy of being high on your holiday agenda. Rusty’s packs 180 stalls of exotic fruit, vegetables, fresh bread and a host of international food stalls, which cover everything from hot and spicy samosas to Vietnamese coffee. If you’ve never seen tropical fruits up close, prepare for bright colours straight out of a Lewis Carroll novel, like eye-popping dragonfruit, rambutans and mangosteens.

• Pterodactyl Helicopter Tours
• Watch out for the best coffee spots in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

We love a flying safari and nothing says, “rock star” quite like doing a food and wine tour in a helicopter. Lingering over reds, whites and sparkling wine at different wineries while also having time for a leisurely lunch would be a stretch to do in a day, but with a helicopter, it’s a cinch. From gourmet picnics ending at Spicers Hidden Vale, to a wine tour of the Somerset region known for its chardonnay and shiraz, these tours are guaranteed to give wine connoisseurs wings.

• Watch out for the best coffee spots in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

Whether you’re hitting the water, up for a hike, or looking to uncover some of the local’s favourite spots in Queensland, one thing that’ll energise you for the day is getting your caffeine fix right. We’re ecstatic to say there are plenty of quality coffee spots waiting to greet you with open doors each morning if you know where to look

Brisbane is home to many exceptional speciality coffee roasters, all of whom take their trade very seriously. We all want to drink coffee we can feel good about, but the best part about these roasters is their coffee is ethical, sustainable, as well as tasty. Did you know, Di Bella Coffee originated in Queensland? In addition to serving up award-winning coffee blends, they offer “crop-to-cup” tours for those who want to know more about the people and processes behind each perfectly brewed cup.

Let’s move to Sunshine Coast now, Sunshine Coast is the ultimate place for every coffee lover in the world. From Mooloolaba to Noosa, Eumundi to Marochydore, start your day of surf, sun and adventure with some of of the best coffees of Australia. Before you hit the beach, drop into Compound in Coolum for one of the best coffees on the Sunshine Coast. Tucked in behind Coolumn’s main street, this unique café, complete with a self-serve toast bar, not only has fresh cold-press juices and home-baked muffins on offer. Best of all, the proceeds from this popular local surfer hangout go to Christian Surfers Australia. Next one on our list is The hidden gem of Husk and Honey in Nambour that prides itself on pouring exceptional coffee and gluten- and grain-free food for the allergy-prone coffee lover. Last but not least is the Costa Noosa on Sunshine Beach. Follow your nose this local favourite for one of the best coffees on the Sunshine Coast. This small roasting house and espresso bar are famed for its single-origin beans and blends, and sources ethically sourced speciality beans. Stop by on a hot summer’s day for an iced coffee on the deck.

• Miami Marketta & Eat Street

Bump elbows with the locals at Miami Marketta, a bustling laneway dining experience where the tastes of the world come to you. With live music and over 25 food vendors to choose from, all that’s left to do is find a seat.

Another hot food detination in Brisbane is the Eat Street Northshore. An old abandoned docking site in Hamilton was transformed into the ultimate dining spot that draws hungry crowds every Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. You’ll find everything from pork dumplings to Japanese pizzas, classic burgers to Korean sliders, Aussie fish and chips to snails in garlic and parsley butter sauce, and vegan brownies to cheesecake sundaes. The place is always buzzing like an Asian night market with live music to boot, just 10 minutes from the city.

• Brewery Tours in Brisbane

Brewery Tours are one of the many sought out after tours in Brisbane. Brisbane’s beer scene is the fastest growing in the country right now. Here you’ll find experts not only brewing fabulous beers but having a profound effect on their local areas. Newstead Brewing Co is a star in Brisbane’s beer crown. The beers are here are fabulous. The digs, in an old steel warehouse, are cosy and inviting, as is a classy pub grub menu of pizzas, burgers and tacos.

Head to bustling new dining precinct, Howard Smith Wharves and you won’t miss Felons, a Brisbane Brewery housed in a huge tin shed under the Story Bridge, with waterside seating and six of their own brews and ciders on the taps.

• Daintree Ice Cream Co.

This humble little ice cream shop has actually become a national icon. Located in the Diwan, Douglas Area their Ice cream is made on-site, using organically grown fruit from their very own orchard. Ice cream is served in a 4-scoop ‘signature cup’ which includes many rare and exotic flavours that change daily depending on what’s in season. The gardens are open to the public along with a free Self-Guided Orchard Walk for those interested in learning about fruit trees. Daintree Ice Cream Co. is must-do for anyone visiting the Daintree. An experience to be cherished by your whole family.

• Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads

If you’ve heard of Rick’s it’s probably thanks to their famous Moreton Bay Bug roll: Lightly battered bug served on a soft brioche-style bun with gem lettuce and sriracha hot sauce. This is the signature dish that put Rick’s on the map, and as a seafood speciality restaurant, the location couldn’t be more perfect. Rick’s overlooks the wide stretch of white sand and rolling waves at the beautiful Burleigh Beach. So head on to this piece of absolute seafood haven in Gold Coast for an afternoon full of scrumptious meal.