Airlie Beach is a total tourist town. So although it’s small, it is brimming with fantastic restaurants, bars and cafes. Serving everything from tasting menus to seafood feasts, here are the 10 best restaurants in Airlie Beach.
Mika brings the international flavours of Brazil to the visitors and residents of Airlie Beach. Come with an empty stomach to enjoy the all you can eat Brazilian barbecue experience. The meat options available include everything from wings to peppermint lamb to duck shanks. As part of the experience, you get all you can eat sides and the dessert of the day as well. The regular menu includes burgers, seafood and grill dishes too.
Whitsunday Sailing Club claims to have one of the best views in the Whitsundays. Members and visitors are able to experience it for themselves seven days a week from the bistro, with its large all-weather balcony. The lunch and dinner menu includes parmigianas, stir fries and paella. Whitsunday Sailing Club also hosts poker nights, Monday night trivia, and kids eat free on Thursday nights with every main meal purchased over $20.
Clipper Restaurant, Bar & Lounge is located poolside at Coral Sea Resort, with unrestricted ocean views. Open from breakfast to dinner, the dinner menu features a list of gourmet dishes, such as steak tartare and beetroot-cured salmon gravlax. The award-winning restaurant also serves a five-course tasting menu, which includes dishes like king fish ceviche and sauteed rosy snapper.
With marina views and live music, Sorrento Restaurant & Bar is a popular Airlie Beach restaurant. There’s an extensive list of pizzas, pasta dishes and mains available for both lunch and dinner at Sorrento. Some of the menu highlights include the chilli and garlic prawns pizza, marinara risotto and veal saltimbocca. There’s also a children’s menu with smaller portions of spaghetti bolognese, tropicana pizza and more.
Fish D’Vine & The Rum Bar opened its doors in Airlie Beach in 2004. The team proudly source most of their produce locally, and say they serve the Whitsundays on a plate. A must-do experience in Airlie Beach is devouring the Seafood Indulgence at Fish D’Vine, which is a feast for two or more people. The Indulgence includes a two-tier tower stacked with hot and cold seafood, such as tiger prawns and Tasmanian smoked salmon. Meanwhile, The Rum Bar is stocked with over 500 rums from around the world, and makes the best mojitos outside of Cuba.
“With unrivalled ocean views, stylish coastal chic design and an imaginative menu, Hemingway’s is a vibrant addition to the Whitsunday food scene.” The award-winning contemporary venue is located at Abell Point Marina. Its imaginative menu includes duck with foie gras, prawn and chorizo linguine, and barramundi with vanilla carrot puree. Hemingway’s is also home to The Garden Bar. With its outside lounge seating, it’s the perfect place for afternoon drinks.
Village Cafe Restaurant & Bar is another Airlie Beach offering open from breakfast until dinner. It’s known for its tapas and hot rock dining. This is an interactive personal cooking experience where you cook your main meal at your table on a specially-designed volcanic stone hot rock. The Lot is a platter for two, which includes you cooking scallops, steak, tandoori chicken skewers and more. There’s also an ice cream ‘icy rock’ experience available for dessert.
SideWalk Cafe is all about great coffee, the best food and the most delicious cocktails. The locally-owned and operated cafe is located on The Esplanade in Airlie Beach, which means it conveniently sits opposite the ocean. The breakfast menu at SideWalk Cafe is bursting with both sweet and savoury options, like eggs benedict and pancakes. Meanwhile, for lunch you can choose from fish dishes, gourmet sandwiches and burgers.
Enjoy alfresco dining at The Deck Restaurant & Bar, which is conveniently located near the Airlie Beach Lagoon. The cafe, restaurant and bar serves St Ali coffee, which is one of the most renowned Melbourne coffee roasters. It has a very delicious pizza menu, which includes combinations like balsamic-glazed chicken, North African vegetarian, and prawn and chorizo.
Denmans Beer Cafe is a one-of-a-kind restaurant in Airlie Beach, as it doubles as a bottle shop. The 300 different beer and cider options stocked in the shop can be enjoyed by restaurant guests or taken away. The lunch menu at Denmans Beer Cafe features a range of dishes for $19, such as a garden rosti burger, chilli salt calamari and pulled beef brisket burger. For dinner, there are share plates including a seafood board, deli platter and brewer’s board, which comes with braised pork ribs and fried chicken wings.
