Food & Wine

Food

The Sunshine Coast is known for its excellent cuisine and quality ingredients. Always fresh, often organic, its local cuisine makes the most of the produce grown in the lush hinterland and plucked fresh from rivers and surrounding ocean.

Mooloolaba

This coastal town is ideal for coastal, deep sea and game fishing and you can enjoy the freshest seafood everywhere from casual beachfront cafes to fine restaurants.

Dine alfresco along the ocean-facing Esplanade. There are many award-winning restaurants to choose from. You can also visit the local surf club to enjoy great food amid ocean views at affordable prices.

The 4th Floor Restaurant & Cellar (www.4thfloor.com.au) is known for its excellent European cuisine and extensive wine list, while Earth Bistro Wine Bar (www.earthbistro.com.au) is popular for its modern Australian food, wines and cocktails.

You can also check Augello’s (www.augellos.com.au) and Bella Venezia (www.bellav.com.au), both award-winning Italian restaurants.

Noosa

This chic resort town has gained a reputation for its exceptional restaurants, fresh produce and innovative chefs.

Some of its restaurants boast a string of awards, including the renowned Berardo’s Restaurant and Bar (www.berardos.com.au/ber_rest/home.htm), which was named the best regional restaurant in Australia in 2005.

For a more laidback dining experience, head to Bistro C (www.bistroc.com.au), Berardo’s Bistro on the Beach (www.berardos.com.au/berardos_bistro.html), Sails (www.sailsrestaurantnoosa.com) or Season (www.seasonrestaurant.com.au). Located on the beachfront, these eateries boast award-winning modern Australian cuisine and splendid views.

Cato’s Restaurant & Bar (www.sheraton.com/noosa), located in Sheraton Noosa, is a popular hangout for locals. It has excellent buffet spreads as well as a creative a la carte menu. Its bar is also a good place for people watching.

Just five minutes inland, Noosaville is brimming with lovely dining locations, offering a mix of eateries along the riverside Gympie Terrace and the vibrant restaurant strip of Thomas Street.

Check out Blue Angel (www.blueangelrestaurant.com.au), which offers splendid views of the Noosa River, as well as delicious and innovative cuisine, including their signature orange-dusted prawns.

River House Restaurant (www.riverhouserestaurant.com.au) is another of Noosaville’s top dining spots. Quality local produce and seafood plays a major role here, resulting in a different menu every day.

There is also the elegant Ricky’s river bar + restaurant (www.rickys.com.au), the stylish reincarnation of the institutional Ricky Ricardo's restaurant.

Hinterland

With its fertile soil and subtropical climate, the lush Sunshine Coast hinterland is home to many farms, orchards and plantations.

Visit the world’s largest Ginger Factory (www.buderimginger.com), where you can try all kinds of ginger products including ginger sauces, ginger chocolates and ginger ice cream.

Pick your own strawberries at Strawberry Fields (www.strawberryfields.com.au), open to the public from June to November every year. Don’t miss the delicious ice creams made with fresh strawberries.
See the processing of macadamia nuts at Nutworks (www.nutworks.com.au) and try an assortment of flavoured macadamias.

Don’t miss Kenilworth Country Foods (www.kenilworthguide.com/kenilworthcountryfoods/index.htm), home of award winning cheeses and yoghurts, as well as the Australian Nougat Company (www.ausnougat.com.au), which produces all kinds of delicious nougat.

There are also many excellent restaurants located in the country towns. The Terrace of Maleny (www.terraceofmaleny.com.au) is an award-winning seafood restaurant with lovely views of the rolling hills and mountain ranges.

Check out the award-winning Spirit House (www.spirithouse.com.au), set on a tranquil lake and surrounded by lush gardens. Its menu fuses traditional Thai ingredients with European cooking styles. It also offers cooking classes.

Wine

The Sunshine Coast wine region is one of the most diverse and fastest growing wine regions in Queensland, encompassing vineyards situated in cooler climates in the Blackall Range, to the milder climates in the valleys near the coast.
Settlers Rise Winery (www.settlersrise.com.au) is located in the picturesque Montville and offers premium wines amid breathtaking views of the mountains.
Dingo Creek Vineyard (www.dingocreek.com.au), home of the annual Wine, Jazz & Blues Festival, has a range of quality wines including Merlot, Chardonnay, as well as Liqueur Honey Mead produced from local honey, liqueur chocolate and liqueur coffee.

Eumundi Winery and Vineyard makes award-winning wines from grapes grown at their 50-acre vineyard in Eumundi. Its premium selection includes Petit Verdot and Shiraz red wines, and Albarino and Verdelho white wines.

One of the most unique cellar doors is undoubtedly the Little Morgue Winery (www.littlemorguewinery.com). Once a morgue, the Gothic style building with high vaulted ceilings now houses a winery and cellar door.