9 Best Restaurants in Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Pitchfork

$$ Fodor's choice

Positioned within the café and shopping strip along Peregian Beach, this contemporary seaside bistro entices crowds with its imaginative, subtropical Mod Oz cuisine and modern, rustic styling. Booking in advance is highly recommended.

Sandbar Cafe

$$ Fodor's choice

Offering delicious breakfasts, tasty lunches, and some of the best fish-and-chips on the Sunshine Coast, Sandbar Cafe has something for everyone. Its breezy location, right on Bulcock Beach, makes it a great place to escape the heat while treating yourself to some smashed avo on toast, a breakfast burger, or the signature Chef's Brekky, with roasted pork belly, chili beans, goat cheese, and toasted sourdough. Breakfast is available till 2 pm, and a separate lunch menu offers Asian-inspired salads, seafood and burgers, as well as a range of wines by the glass or bottle, and craft beer on tap.

Alfie's Mooo Char & Bar

$$
Owned by legendary (and now retired) Queensland Rugby League footballer Allen "Alfie" Langer, this airy, steak-centric restaurant has an ideal setting right on Bulcock Beach, overlooking the sheltered inlet known as Pumicestone Passage. The design is light and bright, and there's both indoor and outdoor dining.
The Esplanade at Otranto Ave., Caloundra, Queensland, 4551, Australia
07-5492–8155
Known For
  • <PRO>chargrilled steaks cooked to order</PRO>
  • <PRO>range of fresh seafood platters</PRO>
  • <PRO>excellent location overlooking the Caloundra Esplanade</PRO>
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

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Bella Venezia Italian Restaurant & Bar

$$$

A large mural of Venice, simple wooden tables, and terra-cotta floor tiles decorate this popular restaurant in an arcade off the Esplanade. You can eat in or take out traditional and modern Italian cuisine with an extensive selection of pizza, pasta, and risotto, including vegan options, matched with an award-winning wine list. Open daily from noon to late, the restaurant also delivers to local hotels.

95 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba, Queensland, 4557, Australia
07-5444–5844
Known For
  • Sunshine Coast's longest-established restaurant
  • pasta made from scratch in-house
  • modern spin on Italian classics

Bistro C

$$$

Spectacular views of the bay from the open dining area make a stunning backdrop for this fashionable restaurant's Mod Oz cuisine. The fresh, tropical menu highlights local seafood, though landlubbers can partake of several meat and vegetarian dishes (think lamb rump, caramelized pork belly, duck confit, or risotto verde). Open from 7:30 am till late, daily.

Coolum Beach Surf Club

$$
This lively oceanfront restaurant serves fresh seafood and simple, pub-style fare in its large dining room overlooking Coolum Beach. Reasonable prices, rotating meal specials, live entertainment, and a friendly, casual atmosphere ensure it is always well attended by locals and visitors alike. Kids are well looked after, with their own menu and activities provided. Booking ahead is highly recommended, especially to secure a table with a view.

Raw Energy

$

Keep your fuel up for long days of swimming and surfing with a stop at Raw Energy, where freshly made smoothies and juices, hearty burgers and wraps, and fair-trade coffee will give you just the boost you need. So successful that it sparked a chain, here you'll find light and healthy fare including protein- and superfood-packed smoothies; seasonal, locally flavored fruit, veggie, and green juices; and an array of burgers stacked sky-high with fresh ingredients.

Ricky's River Bar + Restaurant

$$$

A dining room overlooking the Noosa River makes this picturesque restaurant the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch or a romantic dinner. The menu features "modern Noosa cuisine," which mingles Mediterranean flavors beautifully with Australian ingredients. The adjacent River Bar serves a lighter menu, including cheese plates, and has an extensive wine list.

Sunshine Beach Surf Club

$$

With its prime oceanfront position, and a large all-weather open deck overlooking the beach, the Sunshine Beach Surf Club is the kind of place you could sit for hours just soaking up the view. Fortunately, the food is also excellent, with highlights including salt-and-pepper squid, fish tacos, and their signature nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice), as well as a range of classic pub fare like burgers, steak, chicken parmy, nachos, and pizza. A courtesy bus operates Friday through Sunday between Peregian and Noosaville, and there’s live music on Sunday. Also a great place for a weekend breakfast after a surf at one of the Sunshine Coast’s best beaches

Corner of Duke St. and Belmore Terr., Sunshine Beach, Queensland, 4567, Australia
07-5447--5491
Known For
  • one of the best oceanfront locations on the Sunshine Coast
  • fresh seafood, including the ever-popular salt-and-pepper squid
  • nasi goreng with pork belly, shrimp, coriander salad, and fried egg