Indulgence is on the menu all over Australia, with inventive dishes and five-star dining experiences to tempt every palate, writesJane Wright
Table of Contents Show
Australia has become one of the world’s great dining destinations, where meals are as much about setting and story as they are about flavour. From seaplanes that land you at riverside restaurants to long tables in the outback under a sky full of stars, food here connects travellers to place in memorable ways. These nine experiences showcase the country’s diversity — and the delicious ways you can taste it.
Berowra Waters Inn via seaplane, NSW
Only accessible by water, a seaplane landing at Berowra Waters Inn on Sydney’s Hawkesbury River beats pulling up in a boat any day. Lunch or dinner at this iconic Australian restaurant begins by boarding the seaplane at Rose Bay Wharf, circling over Sydney Harbour and heading north up the coast, over some of the city’s longest beaches. At the Inn, chef-owner Brian Geraghty offers much-lauded contemporary Australian cuisine in a four or seven-course degustation menu.
Tali Wiru Dining Experience, NT
Enjoy a four-course dune-top meal with carefully matched wines as the sun sets on Uluru and Kata Tjuta, giving way to a magnificent outback sky strewn with stars. Guests are treated to Champagne and canapés, and dishes such as wattleseed-rubbed kangaroo carpaccio and lemon myrtle-crusted barramundi. After dinner, gather around the fire with a glass of cognac to hear an Indigenous storyteller tell tales of this wild land.
Saffire, TAS
In the midst of the Freycinet National Park is secluded luxury hideaway, Saffire. Sample seasonal menus featuring local fish, squid, beef and lamb that reflect the area’s strong farming heritage, and brush up your own kitchen skills with a cooking class.
Lizard Island, QLD
Sitting pretty right on the Great Barrier Reef, the super-luxe Lizard Island has 24 deserted beaches to explore, pristine wilderness, world-class snorkelling and diving and first-class cuisine. Try the seven-course beachside degustation dinner with matching wines under a canopy of twinkling stars, or if you prefer to keep things more low-key, find your favourite patch of sand and enjoy a Champagne picnic hamper on your own private beach.
El Questro Homestead, WA
Nestled in the heart of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, perched above the Chamberlain River, El Questro Homestead is a spectacular spot for an outback experience. Tending to just 18 guests, chef Alan Groom cooks a three-course dinner every evening using local seafood, and you can dine under the southern night sky with your feet in the red Kimberley dirt.
Cicada Lodge, NT
Three hours south of Darwin inside the Nitmiluk National Park is this eco-lodge, owned by the local Jawoyn people, who share their culture and traditions with guests. One of the newest outback resorts, there are just 18 villas with private balconies and sweeping views. Hiking, helicopter rides and wild swimming are all on offer, and each night the Chef’s Menu features a specialty dish inspired by the season and the freshest local ingredients.
Related article: A gourmet getaway in the Mornington Peninsula
The Truffle & Wine Co, WA
Take a walk with the glossy-coated black labrador Bella as she snuffles for truffles in the woody undergrowth of Manjimup, three-and-a-half hours south of Perth. Hunting in season (June to September) for the tuber melanosporum – aka black Perigord truffles – is a delicate job. Roam the oak and hazelnut trees, helping Bella unearth the precious nuggets, before returning to base to feast on a lunch of truffle-spiked treats.
Faraway Bay, WA
Around 280 kilometres north-west of Kununurra, your first glimpse of the remote and aptly named Faraway Bay is in a helicopter. A dozen guests stay in a luxury outback bush camp, overlooking the sparkling Timor Sea. A four-day Wine in the Wilderness retreat is hosted by feted Aussie winemaker Larry Cherubino several times a year, and guests can have a go at cooking bush tucker or fishing in nearby gorges. Owner-chef Kevin Reilly will cook your catch later in his open-air kitchen.
Prairie Hotel Flinders, SA
Renowned for its innovative dishes that use Australian native ingredients, the Prairie Hotel‘s ‘Feral Mixed Grill’ is listed in Gourmet Traveller’s top 100 gourmet experiences in Australia. The South Australian outback hotel’s signature ‘Feral Antipasto’ includes kangaroo mettwurst, emu paté, goat’s cheese and bush tomato chilli jam. Creative non-feral and veggie options abound for the less adventurous, and guests can learn about native plant edibles such as saltbush, pepperleaf, wattle and acacia seeds.
Related: Read more about Prairie Hotel Flinders with Matthew Brace’s review!
Thinking of exploring Australia? Find amazing accommodation here
Jane Wright
A Scottish journalist from Glasgow, Jane has edited three travel magazines and contributed to several newspapers and websites on the subject, which has allowed her to see a huge chunk of the planet, from the island of Mull to Mauritius, Vietnam to Vancouver. Although she adores the sun, she’s a cold-climate kind of a girl who loves snow, ice and the Northern Lights – Norway is her spiritual home. But one place she longs to see is Zanzibar, inspired by a radio programme she listened to at school when she was seven, where the only ice will be in her Pina Colada.
