We return to Noosa every couple of years for the same bunch of reasons: a little downtime, plenty of ocean air, long walks along the beach and through Noosa National Park, spectacular sunsets and the simple pleasure of being somewhere that gives us a holiday vibe.
The sunsets……
And then there’s the food.
Noosa has a lot to offer when it comes to food. There’s plenty of choices from hearty breakfasts, light lunches to fine dining.
On this visit, we went back to restaurants we’d enjoyed before, returned again and again to our favourite cafe, plus discovered new places.
This is our 2026 round-up of the places we chose to eat, and loved.
Sails Noosa
For a special lunch where the setting is every bit as memorable as the food
Located at the end of Noosa Main Beach, Sails has a beautiful beachfront setting. Lunch is our pick here for the holiday feel, although a sunset dinner experience would be romantic. You can’t go past the fresh seafood, a glass of something special and that view across the beach to the water.
Cibaria, Hastings Street
Lobster brioche, fritto misto – a fancy light lunch
Sometimes a simple but tasty lunch is all we want, particularly when we’re commited to dinner plans. Cibaria was a new venue for us and we loved it. We shared a lobster brioche and fritto misto with a delicious aoili. The food was fresh, beautifully presented and light enough to satisfy while enjoying a fun, relaxed lunch with just the right amount of indulgence.
Sum Yung Guys, Noosaville
Bold Asian flavours, consistently good food and a front-row seat
Described as modern Asian fusion with a strong South-East Asian influence. At Sum Yung Guys the plates are designed for sharing. Flavours are bold and punchy, with a great selection of proteins, fragrant herbs, chilli, coconut, curry and plenty of crunchy texture. After three visits, we still find ourselves tempted by something different on the menu rather than ordering old favourites.
We first discovered Sum Yung Guys when the restaurant was at Sunshine Beach, and liked their food enough to follow them when they moved to their much larger Noosaville home in 2021.
Locale, Hastings Street
Cosy Italian-inspired dining, beautiful food and wine – a taste of Italy
nduja oil, prawn bisque
gorgonzola cream, mushroom ragu, toasted walnuts
Locale is on our favourites list for an evening meal. The food is unmistakably Italian, but it’s the combination of food, wine and atmosphere that keeps bringing us back. There’s handmade pasta, traditional cicchetti and beautifully prepared seasonal dishes. The restaurant is tucked into a lush, sheltered corner of Hastings Street, with low lighting, rich colours and an intimate, cosy feel. It reminds us of evenings spent dining in Italy.
Bang Bang, Hastings Street
Asian fusion, creative cocktails and a little bit of holiday magic
At Bang Bang you slip very easily into holiday mode. We love the lively atmosphere, the friendly staff and, most of all, our favourite seats – perched at the end of the cocktail bar. From there, we can chat with the bar staff, watch the cocktails being mixed and soak up the atmosphere while enjoying dinner. The menu is designed around sharing, with South-East Asian flavours through dishes from the BBQ, curries and smaller plates.
Providore, Hastings Street
Our Noosa morning ritual: coffee, something sweet and a proper cup
Noosa has no shortage of places to find a good coffee, particularly along Hastings Street, but our favourite is Providore, down towards the National Park end of the street.
How we choose a café – the coffee has to be good (that’s a given), service matters, so does having somewhere comfortable and peaceful to sit. We also like a little indulgence. And then there’s the crockery. We will absolutely walk away from a café that serves coffee in a paper cup. Call us fussy, but coffee tastes better in a proper cup, don’t you think?
Our café ritual is also a sharing ritual. We don’t order one sweet treat each. We choose something that catches our eye, share it between us and enjoy a few bites alongside our coffee. It’s enough to feel indulgent without turning a morning coffee into morning tea and dessert all rolled into one.
And, just to be clear, this isn’t an everyday ritual when on holidays. It’s a small holiday indulgence every few days, a lovely excuse to sit, chat and watch the morning unfold.
Noosa. We keep going back, and it’s not just about the food, but that’s certainly a pleasure we enjoy.
Catherine & Jeff