Few holiday towns in Australia boast a restaurant scene like Noosa. Sure, the pristine beaches draw the crowds, but food has long been high on the agenda for visitors and locals alike. The Noosa Food and Wine Festival is proof.
Started in 2003, the festival put Noosa’s food and drink scene on the gastronomic map. International chefs would fly in just for the event, while domestic stars – spanning chefs, TV personalities and food writers – would converge. These days, the festival is under different management, but the events remain just as exciting.
The 2026 program has just been released and features plenty of action across four jam-packed days. There are collaborative dining experiences – including Gourmet Traveller‘s Queensland Restaurant of the Year, Essa, joining forces with Ricky’s River Bar & Restaurant for a six-course dinner – and signature events, such as Anyday Group co-founder and chef Ben Williamson cooking with Ben Cross (Bar Vera, Bali) for a French bistro-inspired lunch on the beach. Then there’s the Festival Village, where you can watch cooking demonstrations from the likes of Ben Cooper (Chin Chin), Louis Tikaram (Stanley) and Jason Barrett (Supernormal Brisbane).
Even if you can’t make it to Noosa during festival time, there are plenty of places to eat and drink. There’s a wonderful mix of beloved institutions, like Ricky’s River Bar & Restaurant and Bistro C, alongside recently opened gems such as Peli’s and Cibaria Noosa. Discover the restaurants picked by Gourmet Traveller’s expert team as the very best in Noosa in 2026.
Theo’s Social Club, Noosa Heads
Theo’s embodies everything there is to love about Noosa: relaxed, fun and run by genuinely friendly people – Jake McWilliams and Gabby Smith. McWilliams is behind the snack-centric menu, while Smith runs the floor and makes the killer desserts. Theo’s is walk-ins only, but you should be able to snag a seat either inside or outside in the arcade, beneath a fairy-light-lit tree. The wine list leans natural, with plenty of options from Australia and abroad. There are also tallies of Melbourne Bitter, one of McWilliams’ favourite beers (before Theo’s, he was head chef at Pope Joan in Melbourne). On the food front, there’s an addictive anchovy and parmesan custard crisp, toast topped with mortadella and creamy stracciatella, and grilled Mooloolaba prawns with curry butter. Larger plates include a pasta of the day – perhaps rigatoni with tomato and ’nduja. Smith’s desserts are listed on the specials board and change daily – expect chocolate mousse, classic cakes or ice-cream cookie sandwiches.
Cibaria Noosa, Noosa Heads
In December, Sydney-based Italian chef Alessandro Pavoni opened Cibaria Noosa, bringing the vibrant atmosphere of an Italian piazza to Hastings Street. Our tip: start with the pizzettas and order a few sides to go with them – perhaps charcuterie (the thick-cut salami from Felino is excellent), buffalo mozzarella with just-ripe peach, tomato and basil, and some crudo. Match it with something crisp and mineral from the large Italian-leaning wine list, like a Sicilian catarratto from Alessandro Di Camporeale. From there, choose a pasta, such as spicy vodka penne with Moreton Bay bug, or go large with a one-kilogram tomahawk steak. Don’t miss the tiramisu: lighter and creamier than most, it’s the perfect finale.
Ricky’s River Bar & Restaurant, Noosa Heads
It’s impossible to discuss Noosa’s best restaurants without mentioning Ricky’s. A 20-year institution, it draws as many returning regulars as it does first-time visitors. As a vote of confidence, the restaurant expanded into the neighbouring site – formerly home to Wasabi – in 2021. Don’t miss their signatures, including a spanner crab spaghettini with the perfect amount of garlic, parsley and chilli, and a textbook passionfruit souffle. Other highlights include a carpaccio of Mooloolaba yellowfin tuna with cucumber dressing and pickled fennel, and whole roasted baby barramundi with saffron beurre blanc. With stunning river views and consistency down to a fine art, Ricky’s is a Noosa favourite for a reason.
Lucio’s Marina, Tewantin
There’s strong lineage at Lucio’s Marina. Owner Matteo Galletto is the son of Lucio Galletto, who operated Lucio’s in Paddington, Sydney for almost 40 years. A portrait of Lucio hangs proudly on the wall at Lucio’s Marina, which opened just months after the closure of the Paddington institution.
“Consider it Lucio’s: The Next Generation. Less fine-dining, more made-for-sharing. Less eastern suburbs Sydney, more easy, breezy Noosa lifestyle.”
— Gourmet Traveller covers the opening of Lucio’s Marina.
Menu highlights include truffle steak tartar cornetto, octopus carpaccio with olive emulsion and salsa verde, and saffron pappardelle with hand-diced ragú, lemon zest and bone marrow. Lucio’s signature tagliolini alla granseola makes an appearance here, although it’s tweaked slightly to incorporate local spanner crab in place of blue swimmer crab.
Sum Yung Guys, Noosaville
MasterChef alumnus Matt Sinclair opened Sum Yung Guys in Sunshine Beach with a few mates in 2017, before relocating to Noosaville in 2021.The modern Asian eatery is big on flavour and doesn’t take itself too seriously. See: Mooloolaba prawn toast with gochujang mayo, and a black sesame LCM bar with salted coconut ice cream. That said, authenticity is still respected, as seen in a blackened barramundi larb with mint, chilli and sticky rice, and a Southern Thai yellow curry of swordfish. Looking around the bustling dining room, the hand-stretched roti is a clear favourite, appearing on almost every table.
Peli’s Noosa, Tewantin
From the team behind Sum Yung Guys, Peli’s centres on share-style Mediterranean flavours that perfectly match its marina waterfront setting. Their puffy woodfired flat bread has quickly become a signature, and pairs wonderfully with some sliced jamon Iberico and silky taramasalata topped with Yarra Valley caviar. Follow with ocean trout crudo and grilled Port Lincoln sardines with pickled green beans, before sharing a glazed lamb shoulder with smoked yoghurt and guindillas. The $55 prix-fixe lunch offers excellent value, especially with a view this good.
Somedays Pizza, Noosa Heads
The best slice in Noosa arguably belongs to Somedays. It’s all about the dough – hand-rolled and cold-fermented for 48-hours – plus a wood-fired oven and brilliant produce, which includes Cetara anchovies from the Amalfi Coast, local buffalo mozzarella and Mooloolaba prawns. Rosso pizzas include classics like pepperoni with mozzarella, parmesan and oregano, and a very good Margherita, alongside specialties such as “A Neapolitan in Naples”, which sees a combo of anchovies, black olives, local burrata and fresh basil. Bianca pizzas include prawns with mozzarella, zucchini, chilli, garlic and ricotta, and mushrooms with Meredith goat’s cheese, baby spinach and balsamic onion.
Bistro C, Noosa Heads
Located metres from the sand at Main Beach, beachgoers have been retreating to Bistro C for a refreshing drink and good food since 1992. There’s a subtle Asian slant to the current menu, seen in dishes such as seared scallops with char sui pork and pineapple and ginger jam, spanner crab and prawn ravioli with chilli sambal bisque, and a lunch-only seafood laksa. The drinks list suits the climate: crisp whites, rosé and lighter reds, alongside an impressive cocktail selection. Our tip: their signature chilli coconut margarita is perfect after an ocean dip.
More restaurants near Noosa worth a drive
Humble on Duke: This lovely 14-seat restaurant in Sunshine Beach is known for its Middle Eastern flavours and warm, welcoming hospitality.
Mariella Mexicantina: Owned by Nathan Ramsay, who also co-owns Somedays Pizza, this lively Mexican spot in Peregian Beach does everything the proper way. The corn tortillas are made in-house, the beef for the birria is slow-cooked for eight hours, and there’s a large selection of mezcal.
Kin Kin Hotel: A 40-minute drive inland, this beautifully restored 111-year-old pub is well worth the trip. Whether you drop in for a casual pub lunch, or book into The Woodshed for a seven-course dinner, you can’t go wrong.
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