Portico Restaurant Port Douglas

[Eboni Kleifgen]

PortDouglas has some great hotels, some with good dining options. See the full range of Port Douglas accommodation options here (includes villas, apartments, rentals, and hotels). This post focuses on the best restaurants in Port Douglas. Where are the best places to eat on your Port Douglas vacation? Where should you avoid?

There are loads of dining options in Port Douglas, from breakfast to brunch or lunch, right through to a formal dinner or maybe just prawns and beer on the deck. Chefs change, menus change, restaurants open and close and supplies change. We try to keep this page as up-to-date as possible.

Your budget, time of day, your tastes, and expectations will obviously be individual and my best Port Douglas restaurant may not be yours. There is casual dining, fast food, limited Asian, plenty of chips-with-everything, along with very good European, and, of course, seafood.

Possibly my favourite time of the day to head out and grab a bite to eat. The resorts in town all (used to, pre-Covid) offer buffet-style breakfast which suits some people, and if you have kids or are staying in resorts, this may be perfect for you.

One of my personal favourites is the breakfast served up at Hi Tide, a great little restaurant located on the esplanade, overlooking Four Mile beach. The full cooked breakfast is delicious and cooked to perfection. Few things beat sitting here over breakfast and a coffee watching the world go by.

Mockas is on Grant St, just down the hill from the Grant Street Bakery and has a huge selection of traditional and unusual Australian bakery items, along with coffee, pots of tea, and freshly baked bread.

This is most popular with foreign tourists and we have taken all of our overseas visitors here. Breakfast includes the park entrance fee, meaning the kids can burn off that energy after filling their tummies. You can read more about Queensland wildlife here.

Numerous Port Douglas restaurants offer set menus for lunch at great prices. In fact, the best lunch places are also great for dinner. The clear favourite across town with most locals would have to be Salsa Bar and Grill although Watergate offers superb lunch (and dinner) too.

This local institution has been around for years and even had to move to bigger premises, first on the high street then Wharf Street, its current location. Lunchtime sees taster plates served, they are different every day. Traditional favourites and a seasonal menu are also there in this relaxed restaurant.

N17 also stock a wide variety of beers including international and some locally brewed varieties that will really hit the spot. Not just open for lunch but also dinner and late into the night, especially if sports are playing.

There are at least three Thai restaurants in Port Douglas, there is a Vietnamese food outlet, and an Indian restaurant along with at least two Chinese restaurants at time of writing. A Balinese restaurant is opening on Grant St. and there is a new sushi restaurant about to open. (May 2024)

From now on our top picks in Port Douglas will be Sassi for pasta or seafood, Jungle Fowl for Asian, The Courthouse for a quick pub meal, and Viet Pho for a lunchtime bowl of pho. Those are our absolute top picks for dining in Port Douglas currently.

Others will head to the Tin Shed (check their dining times, outside of these they serve very little food, but you can usually get a bucket of prawns) or to the Courthouse Pub. The Ironbar, another Macrossan St pub, is now specialising in steak.

This place always used to be our Sunday afternoon favourite after the markets, the kids used to like hanging out here with the boats and fish. Beer and wine are plentiful and during happy hour, well priced. Grab a seat on the deck for the best view across the marina. Currently, they are closing quite early.

They brew a number of their own craft beers to suit most tastes but if you want wine or spirits, they have you covered too. Great views out over the marina and to the hills behind. We like their salt and pepper squid, there are also burgers, pizzas, and so on.

The Tin Shed or Combined Club is another spot for a cold one and a snack, or indeed, full meal. This is really the only place in Port Douglas with a view out to sea, other than the restaurants on the marina.

They have a new deck overlooking Dickson Inlet which is a beautiful spot to watch the boats coming back from the reef at the end of the day. They serve both lunch and dinner with a fully serviced bar where you can just order drinks.

In the interests of full disclosure, I worked here as a chef for a while, after being head chef at one of the biggest 5-star resorts in town years ago. Prior to that, I was a Chef in top London hotels. I no longer work here, there is a new chef and the menu may have changed.

At the other end of the scale, you have Rattle and Hum pub doing pizza and steak. Casual atmosphere with an open wood-fired pizza kitchen. Pool tables and sports channels are scattered around the pub.

Zinc is a great restaurant at the Four Mile beach end of Macrossan Street that offers fantastic food. Modern Australian and seafood. A family-friendly restaurant that requires booking an advance table in the busy season. A great atmosphere and the aquarium in the restrooms need to be seen to be believed.

There are two fish shops that we know of currently. We use the one at the back of Coles, opposite the Coles car park, and they do stock local (not farmed) prawns. The prawn boat visits Port Douglas from time to time, and sells direct on the jetty.

A lot of seafood and fish is frozen in Port Douglas because of climate and transportation. The fishmonger we use does have some fresh local reef fish usually. The best way to get fresh seafood is to catch your own, fishing trips depart Port Douglas Marina.

Oh that fish and chips looks so delicious! Ok about eating with the birds. That sounds nice and all, but I am not sure that would be my thing. I do like the idea of afternoon drinks and nibbles though.

Macrossan Street is Port Douglas' premier shopping precinct located in the heart of the Port Douglas village. Feel free to wander about this gorgeous tree lined street which is closed off from traffic which helps to add to the laidback vibe of the town.

The clothing boutiques sell a range of styles from local, Australian and International designers, great surfwear and swimwear, casual and cool street clothes. It's the perfect place to go for a new bikini and sundress.

At the end of your shopping experience watch the passing parade of shoppers from one of the cafes or restaurants. You can also cool off with a cocktail or a refreshing beer at one of the bars or pubs.

The Meridien Marinas Port Douglas is a wonderful shopping and dining complex within the marina. Eat at one of the world-class restaurants or shop at one of the fantastic boutiques whilst enjoying beautiful scenery and the fresh, sea air. Whether your just in Port Douglas or staying at the marina it is a one stop shop for all your needs.

There's clothing boutiques so you can pick up a new outfit, hair salons and beauty spas so you can pamper yourself, a jewellery store to spoil yourself and souvenir shops so you can pick up a reminder of your visit. There's also a number of tour and tourist information services to help you plan your time in Port Douglas.

Port Village Shopping complex is located on Macrossan Street in the centre of town. It combines fantastic shopping with beautiful, tropical surrounds for a truly Port Douglas experience. Stop and chill out at one of the cafes, restaurants or juice bars.

There is a huge variety of shops in the complex, a number of which are clothing stores that sell clothes perfect for the hot Port Douglas weather. There's a number of shops to help keep your life in check including a medical centre, pharmacy and newsagency. There's also a supermarket and cellar that will help stock your hotel room or apartment with all kinds of goodies.

Portico Shopping Centre is located in the premier shopping precinct of Port Douglas at a corner of Macrossan Street. The shopping centre has been set in lush tropical gardens with wide verandahs so visitors can soak up the sun and breezes. There's a range of specialty shops so you can stock up on swimmers, surfwear and new designer Australian fashions for your holiday.

The Australian Outback Club is a favourite and has an extensive range of Australiana products and Port Douglas souvenirs. At the centre you'll also find a number of convenience stores like Foodworks and Brumby's Bakery. You can also sit back and unwind at one of the restaurants or cafes or grab an icecream from the gelati bar.

The market space sits on the waterfront with a view of the sparkling Coral Sea and the mountain ranges in the background. The markets were established 20 years ago and have continued to grow and support an eclectic mix of locally made goods.

The Port Douglas Markets are a 'Cotters Market' which means that the goods for sale must be sold by the maker or their family. People from Far North Queensland migrate every Sunday to sell their wares like arts and crafts, jewellery, glassware and interesting Australian goods and souvenirs.

Zinc joined fellow local venues Salsa Bar & Grill, Melaleuca and Nautilus, for the esteemed Best Contemporary Australian-Informal restaurant award nominations. The Award is sponsored by American Express, and other nominees include JAM Restaurant in South Townsville and The Waterline Restaurant at Keppel Bay Marina in Rosslyn Bay.

The Awards for Excellence gives restaurants, cafes and caterers recognition for their hard work, exceptional food and outstanding service in the vibrant hospitality industry. Awards are held in each State, recognising operators in metropolitan and regional centres. The R&CA awards are the only industry awards with an independent judging system with over 280 judges reporting to state Judge Chairs and a National Chief Judge.

Boasting a large open air al fresco layout seating up to 180 patrons, Zinc has many areas which will fit perfectly with your mood. Dine outside under the stars surrounded by lush tropical gardens, or inside with an elegant, romantic atmosphere. Whether a couple wanting a romantic quiet dinner through to large corporate events, weddings and birthday parties, Zinc is the perfect location for you to indulge and unwind.

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