Best places to eat and drink on the Sunshine Coast

Hinterland hotspot has it all
This sprawling, largely outdoor and undercover venue in the Noosa hinterland has been the talk of the coast since opening in early 2023. The team behind Brisbane’s Sandstone Point Hotel has done an impressive job transforming the site – which previously housed a German restaurant – with an eclectic mix of fountains, tussled umbrellas, chandeliers, herb gardens and fireplaces. There’s everything from wood-fired pizza to gelato, with a playground and large grass area for kids to run wild.
6 Beddington Road, Doonan. Phone: (07) 5319 3799. See thedoonan.com.au

Peregian Beach Hotel

A taste of Asia at transformed tavern
Don’t let the unassuming roadside location put you off – this lovingly refurbished hotel at fast-emerging Peregian Beach, just south of Noosa, is as cool as they come.

Framed beach photos decorate the walls, tropical print cushions pepper its booths, and its seasonal Asian fusion menu features cauliflower popcorn, freshly made Noosa spanner crab dumplings and donburi Japanese rice bowls. The former TAB is now a cosy adults-only nook serving cocktails and share plates.
221-229 David Low Way, Peregian Beach. Phone: (07) 5448 3111. See peregianbeachhotel.com.au

Mapleton Public House

Paddock-to-plate perfection
Take in the views over the hinterland all the way to the ocean from the verandah of this century-old Queenslander-style hotel, as you dine on freshly picked vegetables from the owners’ organic farm down the road. Although it still offers pub classics such as fish and chips and burgers, it’s way more fun to choose The Falls Farm Kitchen option, where you get a one-, two- or three-course mystery meal based on that week’s harvest.
2 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton. Phone: (07) 5445 7499. See mapleton.pub

The Tamarind

Asian cuisine in serene surrounds
Set amid the tranquil gardens of Spicers Tamarind Retreat near the hinterland town of Maleny, this Asian-inspired restaurant is the perfect place to splash out on a romantic dinner.

Enter via a boardwalk beside a trickling pond and dine on French-trained chef Daniel Jarrett’s Thai-fusion cuisine. If you can’t decide what to choose from the a la carte menu, try a bit of everything with the five-course tasting menu with matching wines.
88 Obi Lane South, Maleny. Phone: (07) 5420 5420. See thetamarind.com.au

Rick’s Garage

Vintage vibes in the hinterland
With vintage posters plastered on the wall, vinyl records on the shelves and a classic car on display, this retro diner in a former petrol station and automotive workshop has the novelty factor in spades. Prop on a stool on the main street out the front, or sit around a beer barrel table in the sun-drenched courtyard nibbling on cauliflower bites, hot dogs and cheeseburgers, and wash them down with peanut butter and jelly shakes and hot fudge sundaes.
14-16 Margaret Street, Palmwoods. Phone: (07) 5445 0933. See ricksgarage.com.au

Spirit House Restaurant

Taste of the orient in tropical setting
Follow the bamboo-lined pathway through tropical gardens dotted with Buddha and Ganesh statues to this enchanting Asian restaurant. Housed in a U-shaped building overlooking a pond in the hinterland town of Yandina, its signature dishes include a mouthwatering coconut soup, grilled whitefish and grilled barramundi with tamarind chilli sauce, which has been on the menu for decades. It’s also known for its cooking school if you want to try to recreate the dishes at home.
20 Ninderry Road, Yandina. Phone (07) 5446 8977. See spirithouse.com.au

Season Restaurant Noosa

Casual beachfront dining
Watch the waves roll in at Main Beach as you savour fresh flavours such as kingfish sashimi with cucumber and ginger soy dressing, beetroot and confit onion tart and spanner crab tagliarini pasta at this laid-back Noosa eatery. There’s also an inviting bar offering an impressive wine list and a range of local and imported beer and cider, as well as aesthetically pleasing cocktails sure to get the like button tapping on Instagram.
5/25 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads. Phone: (07) 5447 3747. See seasonrestaurant.com.au

Sum Yung Guys

Fresh flavours from a MasterChef favourite
Owned by a group of mates who met working at another Noosa noshery, including 2016 MasterChef Australia runner-up Matt Sinclair, this modern Asian restaurant is a firm local favourite. Relocated from another venue at Sunshine Beach in 2021, its fit-out includes vines hanging from exposed timber beams, concrete floors and large booths. A large anime-style mural adds to the fun and energetic vibe.

Dishes are designed to be shared, starting with small plates such as Hirashima kingfish and Mooloolaba prawn toast through to wok-tossed baby squid and classics such as pad Thai and beef rendang. If you can’t decide what to order, go for the ‘feed me’ menu option.
1/205 Weyba Road, Noosaville. Phone: (07) 5324 1391. See sumyungguys.com.au

Brouhaha Brewery and Restaurant

Fruity flavours at fun-filled brewpub
Wash down Reuben sliders, wagyu beef sausages and Korean-style roast pork belly with fruity craft beers (think pear, raspberry and strawberry rhubarb) at this colourful brewpub in the hinterland town of Maleny. Founded by locals in 2016, the industrial-style space features a bar made with timber sleepers from an old railway bridge and a large chalkboard diagram, which explains the brewing process, and a row of steel brewing tanks lining the wall.
6/39 Coral Street, Maleny. Phone: (07) 5435 2018. See brouhahabrewery.com.au

Bang Bang

Atmospheric Asian eatery
With custom-rendered walls evoking the feeling of being in a weathered Asian diner, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, brown leather seats, marble tables and tropical greenery throughout, this bustling Hastings Street establishment is as cool as its acclaimed sister restaurant in Byron Bay. There are so many tempting items on the menu – including Korean fried chicken, barbecued barramundi in banana leaf and sticky pork belly – that you’re best-off ordering a few plates to share.
32 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads. Phone: (07) 3185 4666. See bangbangnoosa.com

The writer was a guest of Visit Sunshine Coast and Visit Noosa.