15 Queensland dining destinations that are worth the drive
From fine dining on the Great Dividing Range to beachside bakeries or American barbecue about as far from the States as you can get, these are the SEQ dining destinations worth making a day of it.
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From top-notch bakeries to best-in-class breweries and hidden mountain fine diners, we have found some of Queensland’s best dining destinations worth driving out of your way for.
These are the venues that are a destination in themselves, where fine food or terrific drinks or simply great vibes and an unbeatable location create an experience deserving of an outing, not just a meal.
Whether it’s the stunning Spicers Peak Lodge in the award-winning Scenic Rim where diners eat among the clouds from the tops of the Great Dividing Range; or beachside bakery Custard Canteen serving up Portuguese tarts as good as their European equivalent; these are places to add to the culinary bucket list.
While there are dozens of Queensland venues that could have, perhaps, made the list, the ones chosen are some of the most inclusive, with the majority open to all ages and demographics and at an accessible price point – with the exception of a few special luxury options.
So pack up the car, work up an appetite and get ready to explore a smorgasbord of the state’s best foodie hot spots.
MYRTILLE
1 Thallon St, Crows Nest
Located just outside of Toowoomba, this intimate bistro is the work of hospitality veterans the Hinds family who are determined to support local farmers and producers with their European-inspired eats.
Taste blueberries picked from within a shovel toss, chicken reared just a cluck away and goose from inside quacking distance, all paired with a sophisticated wine and cocktail list.
So fresh and unique is the offering here that customers drive from as far away as Bundaberg just for a taste.
PROOF BBQ & BOOZE & OVERPROOF
14 Duggan St, Toowoomba City
If it’s authentic American barbecue you’re craving and some of the best whisky to match, a drive out to Toowoomba might be in order. Run by spirit aficionado Ryan Lane, this smokehouse serves up top-notch brisket, pulled pork, corn bread, wings and more worthy of some of the US’s best pitmasters.
With meat juices sweating from their veins, guests can then retire upstairs to the venue’s sister cocktail bar, Overproof, for a whisky, wine, beer or mint julep.
GOMA RESTAURANT
Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Pl, South Brisbane
After a visit to the gallery’s latest exhibition, make sure to book in for lunch at its critically acclaimed signature restaurant where the food is as contemporary, unexpected and exciting as the art.
Expect, perhaps, tempura veal sweetbread with scallop mouse and tamarind; duck leg braised in barbecued hoisin, or Heidi raclette cheese and onion tart with malted onion and black truffle.
SPICERS PEAK LODGE
1 Wilkinson Rd, Maryvale
At 1100m above sea level, enveloped by the dramatic mountains of the Great Dividing Range and unending forest, this luxury accommodation outlet feels like its on the other side of the world, not two hour’s drive southwest of Brisbane.
While dinner at the property’s magical The Peak restaurant is only available for guests staying the night, anyone can book a table for lunch daily. Choose an outside sitting and breathe in the mountain air in-between an elaborate, four-course, fine dining affair with the option to add on a matching wine pairing.
OCEAN VIEW ESTATES
2557 Mount Mee Rd, Ocean View
Just 45 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD in the Moreton region, this family run, 100-acre property combines a vineyard with a modern Australian restaurant and accommodation.
Book a winery tour and tasting followed by a refined banquet lunch in the restaurant, or perhaps order a picnic package with cheese and antipasti to be enjoyed on your own little patch of grass among the rolling green hills.
KOOROOMBA VINEYARD AND LAVENDER FARM
168 F M Bells Rd, Mount Alford
With its carpet of purple flowers and manicured rows of grape vines, this picturesque Scenic Rim property has become a magical wedding destination favourite.
But you don’t need to be tying the knot to enjoy this bucolic estate just under two hour’s drive from Brisbane.
The property boasts a restaurant and wine bar fronted by talented chef Nick Thiess, serving contemporary fare using the finest of local ingredients; and a cellar door where you can taste your way through the Kooroomba wines.
CUSTARD CANTEEN
1525 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
Just a doughnut toss from Tallebudgera Creek Beach, this timber-clad, cottage-style cafe specialises in baked goods, from top-notch croissants made with French butter to their signature
Portuguese tarts, which are so delicious they should be bought by the dozen.
Hit the beach for a swim and then break for a brunch of Thai green salad or eggs Benedict under the orange and white-striped umbrellas, with a little sweet treat for later.
PRECINCT BREWING CO
17 Christine Ave, Miami
You almost can’t go wrong with a visit to any of the Gold Coast’s acclaimed breweries, but Precinct is just a few blocks back from the beach, making it the ideal spot for a surf in the morning and a coldie after.
Family friendly, with live music each weekend, the giant warehouse built around rows of visible stainless steel tanks is continually updating its offering with quality experimental brews alongside a menu moving from snacks and pizzas to bao buns. For the non-beer drinker, there is also a succinct range of wines, cocktails and seltzers.
GRANDDAD JACK’S CRAFT DISTILLERY
45 Lemana Ln, Miami
This father and son-owned distillery is easily one of the best places on the Gold Coast for a gin and tonic.
Serving up tasting boards of their house-made spirits with different mixers and garnishes, the venue turns stopping by for a quick drink into an experience.
Even more exciting, however, is enrolling in a four-hour gin-making workshop, where participants will create their very own bespoke gin to take home using a range of botanicals and miniature copper stills.
BREWDOG FORTITUDE VALLEY
235 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
With shuffle board to play with your mates and pin ball machines and arcade games to test your skills while sipping beers and eating fiery wings – BrewDog Fortitude Valley is an adult’s playground.
This three-storey warehouse, with bars on every level, showcases an ever-evolving line-up of beers, from signatures of the brand to seasonal releases and kooky collaborations with local players.
Not to be outshone though is its dietary-friendly pub menu featuring burgers, pizzas, wings and more, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.
BROUHAHA
Shop 5/39 Coral St, Maleny
Among the bustling tourist town of Maleny, this trailblazing brewery was one of the first on the Sunshine Coast and continues to be a trendsetter.
Pull up a seat in the indoor-outdoor dining area and order a paddle of their locally influenced beers, with brews using the best of the region’s produce including strawberries and rhubarb.
The kitchen team also celebrates the local nosh with a contemporary menu running from master stock-braised pork belly to burgers and pizza.
YOUR MATES BREWING CO.
41 Technology Dr, Warana
On weekends this giant warehouse transforms into one of the Sunshine Coast’s favourite watering holes, with crowds enjoying live music, freshly brewed beers and pub-style snacks, while kids play in the cubby house down the back.
Relaxed but buzzy, it’s a spot loved by all ages keen to experiment with the brewery’s ever-changing line-up of seasonal ales from a coconut-pine splice sour to a seawater gose.
ONE BLOCK BACK
106 Nothling St, Moffat Beach
Who would have thought a shed in a semi-industrial area could ooze so much charisma, but that’s the delightful charm of One Block Back.
Behind it’s plain white facade, this cafe is a hotspot for locals connecting with their community over silky smooth coffee, cracking milkshakes and an all-day brunch menu that moves out of the ordinary with the likes of chicken shawarma roti and Korean fried chicken bowls.
With portions beyond generous, you can burn it all off with a quick dip in the ocean just a block and a bit away.
BALLANDEAN ESTATE WINES
354 Sundown Rd, Ballandean
For decades, this family run winery has been charming guests with its cosy, brick-lined cellar and endearing customer service.
Go in for a tasting of the vineyard’s broad selection of wines – in particular some cracking Italian varieties – before settling down among the oak barrels in the fug of their commodious lounge and sharing a grazing platter and a bottle of your favourite sipper.
Continue your Granite Belt adventure with visits to nearby wineries like Girraween, Tobin, Boireann Winery, Sarabah Estate and Robert Channon.
RISE BAKERY
Shop 4c, 1 Masthead Way, Hope Island
French-trained and born pastry chef Adrien Marcinowski brings a little slice of Paris to the Gold Coast’s Sanctuary Cove with his stunning boulangerie patisserie.
Specialising in handcrafted, elaborate cakes and pastries, the elegant bakery, with a fit-out as glamorous as its precisely executed fruit tarts and croissants, also doubles as a wine bar, meaning you can share an eclair and prosciutto-filled baguette with a glass of bubbles.
Or better yet, visit on weekends and stock up for a beachside picnic or stay for a signature high tea teamed with champagne and Tavalon tea.
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