Two Cairns restaurants feature in Delicious Top 100

Two outstanding Cairns venues made it into the coveted Delicious Top 100 restaurants list as the only entries outside southeast Queensland. What’s your favourite Cairns restaurant? Leave a comment.

ONLY two restaurants outside south east Queensland made the Delicious list of the top 100 restaurants in the state for 2022 – and both are in Cairns.

Perennial star Nu Nu at Palm Cove scored a rave review along with CC’s Bar and Grill at Crystalbrook Bailey on Abbott St, which opened two and a half years ago.

Delicious declared Nu Nu as a destination built for long lunches.

“Restaurant settings don’t get much more idyllic than that of Nu Nu,” it reported.

It said Far North Queensland produce, from tropical fruits to local crab, was showcased at Nu Nu.

“Start off with one of the many snacks, served as individual portions, such as a pork rib, roasted until its edges shrivel and crisp up, glazed with a sweet pineapple caramel and topped with a snow of shredded toasted coconut, finger lime and green chilli salsa,” the review enthused

An enticing offering at CC’s Bar & Grill, which featured in Delicious Top 100 restaurants for Queensland for 2022. Picture: supplied.

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“Plates get larger as the menu runs deeper, building to a main-sized dish of blushing pink duck, smoked over sugarcane to balance any gaminess, met by bitter barbecued radicchio and pops of pickles.”

Co-owner Mo Rowbottom was delighted to learn of the Delicious listing.

“We are absolutely thrilled, we’ve worked really hard over the past 18 years to highlight the amazing bounty of lush, fresh produce from the rainforest, the reef, cattle stations wealth – this wealth and abundance we fell in love with and wanted to showcase,” Mrs Rowbottom said.

“We are always striving to get better and better in everything we do and showcase this incredible, diverse region and all the little producers as well – we have a passion for the region.

“It is also about our incredible team, in the kitchen and front of house, we’ve worked hard this year,” she said.

The dry ageing meat cabinet with beef from Crystalbrook’s own cattle station wowed Delicious reviewers, who declared “this is not your average steakhouse – it is a venue that would sit comfortably in any of Australia’s major capital cities”.

CC's Bar and Grill area executive chef Rod Zamora is delighted the restaurant made it into the Delicious list of the top 100 Queensland restaurants. Picture: supplied.

It noted steak ranged from a 200g sirloin to a 1kg-plus tomahawk and there were five non-steak mains.

“A local delicacy is the lobster-like red claw from Atherton which comes simply grilled and dressed with a melange of soft herbs and lemon,” the report said.

“It’s an entree just light enough to launch into, say a Crystalbrook 350g 45-day dry-aged sirloin on the bone, served with melting bone marrow and your choice of sauce or an excellent Mareeba black garlic compound butter.”

Steak is the star at CC’s Bar & Grill at Crystalbrook Bailey. Picture: supplied.

It noted a red wine list for the deep-pocketed, including Penfold’s Grange, Henschke’s Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace.

Crystalbrook area executive chef Rod Zamora said CC’s focused on sustainable local produce.

“The team have worked incredibly hard over the past two and half years in our signature steak restaurant and to have this recognition is tremendous,” Mr Zamora said.

The Top 100 list was heavily Brisbane-focused, along with restaurants at the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

Originally published as Two Cairns restaurants feature in Delicious Top 100