The Sunshine Coast’s top chefs spill their dining secrets.
They plate up in Noosa and the Sunshine Coast’s most in-demand restaurants, but they also know where to find the best food. See where the region’s 15 top chefs dine.
Community News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Community News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The top chefs in Noosa and Sunshine Coast have revealed their go-to dining destinations when they’re not busy in the kitchen dazzling diners.
The Sunshine Coast Daily has asked 15 top cooks in the region to name where they like to eat and what constitutes a wonderful venue.
Some renowned chefs enjoy going to up-market venues such as Market Bistro, but others can’t go past their “guilty pleasure” of dumplings at the Sunshine Plaza.
Find out where 15 of our best chefs dine out.
Stacey Conner
The chef at the small but mighty Humble on Duke in Sunshine Beach, Stacey Conner said she was always on the hunt for great places on the Coast, sharing a few of her must-eats and regular haunts.
“I’m yet to find my ‘guilty pleasure’ breakfast cafe, you know, the places that serve a good quality eggs Benedict and French toast but a favourite Jade and I visit often is Jungle and Co Gut Health bar in Noosa Junction,” Ms Conner said.
“My favourite lunch spot is Mapleton Public House, Cameron’s food is sensational, fresh and full of flavour.
“My favourite dinner spot is Sumi Open Kitchen, another small owner operated restaurant in Noosa, Giles is equally a wonderful chef as he is a wonderful person, thoughtful and real.”
Ms Conner said she mostly stuck to a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean menu in her restaurant.
“My style of food is honest, sharing almost always and flavoursome, that’s how we like to eat when we travel as well,” Ms Conner said.
“I cook Middle Eastern and Mediterranean inspired food in our tiny 14-seater restaurant in Sunshine Beach (Noosa).”
Chris Hagan
The head chef at Locale Ristorante and Bar at Noosa Heads, Chris Hagan said he was loyal to certain items on the menu when visiting his favourite Sunshine Coast restaurants.
“My top pick for the Velo (Velo Project) menu is the grilled bacon and banana crepe,” Mr Hagan said.
“At Periwinkle I always goes for the steak frittes.
“At Boa Down, I like the Singapore crispy fried soft shell crab boa bun and then the satay pork belly.
“My signature dish is the Tagliatelle, using locally sourced ingredients.”
Giles Hohnen
Giles Hohnen is the chef at the highly popular Sumi Open Kitchen at Noosa Heads and said his favourite spots on the Coast were restaurants or cafes with great atmospheres.
“Breakfast is Moto Noosa Heads for their bean burrito, music, coffee and atmosphere and Flo’s Creperie Noosa, it’s a great place to take your friends and family,” Mr Hohnen said.
“For dinner, Humble on Duke, Sunshine Beach, intimate atmosphere, well designed menu, thoughtful wine selection and lovely staff, and Market Bistro, great food wine list professional staff.”
Alberto Vitassovich
The head chef at Lucio’s Marina in Tewantin, Alberto Vitassovich, said some of his favourite places to eat on the Sunshine Coast were ones that transported him overseas with flavour.
“For breakfast it’s Flo’s Creperie in Noosa Junction for an indulgent breakfast or the Potters Pantry Cafe in Tewantin,” Mr Vitassovich said.
“For a quick lunch my favourite destination is Mr. Panzerotto, they run their market stall all over the Sunshine Coast and I usually see them Sunday at the Noosa Farmers’ Market. It reminds me of Italy and is the street food that I miss so much.
“And for dinner you can’t go wrong with Locale in Hastings St for that very European experience or Sum Yung Guys is a fantastic place to eat if you want to some of the best Asian cuisine up here.”
Andy Hearnden, better known as ‘Andy Cooks’
Andy Hearnden is not only a magician in the kitchen, but a delight in front of the camera with millions of people following his cooking skills on social media.
The Sunshine Coast celebrity chef - better known as Andy Cooks on the internet - has 2.1 million followers on Instagram and 2.8 million subscribers on his cooking channel on YouTube.
But when he’s not entertaining his fans, Mr Hearnden said he enjoyed dining out at Humble on Duke in Sunshine Beach, calling the unique venue the “perfect date night restaurant”.
“The food, drinks and service are all on point,” he said.
Mr Hearnden, who first put on an apron about age three, said he also fancied Market Bistro and Mapleton Public House.
The New Zealand-born chef said one of his favourite meals was ramen at Umami Ramen along Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore. He said he couldn’t go past its ramen Tonkotsu with black garlic.
He said a good restaurant was one that executed the “whole experience”, from being greeted with knowledgeable staff to having passionate chefs and “really great” food.
“I don’t mind if it’s somewhere with a fancy or expensive fit-out, or a hole-in-the-wall style restaurant. I’m after a great experience,” he said.
Harry Lilai
After putting on his chef’s hat in his early teens, Harry Lilai is now the executive chef behind two of the hottest restaurants in the Sunshine Coast, Bocca Italian and Market Bistro.
The Tewantin resident, who has more than 35 years’ experience in the trade, said he enjoyed the snacks and cocktails at Lucio’s Marina in Tewantin. He added that it would be the perfect place for a special occasion, especially during sunset.
The Melbourne-born cook said he would head to 250 Grammi Food and Wine Bar in Noosaville when craving pizza, and Bandita in Noosaville when wanting tacos.
While food was always a priority, Mr Lilai said he would always be “won over” by a restaurant with good, friendly staff, saying this characteristic was “pretty rare” to find.
“Food is secondary to a restaurant these days,” he said.
Tony Kelly
Tony Kelly - the mastermind behind local crowd favourites Rice Boi, Market Bistro and Piggyback to name a few - said he fetched “amazing croissants” for breakfast at La Petite Souris in Alexandra Headland, Sunshine Coast.
The chef-by-trade said his favourite lunch spot was Sails Restaurant Noosa in Noosa Heads, saying he enjoyed its wine list, great food, and “unbelievable” view.
For dinner, the savvy entrepreneur looked no further than Harry’s On Buderim.
Mr Kelly said he normally stuck to venues with a decent wine list, great produce and where they make as much of their food in-house.
Alan Dawes
After becoming “bored” of not being able to cook at restaurants during the start of Covid-19, Sunshine Coast chef Alan Dawes started a private chef business and has now served more than 600 homes.
While he enjoyed serving others, Mr Dawes said he enjoyed treating himself to Market Bistro in Maroochydore, saying the “city vibe” venue made him feel as if he had been transported to Sydney or New York.
“You feel like you’re in a whole new place,” he said.
The Sippy Downs resident, who has nearly 20 years of cooking experience, said one of his favourite dishes was a tiramisu at the restaurant.
“I don’t eat dessert but every time I go there, I have to have a tiramisu,” he said.
Outside of tasty food, Mr Dawes said he liked a venue where he was treated well by customers who wanted to be there rather than treating it like just a job.
Andrew Wilcox
Jumping into the culinary world at just 13, View Restaurant head chef Andrew Wilcox knows a thing or two about good food.
Mr Wilcox, who has worked his way around a kitchen for 19 years, said he enjoyed going to small, local places and trying new menus.
Mr Wilcox said he was always on the lookout for a new venue, adding that he enjoyed finding ones who ticked off all the boxes, from the ambience to the logo.
“Everything plays a big part,” he said.
Peter Kuruvita
Noosa chef Peter Kuruvita, also a well-known television personality, said he always has an appetite for Embassy XO and Humble on Duke in Sunshine Beach.
Mr Kuruvita, owner of restaurant Alba by Kuruvita in Noosa Heads, said he enjoyed Humble on Duke’s “amazing” home-style, well-crafted food, which was “lovingly” prepared.
“And their cocktails are amazing,” he said.
The internationally renowned chef said the mark of an excellent restaurant was consistency and good food and service followed by a warm welcome
“Decor is up to people’s individual tastes,” he said.
Jason Jones
Jason Jones - the main man behind tasty creations at Bandita in Noosaville, said the Spirit House in Yandina was a good spot for a date night with its tasty food and “beautiful” setting.
Mr Jones said two other restaurants at the top of his list were Mapleton Public House in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and Theo’s Social Club in Noosa Junction.
He said the latter venue was home to a perfect grazing menu, a wine selection that was the “best in town” and staff who were “awesome, engaging and super friendly”.
Mr Jones said his favourite meals were often whipped up by Mapleton Public House chef Cameron Matthews, saying his creations were “next level”.
“Lots of the produce comes from their farm just down the road, and the level of technique is excellent,” he said.
Mr Jones said he leaned towards restaurants serving a casual, relaxed atmosphere with friendly and knowledgeable staff and unique, honest food “without too much complication”.
He added that a good wine list went a long way too.
Scott Hoskins
Scott Hoskins, top chef and the brains behind Asian fusion brand Junk in Sunshine Coast, said he enjoyed travelling to Ricky’s River Bar and Restaurant in Noosa to fetch its Mooloolaba king prawns and enjoy its location and relaxed atmosphere.
For breakfast, Mr Hoskins said took a seat at John Kyle Espresso along First Ave, Maroochydore - the second cafe of the brand first located on top of Buderim.
Mr Hoskins said he ordered the cafe’s sriracha and chilli scrambled egg.
The entrepreneur said Sum Yung Guys Restaurant in Noosaville was a great spot for celebrations.
Mr Hoskins said he looked for friendly staff and house-made food when checking out new restaurants.
Frank Boulay
While he enjoyed making beautiful cuisines at his restaurants Periwinkle and Bottarga Restaurant, Sunshine Coast chef Frank Boulay said he liked eating simple, good food.
“We just like good food in a good environment,” he said.
Mr Boulay said liked dining at Trattoria Benati in Noosa Heads, with the chef there previously working for him, and Rice Boi in Mooloolaba, saying he enjoyed “everything there”.
He said the best ramen on the Coast came from Umami Ramen along Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore.
Mr Boulay said he liked uncrowded restaurants with great food, saying the location and design paled in comparison to a great dining experience.
“You can go to a simple place where the food is excellent,” he said.
Michael ‘Moe’ Rickard
Michael ‘Moe’ Rickard is one of the pair of hands behind the tasty food at Asian-fusion restaurant Sum Yung Guys along Weyba Rd, Noosaville.
Mr Rickard said he preferred to head down to the butchery and have a barbecue in his own backyard rather than dining out, but if he must, he headed to 250 Grammi Food and Wine Bar in Noosaville.
He said the restaurant’s risotto was “pretty spot on”.
Mr Rickard said his “guilty pleasure” was dumplings at Chinese eatery Yum Cha Cuisine in Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore.
“It’s the only way to get me to the Plaza,” he said.
Mr Rickard said the heart of a good restaurant was being consistent, saying there was nothing worse than returning to a restaurant and not experiencing the same great taste.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
From cooking for locals in Noosa to celebrities in Europe, Sunshine Coast chef Ryan Fitzpatrick, 34, has rich experience in the culinary industry since starting at just 16.
Mr Fitzpatrick, director and executive chef at privating catering business The Ohana Group, said he loved the flavours and consistency of Sum Yung Guys, adding that it had a “good, buzzing vibe”.
He said Market Bistro also had tasty, honest and consistent food, handled by a legendary chef.
Man taken to hospital after crashing into tree
A Sunshine Coast man has wound up in hospital following a midnight crash into a tree.
Read more
Your ultimate guide to every gun club in Queensland
A new public shooting gallery catering to unlicensed shooters as young as 11 has opened as firearm sports experience a surge in popularity. See our exclusive list of all gun clubs in Queensland.
Read more