8 Best Restaurants in Sunshine Coast, Queensland

By day, grab an outdoor table and watch the world drift by with a perfectly balanced flat white, as Moonstruck, a Hastings Street hole-in-the-wall, has excellent coffee. At night, soak up the art deco decor and mood lighting with a dirty martini (or two)—it has a 50-plus list of Australian boutique gins and great cocktails. 

Positioned within the café and shopping strip along Peregian Beach, this contemporary seaside bistro entices crowds with its imaginative, subtropical Mod Oz cuisine and modern, rustic styling. Booking in advance is highly recommended.

A large mural of Venice, simple wooden tables, and terra-cotta floor tiles decorate this popular restaurant in an arcade off the Esplanade. You can eat in or take out traditional and modern Italian cuisine with an extensive selection of pizza, pasta, and risotto, including vegan options, matched with an award-winning wine list. Open daily from noon to late, the restaurant also delivers to local hotels.

Spectacular views of the bay from the open dining area make a stunning backdrop for this fashionable restaurant's Mod Oz cuisine. The fresh, tropical menu highlights local seafood, though landlubbers can partake of several meat and vegetarian dishes (think lamb rump, caramelized pork belly, duck confit, or risotto verde). Open from 7:30 am till late, daily.

A dining room overlooking the Noosa River makes this picturesque restaurant the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch or a romantic dinner. The menu features "modern Noosa cuisine," which mingles Mediterranean flavors beautifully with Australian ingredients. The adjacent River Bar serves a lighter menu, including cheese plates, and has an extensive wine list.

With its prime oceanfront position, and a large all-weather open deck overlooking the beach, the Sunshine Beach Surf Club is the kind of place you could sit for hours just soaking up the view. Fortunately, the food is also excellent, with highlights including salt-and-pepper squid, fish tacos, and their signature nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice), as well as a range of classic pub fare like burgers, steak, chicken parmy, nachos, and pizza. A courtesy bus operates Friday through Sunday between Peregian and Noosaville, and there’s live music on Sunday. Also a great place for a weekend breakfast after a surf at one of the Sunshine Coast’s best beaches