{"id":173522,"date":"2023-03-24T11:43:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T00:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.australiantraveller.com\/?p=173522"},"modified":"2023-04-05T15:09:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T05:09:04","slug":"best-restaurants-darwin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.australiantraveller.com\/nt\/darwin\/best-restaurants-darwin\/","title":{"rendered":"19 of the best restaurants in Darwin for all occasions"},"content":{"rendered":"
Darwin\u2019s best restaurants add a healthy dollop of spice and experimentation to cuisines you might have tried before.<\/h5>\n

Asian markets, hipster cafes and jovial Greek tavernas meet high-end restaurants, perfect for sampling wild ingredients such as banana prawns, crocodiles and kangaroo. Here is our guide to the best places to eat in Darwin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Best Asian restaurants in Darwin<\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re feasting on Sri Lankan string hoppers, pork-stuffed Thai chicken wings or freshly made Vietnamese banh mi, you can tell that Darwin\u2019s soul is in step with its closest neighbours.<\/p>\n

1. Little Miss Korea<\/h3>\n

The hottest joint in Darwin is Little Miss Korea<\/a>. Down a graffiti-filled laneway, the restaurant serves up the traditional Kimchi and Korean BBQ (think Bulgogi beef or Jaeyuk Gui Spiced Pork Belly) or just a more than ample a la carte. The wine list is small but well put together with the obligatory cocktails.<\/p>\n

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Little Miss Korea offers a modern take on Korean \u00e0 la carte meals. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

2. Smith Street Mall<\/h3>\n

For authentic, budget-friendly Asian delights, make a beeline for the arcades around the Smith Street mall. Don\u2019t miss Roast & Noodle 328<\/a> for a cheap and cheerful Chinese barbecue and a mouth-watering prawn wonton soup.<\/p>\n

3. Chow<\/h3>\n

If you love a bit of Vietnamese pho (and let’s face it who doesn\u2019t) then head to the waterfront and slurp down some of the finest rice noodles with raw beef at kitschy-cool Chow.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Chow is a bolthole of authentic Vietnamese food. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

4. Hanuman<\/h3>\n

The pan-Asian restaurant Hanuman<\/a> may be an established favourite, but it still cuts it with an enticing mix of Indian, Thai and Nyonya flavours. Cool down on its fabulous deck and tuck into the signature clay pot oysters presented in an earthenware holder and served with vivid lemongrass and sweet basil sauce.<\/p>\n

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Feast on pan-Asian favourites. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

5. The Noodle House<\/h3>\n

The Noodle House<\/a> opposite Hanuman is great for unfussy inexpensive quick and easy noodles.<\/p>\n

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Noodle House is notable for its Chinese stir-fry recipes. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

6. Ella – by Minoli<\/h3>\n

A luxurious take on modern Sri Lankan cuisine. Ella – by Minoli<\/a> promises a well-balanced mix of flavours, which pays homage to Sri Lankan food\u2019s Ayurvedic properties, as well as creative and original cocktails.<\/p>\n

For the menu, think mas cutlis fried meatballs with a chunky tomato tamarind sauce, crispy whitebait with curry-leaf mayonnaise, and wild-caught Australian king prawns slathered with Lankan butter, as well as black pepper pork belly, served with tamarind coconut sauce and pineapple salsa and much more.<\/p>\n

Best Greek restaurants in Darwin<\/h2>\n

7. Yots<\/h3>\n

Darwin has a strong Greek heritage and you can indulge in home-style mezedes, juicy meats, grilled seafood and mama\u2019s syrupy sweets on the deck at Yots<\/a>, overlooking Cullen Bay Marina.<\/p>\n

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Yots serves traditional Greek food. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

Best upmarket restaurants in Darwin<\/h2>\n

8. Pee Wee\u2019s at the Point<\/h3>\n

With its sweeping views across Fannie Bay to Darwin, tables on the water\u2019s edge under native fig trees, and innovative Top End favourites, Pee Wee\u2019s at the Point<\/a> is the ideal place to make the most of the balmy, tropical weather.<\/p>\n

\"a

Try the macadamia and mint-crusted lamb rack. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

Appealing dishes such as buffalo carpaccio, tempeh bao buns and crocodile wrapped in betel leaf celebrate Territory produce.<\/p>\n

9. Char<\/h3>\n

An equally charming night out can be had at Char<\/a>, an upmarket surf-and-turf restaurant in historic Admiralty House.<\/p>\n

The beef (including 300-day grain-fed Wagyu rump) and the crispy fried whole baby barramundi are the stars of the menu, but it\u2019s hard to resist a mojito under the lantern-lit trees.<\/p>\n

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The restaurant prides itself on its meticulously curated dishes. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

10. Wharf 1<\/h3>\n

For the best crispy barramundi in Darwin drop in on Wharf 1<\/a> at the waterfront.<\/p>\n

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The crispy potatoes with Szechuan salt are incredibly addictive. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

Magnificent views of the harbour are matched with a selection of cured and raw plates (think carpaccio, cured salmon, charcuterie plates and tartare) and grilled meats or small share plates.<\/p>\n

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Have a sumptuous lunchtime feast at Wharf 1. (Image: Tourism NT\/Shaana McNaught)<\/p><\/div>\n

11. PepperBerry<\/h3>\n

One of the town\u2019s best-rated restaurants can be found in one of Darwin\u2019s top-rated hotels<\/a>, PepperBerry at The Hilton Darwin. Its modern Australia menu<\/a> features miso tempura crocodile with mango green chilli sauce, Black Angus steaks and baked Massaman market fish in a fine dining setting and gorgeous atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Casual dining in Darwin<\/h2>\n

The most laid-back capital in Australia does casual dining better than most. The iconic Mindil Beach Markets are just one of several outstanding Darwin markets<\/a>. Most locals can be found on a picnic blanket on the Nightcliff on a Sunday chowing down on a mic of food van and BYO dinner and drinks.<\/p>\n

12. Nightcliff Foreshore\u2019s food truck scene<\/h3>\n

Twenty minutes north of the CBD in artsy hub Nightcliff, a \u2018village walk\u2019 of new-breed food trucks has popped up alongside the suburb\u2019s milky-blue ocean fringe.<\/p>\n

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The iconic Nightcliff Foreshore. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

Further north lies Teardrop Coffee (Monday to Saturday), a pop-up blue-and-white vintage van with the pick of early morning locations: a stand-up paddle boarder\u2019s section of beach, set right by the Aralia Street and Casuarina Drive intersection. Here, owner Imogen Gough brews java beside a scattering of milk crates and a lush strip of lawn.<\/p>\n

By night, just around the bend at the Seabreeze car park (Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays), you\u2019ll find the jewel in the foreshore\u2019s food truck crown. Cucina Sotto Le Stelle<\/a> translates from Italian to \u2018kitchen under the stars\u2019. In his mobile restaurant, chef Benjamin Matthews wood-fires traditional pizzas, while diners share long, communal tables set beneath illuminated flame trees.<\/p>\n

Try the risotto with NT squid ink, garlic and blue swimmer crab. But do take note that the menu here shifts with the seasons, so while you may not always find your favourite, you can be assured the freshest produce Matthews can get his hands on.<\/p>\n

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Dine al fresco on long picnic tables at Cucina sotto le stelle. (Image: Tourism NT\/Christopher Nayna)<\/p><\/div>\n

13. Hot Tamale<\/h3>\n

For a spicy, funky Mexican feed down on the water, look no further than Hot Tamale<\/a>. As well as the usual suspects, this water-view restaurant dishes up raw snapper ceviche with local tropical fruits, hot pork shoulder served in steaming tamale, spiced chicken, topped with cocoa and dried fruit mole and much more.<\/p>\n

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Head to Hot Tamale if you’re craving Mexican food. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

If you want to save on the dollars, arrive for Hot Tamale\u2019s \u2018Loco Arvos\u2019 at 4pm to 6pm for $6 tacos, sangria and beers, as well as $12 spicy or frozen margaritas. Now that\u2019s a perfect sunset pairing!<\/p>\n

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Chill out with a cocktail in hand. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

14. Crustaceans on the Wharf<\/h3>\n

A classic surf and turf restaurant<\/a> on the Darwin waterfront at Stokes Hill Wharf. Pull up a chair outside, and order from the enormous menu, which includes crocodile fillet skewers, grilled squid, sizzling chilli prawns, grilled beef and lobsters, wild barramundi, Northern Territory mud crabs (when in season), and Moreton bay bugs.<\/p>\n

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Book a romantic dinner by the sea. (Image: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n

15. The Oyster Bar<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve staked money that Darwin is \u2018not an oyster kind of palace\u2019, you can just put your cash on one of the waterside tables of the Oyster Bar<\/a>. Located at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, as well as Coffin Bay oysters served up every which way (natural, Kilpatrick, Thai, with caviar \u2026), you can also opt for house pickled octopus, coconut crumbed prawns, pork belly bites and popcorn crocodile with salad and bush tomato relish.<\/p>\n

Happy hour runs from 4pm (5pm Fridays).<\/p>\n

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Find oysters served up every which way at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. (Image: Tourism NT\/Christopher Nayna)<\/p><\/div>\n

Darwin\u2019s \u2018clubs\u2019<\/h2>\n

16. Darwin Ski Club<\/h3>\n

For an unencumbered beverage and an open outlook over a classic Top End sunset, many Darwinites will rightfully recommend Darwin Ski Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Enjoy flavourful casual dining options.<\/p><\/div>\n

Grab a table on the manicured lawns, choose your fave bottled beer and watch the boats bob up and down in Fannie Bay, the palm trees reminding you that, hey, you\u2019re in the tropics now. The bistro food here is also on the rise.<\/p>\n

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Simply pop into Ski Club for friendly hangouts over dinner. (Image: Tourism NT\/Cait Miers)<\/p><\/div>\n

Other options include the Darwin Sailing Club<\/a> or the Darwin Trailer Boat Club<\/a>. They\u2019re all neighbours that share the beachfront linking Mindil with Fannie Bay.<\/p>\n

\"spectacular

Seeing the sunset at Darwin Ski Club is bucket-list worthy. (Image: Tourism Australia\/Allan Dixon)<\/p><\/div>\n

Fun Darwin restaurants and bars<\/h2>\n

We’ve previously written about our favourite bars in Darwin<\/a>, but have included a few more options for a bevvy and a feed below.<\/p>\n

17. Deckchair Cinema<\/h3>\n

The open-air Deckchair Cinema<\/a> (April to October) has very little chance of being interrupted by rain and it screens an intelligent array of films seven nights a week (on the Darwin Waterfront). There\u2019s a licensed bar and decent food to help you enjoy the show (no BYO) with double-session marathons for the buffs. Definitely one of our favourite things to do in Darwin.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"people

Spend a tropical night at Deckchair Cinema. (Image: Tourism NT\/Friederike Franze)<\/p><\/div>\n

18. Lola\u2019s Pergola<\/h3>\n

Lola\u2019s Pergola<\/a> is a cabaret and carnival-themed restaurant and bar in the harbour-side precinct of Cullen Bay.<\/p>\n

It is the sister bar to Monte\u2019s Lounge, an Alice Springs staple with a cracker of an outdoor area and more atmosphere than you\u2019ll find at a footy grand final.<\/p>\n

Lola\u2019s serves up another NT newbie, too, a draught beer from local Darwin label One Mile Brewery. Cheekily, the beer\u2019s name is drawn from the knock-off time for public servants: 4:21.<\/p>\n

19. Nirvana<\/h3>\n

If you like to mix spice with music, then head to Nirvana<\/a> on a Tuesday evening. It\u2019s jam night where plenty of talented Darwin musicians pick up a sax or play impromptu drum sets. Fantastic cocktails \u2013 try the whisky sour \u2013 and Thai\/Malay\/Indian food is consistently flavoursome too.<\/p>\n

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Expect to dine on fresh Asian flavours from Thailand, Malaysia and South East Asia. (Image: Tourism NT\/Christopher Nayna)<\/p><\/div>\n

For more insider tips, check out our ultimate travel guide to Darwin here<\/a>.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Darwin\u2019s best restaurants add a healthy dollop of spice and experimentation to cuisines you might have tried before. Asian markets, hipster cafes and jovial Greek tavernas meet high-end restaurants, perfect for sampling wild ingredients such as banana prawns, crocodiles and kangaroo. Here is our guide to the best places to eat in Darwin. Best Asian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":255954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"article.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[880],"tags":[6470,6384,4493,4393,5713,4748,5139,4572,4628],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n19 Of The Best Restaurants In Darwin | Australian Traveller<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For Foodies, Darwin packs a spicey punch - Asian markets, hipster cafes and jovial Greek tavernas. 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