Ochre Restaurant and Catering

We came for dinner and Kelly our server was fantastic! She was very nice and knowledgeable about every dish, and attentive making sure we always had drinks and checking in about the dishes. The restaurant had an impressive menu comprised of native ingredients which we were excited to try and the menu and our server had lots of great information about each dish. We chose 3 course menu option which allowed us to try a bit of everything. The desserts were excellent and our favorite part of the meal! If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try some unique items like kangaroo, crocodile, and various native plants in a more upscale format I recommend.

Since we weren't together for our birthdays, we wanted to eat at a more luxurious restaurant to celebrate together. Ochre is the perfect restaurant for this! We went for the six-course dinner including wine and enjoyed every dish with its matching wines. For dessert, we both received a little extra to celebrate our birthdays. Definitely a must-visit if you're in Cairns!

We recently celebrated our wedding anniversary while visiting the far North Queensland area and decided to do so at Ochre. The food was amazing. We shared Wattle see damper, Tempura gulf bugs and lamb shank, which melted in your mouth and were delicious, followed with Wattle seed pavlova which was also not your normal Pav and was beautiful! Enjoyed lovely wines and excellent service. A very lovely atmosphere looking out at the wharf in the evening. Highly recommend !! If we are lucky enough to come back over here from WA we would definitely eat here again! Very happy with our choice on this visit!

Dining at Ochre was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warm, attentive service that set the tone for an unforgettable lunch. We ordered the gnocchi, pork belly, scallops, and duck—each dish beautifully presented and bursting with flavour. The scallops were perfectly seared, the pork belly was rich and tender with a delightful crisp, and the duck was cooked to perfection. The gnocchi was a standout—pillowy and delicious, it may be the best I’ve had anywhere. Every bite was a celebration of taste, balance, and thoughtful preparation. The atmosphere at Ochre is equally impressive. Set right on the waterfront, the views are simply gorgeous—an ideal backdrop for a relaxing, refined dining experience. The playlist was well-curated and created a mellow, inviting ambiance that complemented the setting perfectly. We were also thoroughly impressed by the wine list, which showcases some fantastic Australian selections. We chose a Barbera from King Valley, and it was exceptional—fruity, smooth, and a perfect pairing for our meal. Ochre delivered on every level—food, service, atmosphere, and wine. It's easily one of the most memorable and flavourful dining experiences I’ve had, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

First dined at Ochre in 2001 and it just keeps impressing every time. Fantastic service, great “new” (7 years) location and food and wine combinations that are absolutely divine. We had the degustation and could not fault it. The entire experience was awesome from start to finish. Could not recommend highly enough. Favourite place in Cairns by a country mile.

I would simply recommend not dinning here, in our entire trip in Australia is the only place where we haven’t eat well. We ordered the Taste of Australia Shared Platter for 2, and the meat was just repulsive. I've been disgusted by the meat for a few days, and throwing up that night because of the unpleasant dinner. The prawns were the only thing ok, the salmon, emu and other meats not good, even the side dishes were repulsive, the rice was like a chewing gum and super thick, and the vegetables disgusting.

Excellent service, beautiful sunset view, and creative food! Tried the fresh oyster, crocodile with prawns as entree are awesome, kangaroo meat can be cooked with more flavour, and the dessert chocolate trio is a lovely balance between cold and warm, sour and sweet!😋 What I like the most is the service here, the staff are patient and helpful, and introduce every dish when served.

Wow! What an incredible dining experience! It was our first time in Cairns, and we came to celebrate my birthday. honestly, we couldn’t have chosen a better place. From the moment we walked in, the service was beyond exceptional. Anaisa is simply the best… She is so kind, attentive, and truly spectacular!💛 And the food? Absolutely delicious! If you’re in Cairns, this place is a must-visit! I’d recommend it 100%. Can’t wait to come back!

We just arrived to Cairns. Initially turned away due to operating hours. We returned. Shemille was a patient and pleasant server. We started off with drinks - a local Pale Ale for hubby; while I enjoyed my non-alcoholic Roselle drink. My husband had the burger with beet root. Yum!! The Tasmanian oyster great starter. The spicy heat from the salt & Pepper crocodile and prawn was delicious. The best part was enjoying the scenic view of the water. If you get a chance walk by the mudflats and catch a glimpse fiddler crabs and conch.

Good place to sample food made from native ingredients. Highlights: kangaroo satays so tender. Salt and pepper quail with fingerlime. Barramundi flakey and cooked to perfection. Price is a little high compared to the portion. Atmosphere as expected of a waterfront restaurant. Dim lighting, relatively quiet. Plenty of seats indoor, covered patio, and outside by the water. Plenty of seating on a thursday night.

Enjoyed different food flavors tonight. Scallops with bacon and corn fritters. Shareable plates for two.

Both the food and service were terrific! We wanted a sampling of Australian specialty food and they did not disappoint. We had a sampling of expertly prepared kangaroo, emu, and crocodile, along with salmon. In particular, the assistant manager answered all of our questions about local food with patience and interest. I would highly recommend this establishment.

Excellent food, lots of local offerings that you won't find out of the country and amazing service!

Perfect spot on the water for some pre-dinner tapas. The staff was very helpful and friendly. We got the roo satays (tasted a lot like skirt steak with an amazing sauce), coconut prawns (perfectly crispy and light), and the barramundi spring rolls (very light and flakey, could perhaps have been better with the duck instead). Everything was delicious and it's hard to beat that view.

Ochre is a great spot for menu that highlights Australian ingredients. You will likely need a dinner reservation to be seated. The ambiance is nice for a fancier dinner. The crocodile and prawns entree was a crowd favorite, as they were nice and crispy. The scallops and prosciutto were cooked well but the dressing was a bit heavy. The kangaroo main was cooked well, but the sauce was confusing. The rib eye was cooked perfectly, but our strip loin was very rare. Even after we asked for it cooked more, it still came out bloody so we had to wait for awhile. The pavlova is very sweet but offset nicely by the sorbet. The mango parfait was delicious in flavor but the icy texture indicated it had been frozen for too long. Overall, the 3 course choice is a nice option, but I was slightly disappointed by the wait time between courses, service, and cooking of the steak.

Stopped here after a day of snorkeling on Green Island and just in time that it's still tapas / happy hour. Sampled a lot of the menu and most of them were decent: the sashimi was better than expected for sure but could have skipped the bacon wrapped scallops (those were dry and didn't taste great). You can get seated outside right on the pier and enjoy the harbor view with ships passing by.

The ambience and location give it a plus for me. Enjoying your meal staring out at the water gives a better overall vibe. They serve Australian food with modern twists. We ordered the multi course option. The timing between each dish was a bit off. We found ourselves waiting a lengthy amount of time between each dish or that sometimes it wouldn't come out the same time for everyone at the table. If you're not from Australia, there is a good variety on their menu that you have options of different foods to try that you may have never had before from meats to vegetables and spices.

Having just visited the Daintree I was eager to try some food from the land, including green ants. So pretty on the leafs of plants in the Daintree. The Morganbury beef carpaccio with native peppers and green ants was fresh and delicious. For main I enjoyed a crocodile and orange salad. A tender, perfectly presented and flavoursome main. Come to Ochre to enjoy some of the lesser known tastes of Australia!

Cains Terminal 1 Port Skewered Kangaroo Satays Coconut Rum Martini Grapefruit Gin Cocktail Gorgeous Wife of 15 years!

We sought out this restaurant because we wanted to have at least one meal that consisted primarily of uniquely Australian-sourced food. This menu certainly delivered, and we enjoyed a dinner that we couldn't easily find back home. We arrived in the early evening, and were fortunate to get a table right away in the bustling dining area. We looked over the extensive menu (which does have more traditional fare as well) and settled on the following: Wattle seed damper loaf - a dense, nutty bread that we were told was made from seeds of a type of acacia tree and used by the native people of Australia. This an excellent start to our meal and we probably could eaten two more loaves as we ate. Tempura "bugs" on lemongrass skewers - we looked up what these are, and they appear to be some kind of crayfish-type creature, but larger in size. Full of flavor without a fishy aftertaste, these were also well liked but the tempura breading was perhaps a little thick. Ochre salad - just to get a little bit of fresh vegetables into our meal. Not sure exactly what the dressing was, but there were macadamia nuts and small bits of bacon that gave this a good texture and flavor. The Australian game platter - crocodile appetizer (tasted like chicken) and kangaroo and wallaby steak. The kangaroo steak was rather tough and a bit dry even though it was cooked to a medium rare state; we were told that this is typical of this meat. There certainly was a gamy flavor to it, but it wasn't overwhelming. The wallaby, on the other hand, was tender and moist and definitely the favorite of the table. Admittedly, however, we felt a little guilty about eating wallaby because we had just hand-fed some of these little creatures at a wildlife park in Sydney and they seem just a little too cute to eat. This dish also came with a bowl of roasted potatoes. The game platter is a two-person minimum, but even though we were a party of four we just ordered two serving. With our other selections, this just the right amount of food for us. Our total bill (including one drink) came to about AUD160, a very good deal given the current exchange rate. Our waitress was attentive and our water glasses were always filled promptly. She provided guidance about what to order. The restaurant atmosphere was lively and we had nice view of the harbor as night fell upon the city. In all, it was a very good meal and a great opportunity to try a few new things.

Although this place has a great view, Service is below average. The servers made us wait for a long time. Food is mediocre. The pasta that we ordered was SO bland. It seemed like the chef forgot to put some seasoning (or salt maybe)?

Had a 6:15 reservation, but was in the area at 5:45. They gladly took us early. Wait staff was very attentive. Glad we went early, cause by 6:15, it was really picking up. Food was great! Had the scallops appetizer and the chicken breast for main course. Hubby had crocodile app and kangaroo steak. Both were fabulous. Beautiful view of the marina. Will certainly come again.

This place was recommended by the Lonely Planet book and I wasn't that impressed. I ordered a tasting plate called the Australian Antipasto, the waitress said it was one of their popular dishes. The plate included: Kangaroo terrine with pickled Kakadu plum - a little gamey but it tasted like a very lean beef Crocodile wonton with red pepper jam - crocodile really tastes like chicken IMHO Green ant ocean trout gravlax - smoked trout was nice and fresh but the sprinkle of green ants on top didn't do it for me Emu carpaccio - very thin slices of emu with a chimichuri sauce..my favorite thing on my place Sundried tomato, olive and cream cheese tuille cone - the cone was a little stale, nothing really good in here The place had free wi-fi so that was a nice addition but it was pricey for what I got. The plate itself was 30 AUD. First time having kangaroo but wish I tried it in a different form than a terrine.

What a great dining experience with a view. We had excellent service and food. I had the gnocchi with mushrooms which was delicious. The gnocchi was light and fluffy and the dish very flavorful. I also had the quinoa salad which was beautiful and good. My friend had steak which she said was tender and we'll seasoned. We shared mango Panna Cotta for dessert. Yum!

For those of you who want to try the weird, wacky, and crazy of Australia, this is def the place to do it. I'm not actually sure Australians eat most of these things on a regular basis, so I'm sure this is more tourist-catered. We had everything from emu to kangaroo to crocodile...I want to say we tried the Australian game platter, but can't remember exactly. It was all tasty and def an experience; I think the hubs had more fun with the different meats than I could stomach actually. By far the best thing here was the dessert we had: wattle seed pavlova with the blood orange sorbet. The blood orange sorbet gave a perfect tang to the light and airy wattle seed (I can't even sit here to describe the flavor of wattle seed because its just nothing I've ever tasted before). Wattle seed is btw, native to Australia, so I have found nothing close at home here. Reservations are recommended, but we happened to come on an early evening so it was literally just us for dinner at the time. We had an amazing waitress who happened to have lived in the D.C.-area, so it was nice to talk to a "familiar face" there. Cairns doesn't have a huge "foodie" selection in my opinion and the prices are steep in comparison to bigger city areas like Sydney and Melbourne. If you're ok to "splurge" and try something different, this is def the place to try.

This restaurant was advertised heavily and seemed to have very stellar reviews... since it was the last night in Cairns (Caans) our group.decided to try this place... seemed fancy and a good place to try all the 'tucker' that would be representative of Australia Kangaroo and Crocodile and wild caught Barramundi steamed in a banana leaves... seated outside. It was a nice night and chill way to wind down... food seemed to take awhile. Water comes chilled then not. Had to ask for a cup of ice. Good thing I ordered the smaller crocodile plate at $22 vs 36 because the tougher 'chicken' was okay but not something I wanted that much of... potatoes for $10. Meh. The bill had mistakes and overcharges... waiter was a bit disgruntled initially about correcting it as well. Friend had to discuss it a bit. Fail on efficiency and customer service.

Food is amazing and view is amazing! Australian tasting platter was to die for, and the creme brûlée was exceptional. However, the service is incredibly slow. Be prepared to spend about 2.5 hours here just waiting. The server did not bring water for 10 minutes, then I had to wait another 10 minutes to order food, followed by 30 minutes for the food to come out (waiting for food to come out is fine, since I'm sure everything is made to order, so this didn't bother me), then we waited 30 minutes after we were done eating to order dessert, which they forgot about, so about 40 minutes later we finally got dessert, and lastly, we waited 20 minutes for our bill (which we had to hunt down the server for). Again, food is absolutely divine, I just wish it wasn't a half day long experience to get some lunch.

Great place! Excellent ambience indoor and outside. The small plates of scallops was delicious. Would skip the spring rolls next time. Service was outstanding with bar and wait staff very attentive

This was one of the better bushtucker meals I enjoyed on my trip. My partner and I shared the Taste of Australia, which was a 4 course set menu. The first course was the battered shrimp and alligator. This was a flavorful dish, cuz deep fried is always good. I did find a piece of alligator to be season with too much salt though. But the dipping sauce worked well with it. The second course was a sampler plate of kangaroo, emu, alligator, wallaby, and cold tomato soup. The alligator meat did not come off with a fishy lizard taste. It was quite pleasant. I thought the slow cooked shredded kangaroo meat tasted like teriyaki beef jerky. It was too sweet. I did highly enjoy the emu with the ants on it. I thought the ants were a pesto sauce and was surprised to find out it was ants. The main dish was composed of kangaroo and wallaby steak. The kangaroo was cooked perfectly medium rare. The wallaby was a bit more tougher and seemed to on the medium side, though it was to be medium rare. Both meats were easy to cut with a butter knife that you did not need a steak knife. Dessert was a wattle seed pavlova. I really enjoyed this dish. The meringue was not too hard but at a texture near a baked Alaska. The wattle seed flavor was enjoyable and overall it was not a too sweet dessert. i enjoyed it too much that I ate my partners too. Our server was great throughout the entire evening. She was very attentive and explained all the dishes when brought to the table. I would highly recommend Ochre to my friends.

For Australia cuisine in cairns this left much to be desired. Food service took a while, food was chewy not what I would expect for the price. I got a Australia game platter with kangaroo, wallabies, and crocodile. It looked better than it tasted. Very disappointing to say the least. The good was the view of the marina from the restaurant.

Came here and ordered the Taste of Oz, which were several courses of bush tucker fare. Everything was very delicious and service was excellent. There was just 1 think on the appetizer platter that I didn't like which was a cold bush tomato gazpacho, it was a bit too tart. Maybe if they seasoned it more to be more savory or somehow neutralize the tartness it would have been better. I believe my main was the wallaby which was very flavorful and delicious. Dessert was wattle seed Pavlova. I'm not a real fan of meringue but my partner gobbled up his and mine also, so he really liked it.

Nice dining atmosphere but a very long wait for dinner to arrive. The Kangaroo appetizer was quite tough. The pork was delicious and the duck leg was ok. Heaps of servers but no one came around for us to order a second drink.

The allure of this restaurant is that it uses native Australian ingredients and offers exotic meats such as kangaroo, crocodile, and wallaby. The food was decent, it wasn't delicious and it wasn't terrible. The crocodile and prawns dish was fried and rather oily. Eating crocodile was like eating a tough, chewy piece of old chicken, the meat itself doesn't have much flavor. The Vietnamese pickled vegetables on the side were okay. The wallaby was like a milder, less flavorful version of beef. It was paired with couscous, and some small beets. The orders took a long time to get here. Service rarely came by and was inattentive the whole time.

Some other tourists recommended this to me and it was spot on. Waitress recommended the Kangaroo sirloin and it was prepared to a perfect medium rare and super tasty. I didn't like the accompanying fritter but no matter. Wish I had a dining partner to get the game sampler (min order for 2) the night I went,. They have a lunch sampler for 1 too, but I couldn't get there for lunch as they were closed for catering the one day I tried. They have free WiFi for customers as well.

Well that was a disappointment. What started out so promisingly, going by the menu, only to be left deflated still hungry and quite a deal poorer. This place sucks you in by enticing you with the concept of eating true Australian Bush Tucker. It's pricey, but hey, it's an experience. Portion sizes are small, like tasting plate for toddlers size. Pretty much everything was tough and over cooked. Don't get me wrong it was all tasty with great flavours, but not worth the money they are charging. These guys are just cashing in on the sample Australia experience. There is definitely a lack of love in the kitchen. We have had Australian Bush Tucker before at places like Fraser Island and cooked well it's to die for. This place is serving up a fast food version of it. So just letting you know.

Went here after being recommended by a friend. Unfortunately when we got here, they just opened and the entrées we wanted was not available yet. (We wanted kangaroo steaks.). The hostess did recommend a platter, spring rolls (kangaroo and crocodile) and jerky (crocodile and kangaroo). And Australian beers. Everything was just ok (a bit bland), the jerky we didn't care for. The service was good though, attentive and courteous.

Best waterfront dining in Cairns. Amazing food, fair prices and good service. Don't miss it.

In a word, fabulous! We shared the following and loved every dish: Game Platter, which included salt and pepper leaf crocodile, grilled kangaroo, roast wallaby fillet, and sweet potato fritter with dipping sauces. I know, I know, how could I even bring myself to sink my teeth into such cute, cuddly creatures? But in case you're wondering, crocodile tastes a bit like chicken (don't all reptiles?), kangaroo is a bit gamey, and wallaby is actually quite lovely, a bit like beef and very tender. Tempura Bay Bugs on lemongrass, green papaya salad, and sweet chilli lemon myrtle dipping sauce. Ochre house salad, which contained mixed salad leaves, roast Roma tomato, crisp bacon, olives, Mungalli feta cheese, and spiced macadamia nuts with garlic mayonnaise. If you're ever in Cairns, I highly recommend coming here to sample some of the finest modern Aussie cuisine!

My friends and I came here to celebrate our unofficial Thanksgiving meal since we were missing the holiday back home. We were curious to try the crocodile wonton, which was only available on the tasting menu. Not feeling adventurous enough to try the other offerings on the tasting menu (kangaroo terrine, duck liver pate, some kind of fish), we asked our friendly server if we could just order 4 crocodile wontons and after checking with the chef she was happy to oblige. Ochre offers a variety of dishes and the menu has a handy "cheat sheet" in the back which describes terms and also explains what kangaroo tastes like (similar to aged-beef is how I think they described it). There are also some familiar items like chicken and pork fillet if you're not up for sampling modern Australian cuisine. Overall, a great experience and friendly service. They also have a coupon in one of those city guide booklets for 15% off (they even have some at the front door) but you have to remember to present it before the bill comes.

Decided to try Ochre as a local I have driven past this place many times but never ventured inside. Reservation was for 5 people, seating preference inside. The party was seated quickly at one of the booths and the drink waiter arrived within a minute of us being seated. Ordered drinks, waiter returned with 4 drinks and apologized for forgetting the other one. Waited 30 mins for the 5th drink to arrive. The food was good, great even the only downside to the evening was having to constantly chase staff for utensils, drinks and attention. We were not served by the same person twice however tge food quality sort of made up for that. Its definitely worth a try although i would sit inside rather than outside.

After our disappointing Ochre dinner a while back we decided to give them a second chance with a lunch visit. We opted for the Lunch specials (never pay full price!) of $27.50 per person for a platter comprising of 3 lunch items with their 'famous' spiced fries. Being a bug, quail and pork belly nut, the choice of mains was decidedly simple : Twice cooked pork belly, seared Queensland scallops - Davison plum jam and cauliflower puree Tempura Bay Bugs on lemongrass - green papaya salad - sweet chilli lemon myrtle dipping sauce Crispy salt and pepper quail - watermelon rind pickle My hubbie was surprised at the ease of my choice, but isn't that what love is all about, constantly surprising each other. Anyhow, back on track.......... The platter arrived after not much of a wait alongside the standard 'Cairns' Salad of bagged lettuce, red onion, a cherry tomato and a few angle cut slices of cucumber. Our spiced fried were then delivered. Visually, the platter looked appealing and delicious. We started on the bugs with lemongrass and were not disappointed. The bug meat was soft and crunchily encased in a crispy batter. One each was not enough......the papaya salad with macadamia nits was fresh and refreshingly tasty as well. The pork belly and scallops were not as successful. The plum sauce was a little cloying and the pork belly too fatty (I can't believe I am saying that!.......), but honestly the fat hadn't been rendered out and it made the pork flabby and chewy. The scallops were a little thin and maybe had been cut into two??...the puree was pretty average too. Overall the plum sauce overwelmed the dish and it isn't something that I would order again. Lastly, the quail. I love these tender little birds when they are cooked right (the last good quail we had was at Fettas, braised in a delicious tomato sauce). This quail had a good spice, garnished with green chilli and sitting on top of the same papaya salad as the bugs (where was the pickled lemon rind as the menu stated????). However, it was a little dry and after the hit of spice, pretty one note. Having all the meals on one platter meant that many flavours seemed to merge and after the initial hint of uniqueness became lost and muddled. My hubby suggested that the meal would have been more successful if brought out in courses and I agree! While the spiced fries were a nice addition, and not very spiced, they seemed to be there for the express purpose of bulking the meal up and making sure that the minimal protein content wasn't as noticed as you leave satiated. In the end they were fries......a choice of carbs would have been better.......... To sum up the experience.....visually appealing and interesting food that is really going for the atheistic over experience. Overpriced and we wouldn't go back for this, It is probably suited to tourists more than locals......

My friends and I came here after a glowing recommendation from the folks from a rafting tour, they said it was the best place to try kangaroo in all of Cairns. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. First let's talk about the food. Meh. We got the shareable $50 pp option for crocodile, wallaby and kangaroo (it should be noted that we were a party of 3 and the woman dropping our food off said "for 2" making us wonder if we even got the proper portion for our group). The price is super steep for what we got. I've never had crocodile but I'm pretty sure the one we had was wayyyyy over cooked. I was only able to figure that out when I would luck out and find a piece that didn't chew like dried out rubber. The wallaby and roo were definitely better but still not mind blowing. I tend to expect more from a meal with that high of a price tag. Service, sadly, was worse than the food. It started out really great and attentive then mysteriously became very distant and cold at some point during our meal. We had a very friendly gentleman taking care of us at first then for some unknown reason we were handed off to a very aloof young woman who seemed to be juggling more than she could handle. We never got water refills and we were there for 2.5 HOURS (food took forever to come out even though we were one of the only occupied tables there at 6pm). Worst of all, we were only left with a butter knife to saw into our chewy croc, wallaby, and kangaroo. Not sure if this was an error of the server or the restaurant as a whole, but I'm telling you it's not fun trying to cut into steak with a barely sharp knife lol. It was also a struggle to get our servers attention when we needed the check, just leaving us with a sour taste in our mouthed at the end of a very pricey and underwhelming meal.

I did the tasting menu; hoping that this would be the best way to experience Ochre. At $140, I didn't make this decision lightly. Having sent two dishes back to the kitchen, I ended the experience early as my stomach was reacting to some of the food (I think it was the frozen scallops that didnt get cooked all the way as they were cold on the inside.). 5 courses took close to 3 hours to arrive. This may be the most expensive restaurant in Cairns, but certainly not the best.

Ahhh ochre. This place is amazing have been to the new location a few times for lung and dinner. The quail is amazing, the lunch deal is great. Delicious wines and cocktails.

We waited over an hour for our food, which turned out to be portion sizes that would suit a toddler- My brother and I wanted to try this place as they've got an emphasis on Australian produce and game meat, so we were pumped that Ochre seemed to nail it all in one platter, offering a sample of local salmon, crocodile, emu and kangaroo. We each were able to have ONE bite of each. With a $36 price tag that is pretty laughable. The main wasn't much better- we opted for the pork belly and scallops, which boiled down to 3 baby scallops (not the pretty big ones you'd see at the fish market, which makes me wonder if they were frozen) and 3 tiny pieces of pork belly. Nearly $100 later we left in search of dinner......

Nice spot not too far from where I was staying. I've been meaning to try kangaroo since my trip down under last year (sorry Mr. Kanga), and I saw this restaurant had it on the menu and was highly rated, so I decided to swing by. Popped in around 830pm, and was seated outside. The place was only about 50% full, yet it took the waiter almost 15 mins to come back to take my order. In that time, I googled "kangaroo meat" and wavered back and forth whether I wanted to take the seemingly high chance of dying from toxoplasmosis by ingesting this meat. In the end, the scary blog posts lost out to my genuine desire to try this mystery meat, so I ordered the kangaroo filet with an extra side of fries. Food came out after about 10 mins - at least, the main dish came out. The fries did not. The waiter apologized and said they'd be right out. Turns out that meant in another 15 mins, after I was just about done with my dinner. The kangaroo was supposed to be cooked medium rare. As per my preliminary research (plus anecdotal knowledge from Aussie friends), overcooking kangaroo meat is a no no. My dish definitely came out cooked medium, not medium rare. In the end, I wasn't complaining as it didn't kill too much of the texture, plus I probably saved myself from ingesting any parasites. The kangaroo sirloin was ok. Not terrible, not amazing. I'm over the novelty and will probably stick to beef from here on out. The side dish (egg noodle cake? even though it looked like rice) that it came with was amazing. Really, I never thought I would rate a side dish so highly, but I wish they had given me more of that. Total price for the main dish + fries + a beer = $52. 3 stars. Please don't take forever to bring out your dishes.

It's been a few months since I was here, so the bitter taste in my mouth from the poor service has subsided. That being said, the food was great. Great place if you're in Cairns and want to try some "only in Australia" type food. I had the saltwater crocodile & prawn appetizer (comes fried...) and the kangaroo steak (appetizer portion). Total for these items and a couple beers came out to just about $60AUD. Not unreasonable considering it's a nice place and you're getting good food you can't get elsewhere.

I was in Cairns, Australia in early November. This is a place I would recommend to people, especially when they want to try some of few animals only available in Australia: kangaroo and crocodile. Char grilled kangaroo sirloin - quandong chilli glaze - sweet potato fritter and bok choy You can definitely taste how gamey this was. Something very unique, the sides were not a great compliment to the dish. Salt and native pepper crocodile and prawns - Vietnamese pickles - lemon aspen sambal The crocodile was fried and I liked it. I couldn't taste as much as the crocodile as I wanted, this was still good .

One of the better restaurants here. Nice variety of unusual menu items: kangaroo, crocodile, etc the kangaroo was prepared well, but I think that they could have used a better cut of meat.

Visited here in November. Restaurant was very crowded when we went, inside was full but we were seated outside. They focus on Aboriginal recipes and Australian game meats. After we started with the wattle seed damper loaf, I got the antipasto platter - Smoked kangaroo with wild spice and mango chutney, crocodile wonton with red pepper jam, green ant ocean trout gravlax, pulled emu on betel leaf, Caprese salad. Try them in order from mild to the emu which is the strongest tasting. My wife got the wallaby - a strong but tender steak. The smashed kipflers on the side with this plate are a potato-y vegetable. Really enjoyed this taste of something different. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a nice night out so didn't ruin the experience for me.

This was the best meal I have had in Australia since I arrived mid March. I arrived a little after 7pm, party of one and was seated, waited on and served in a timely manner. Shortly after I arrived I heard the staff having to turn away those without a reservation. I plan to go back tonight for dinner.

Not sure if it's me or what .... this was only my second time trying kangaroo. The first time I ate it in Sydney it was fabulous, so thought I'd try it again here. I was disappointed at how undercooked it was. Big chunks of meat barely cooked and then it was so very difficult to chew. I rarely leave food on my plate but I sure did this time. A memorable meal but for all the wrong reasons.

Lovely restaurant on the water. Food was delicious! Highly recommend the gnocchi! Staff was excellent--gave great wine recommendations and were attentive but didn't hover.

We, a party of 4, were visiting from the USA and wanted to try out the local Australian foods. We ordered "the game" plate which was about $55 per person. It had a good portion of fried crocodile, grilled/barbecue wallaby and kangaroo. It also had a couples of sides, like potatoes. All four of enjoyed the meal and service. We had reservations, which were recommended. On this particular night it was raining and we arrived early. We were promptly seated. The restaurant did fill so I'd recommend the reservations. Overall we all said that we would recommend this place to friends.

This was the best rated upper-end local food establishment in Cairns in my guidebooks, and having looked around the small city a bit in wandering I have to agree. Seating inside was hard to come by, and I was a little worried about sitting by the sometimes sketchy crowds outside walking around this main sidewalk but my fears were superficial. I actually came back a few times to try all the interesting items on the menu: the Wattle seed damper loaf - peanut oil and native dukka was amazing, like sprinkling dirt and spices on warm crunch bread. Also tried the Wild Barramundi fillet - miso beurre blanc - wild mushrooms and Asian greens 34Morganbury pork fillet - cider glaze - apple and riberry pin wheel - fennel salad; Salt and native pepper crocodile and prawns - Vietnamese pickles - lemon aspen sambal and the Wallaby topside - slow roasted - smashed kipflers - 3 mushroom sauce and leek confit. All good representatives of the local foods and just right portions, pricier but not bank-breaking compared to most average Australia meals. Definitely recommend it on the main tourist strip!

Amazing restaurant! Was not expecting something so great in Cairns. Get the salt and pepper quail, it'll knock your socks off! Love this place!

Good food but long wait for it. Wallaby was good so was the kangaroo. Only complaint was the overall wait for our starters and mains...entire dinner took 2+ hours