Salsa Bar and Grill

This place is simply to die for, food is always on point. Very friendly service and even welcoming of our toddler which can sometimes be stressful but there were great. Reservations are a must. I booked in advance as I knew we wanted to come again after our first experience. Delicious and worth every dollar. Will be back again!

Could not fault our experience even if we tried and I say experience because that’s exactly what it was. It wasn’t just dinner which I can say was absolutely incredible and delicious but the staff were all lovely, having banter with us and made it such a fun dining experience and absolute must if in Port Douglas! Everyone had recommend us to go there and and so you expect it to be great but it delivered above and beyond. Thanks team

Such a nice dining experience! Food was really nice (a bit expensive but as everywhere else in Port Douglas and the quality was remarkable) and service on point. Thanks Lachlan for taking care of us today, you were lovely.

Salsa Bar & Grill in Port Douglas is an absolute gem! I've been visiting since 2012, and it’s become a cherished tradition to dine here on our last night. The service is consistently friendly and attentive, making each visit special. This time, we savored the Chargrilled Local Tiger Prawns, Gnocchi of the Day, Daintree Barramundi, Black Angus Eye Fillet, and the Seared Yellowfin Tuna — all were exceptional! The atmosphere is vibrant, complemented by delicious cocktails like the Vietnamese Mule. Highly recommend this fantastic dining experience!

Shout out to Salsa Bar & Grill. I originally came to Port Douglas in 2020 but couldn’t get a reservation. On my return in 2024, I made sure to book in advance to experience FNQ’s restaurant of the year. It didn’t disappoint, the food is incredible, atmosphere is lively but probably most notable was our waiter, Adrian - he went above and beyond, engaged with our kids, was funny, upbeat and provided a great dinner and service. Thank you for helping us celebrate a birthday in the family. We will be back next time!

Very pleased we walked up and asked for a table for 2. No hassle, seated straight away. We had delicious cocktails, lamb and barra. Pricey but worth it. Staff were super friendly, and the surroundings are fresh and bright.

Great food and friendly service. Food was specially designed with complimenting flavours. It was served with in a decent wait time. They also have halal variety. I would recommend and definitely will be back.

This was the only restaurant worth visiting repeatedly during our two-week road trip from Melbourne to Cairns. Every dish was absolutely perfect, and we couldn’t get enough!

The Yelpers of the world helped us hit on this wonderful restaurant/cafe in the main section of Port Douglas. Thank you, Yelpers! The menu had a lot of great options, making it tough to choose, yet the waiter had suggestions, after asking about our thoughts, and we loved them. I had a Coopers dark ale (well, two of them) and my wife had a strawberry margarita, which seemed to disappear nicely. We are staying a week in "Port" and plan on sampling more of the menu. On a side note: if you haven't been to the Cairns/Port Douglas area (read "Great Barrier Reef"), and you love Hawaii, come. It is quite distinct from Hawaii in many ways (crocodiles, for example), the open air dining, lush landscape, beautiful coasts and rivers, and wonderful wildlife areas remind us much of the tropical nature of Hawaii, Tahiti, Bora Bora, etc. -- and generally less expensive.

Amazing food, service was great...the yellowtail tuna appetizer and the dessert special might have been two of my favorite courses ever! Well done!!

Always fabulous. Food, staff, just a wonderful place to visit. Oh & the soufflé - it's a must. Look forward to our next visit

Dinner for six was about $500 where drinks were about 48% of the bill. Drinks were not spectacular however the front of house and kitchen worked together well to deliver finely crafted meals on time. The easy going (eg not linen table cloth diving) had many delicious options inclined kangaroo. I ended up eating the shared entree as no one enjoyed the taste of the gamey meet. I tolerated the matt and I reckon out might be slightly better on the rare side.

Came here with two of us and sat right down on a Thursday for lunch. View across the street is a great shot of the Pacific Ocean. A number of specials on the menu for lunch. I had the pork poppers and they were fantastic. Great cocktail and beer list as well. If you are anywhere near this place stop in.

Amazing atmosphere & service! Everyone was amazing here & so was the food! We spent all day on the Great Barrier Reef & couldn't of picked a better restaurant to eat at after spending all day in the sun. We got there at 445 and they didn't open till 530, they still sat us and served us delicious fresh Watermelon cocktails. I ordered the snapper special & it was amazing! I didnt leave a bite on my plate! We also ordered the egg rolls, gnocchi special and chicken roumalade- we all loved every bite! Definitely a must when in Port Douglas!

Nice options for fresh fish dishes and good wine selection. Server was adequate but not as friendly as other nearby servers.

People there will tell you to come but I was very mixed on the food. Lamb was cold cold cold on the inside. We suspected that it was microwaved. Fish was delicious Service was average Price was high but it seemed every restaurant was a bit pricey around the area Might have just been an off day for them as most people we asked around the area said to go here first.

All I can say about Salsa is WOW. We had just flown in from Melbourne and were lucky they had a booking available for dinner. For starters, it is an open air restaurant right off the water which makes for a very comfortable atmosphere. Every employee was very kind and welcoming. You do not have a specific waiter/waitress for your table. Instead they all rotate through whenever they notice your drink is low, your plate is empty, etc. The drinks were amazing. For sours fans, they have the Four Leaf Clover with apple sour liqueur, cinnamon, and egg whites. It is very refreshing and, surprisingly, not overwhelmingly sugary/sweet. They are also known for their margaritas which are served in a very healthy portion. Now, dinner. It was just unreal. We started with the thai chicken spring rolls as an appetizer. My only suggestion would be for them to try fresh spring rolls as opposed to fried as the fried seemed to detract from the delectable goodness inside. Make sure someone at your table orders the kangaroo loin. It is served medium rare and comes with beets, broccoli, and a goats curd marshmallow. You are meant to combine each slice of the kangaroo with the marshmallow and beets. It was an amazingly tender meat and not at all gamey. A must try! Unsurprisingly, their seafood is also stellar. They had a chargrilled yellowfin tuna on top of a pumpkin puree and pumpkin fondant as a special when we were there. They suggested medium rare for that as well, and I have never had such a delicious, smooth tuna in my entire life. Seriously, I don't think I can ever make tuna again because of them! Their dessert menu is also impressive though we were trying to save room for Wicked down the street. We will need to go back to give the desserts a try.

I'm not sure where the name of the restaurant comes from. It makes me think I was going to eat Mexican or have salsa, wrong. It was very good though. Fresh fish choices abound! I went with the moonfish special of the night and couldn't have been happier. It was an almond crusted moon fish with a special hollandaise and 62 degree egg over a green bean salad. Portions are huge! Glad I didn't get a starter. Great wine choices as well.

Great place! Helpful staff and great food. The kangaroo was amazing and the special which was coral trout was sooo good. Definitely recommend if wanting to try fresh and local!

Exquisite Food , thoroughly enjoyed our selections .The menu embraces local produce and our oysters entree were the best I've tasted fresh,large and juicy .Make sure you book ahead .

Our tour guide suggested Salsa Bar & Grill as a dinner spot and recommended that we get reservations ahead of time because the location fills up quickly. Definitely recommend it. I wish we went here for every meal because it was so delicious. I ordered the "linguini pepperincino w/ tableland red claw, garlic, chilli, shaved parmesan." It was my first time eating red claw. It was kind of like crayfish meets lobster. Super fresh with a nice garlic flavor and spice. I powered my way through the dish -- it was quite a messy experience but definitely a memorable one. The restaurant was more casual than I expected. The women's toilet was very clean and uniquely decorated.

Great drinks and atmosphere! The bartender, Nick, was a riot to talk to. Gave my wife and I some great recommendations in the area for food. Can't speak for the food, but it looked and smelled great! The cocktails and atmosphere was superb! Will definitely recommend!

We had our first meal in Port Douglas here and it was phenomenal. We were able to get seated straight away on a Friday night because we were early - but I'd say reservations are in your best interest. Wine and bar selections seemed quite adequate. The Tanzanian sparkling water was tops! lolz. I made dinner from a couple entrees - one was a special of the day of a crayfish mornay and the other the soft-shell crab. The crayfish was mild and flavorful, and the crab was cooked absolutely perfectly. The other in my party had the barramundi - and it, too, was perfectly prepared and presented. The staff was AMAZINGLY friendly - and once our main server realized we were very "casual" folks she really warmed up. We got a great breakfast recommendation from her. My only ding is that the place is a tad spendy for the very spartan decor, and the clientele seemed to be largely the stuffed shirt crowd - but then I am in Port Douglas...... Humorously, there was a private birthday party being held in a large sectioned off portion of the restaurant, and we got to watch a large number of the guests pour in. I have to say that the concept of the (much) younger "Trophy Wife" is alive and well and living in Australia. Trump would be proud!

The boyfriend and I were told to check out Salsa by a few of our tour guides. They stated that this place was a must. Were they paid to say that?! Did I get suckered into a tourist trap? Service was EXTREMELY slow and there really wasn't anything special about the food. It was actually kind of bland. As for service, I felt like I had to ask for everything including the menu and utensils. And when waiting to order our dessert, no one came around for 20 minutes. By that time I was getting tired and the thought of indulging in some sweets would not have been ideal. I was ready to leave. I would probably head over to another restaurant in Port Douglas over this one any day.

Good location. I was confused by this menu at first glance. A restaurant called salsa with an Asian and Cajun inspired menu however I came to like the variety and that the menu was quite original. The dinner tasted good esp the gnocchi. The desert tasting plate was excellent. The service was not as polished as Sassi but a very enjoyable experience overall

Excellent food, friendly staff, good drinks and always busy. Service was slow, but the food makes up for that detail. Book ahead and enjoy the fish.

This is like the 'rock' of dining in Port Douglas. Over the years many others come and go, some very fancy, some not so much, but Salsa just hangs in there and delivers uniformly high quality food and service. We have eaten in most of the top restaurants in Port Douglas, and although you are not eating in forest, treetops or a camp, you can be sure to get a great meal here. It surely isn't the cheapest, but it likewise is not the most expensive ( I think Nautilus takes that prize) and value for money and reliability says a lot. Everything on the menu is good, the wine list is suitably varied with something for everyone. You need to book most times, because they are always busy. Well worth the time - a rare 5 stars from me.

This place has earned a name for itself and rightly so. The bar has some great cocktails including the very tasty margarita. But the food is certainly the main attraction. We had an array of dishes to eat and they were all delicious. Try the pulled pork poppers for a starter and the duck for a Main. Magnificent!

The best food we had in Port Douglas. Server was very helpful and we really enjoyed the whole experience. Atmosphere is nice but still laid back.

Close your eyes. No, no, actually, open them again so you can keep reading. Well, actually, close them for 5 seconds, think of the first cuisine that comes to mind when you hear "salsa" and I bet it's not what these guys serve. I booked via Dimmi (yeah I did) and noted that I'm vegan and they were totes prepared. I had three options of meals; salad with no feta (menu item), tempura vegetables or vegetable linguini (both options made especially for me). I went for the mandarin and cajun almond salad and ordered Turkish bread with macadamia dukkha. Both were insanely delicious, I mean, ridic delish. One thing that really stood out here was the service. We were served by three energetic but not intrusive wait staff. They knew their stuff, we never wanted for anything and after our second bottle of sparkling water, they knew to keep pouring it without asking if we wanted another bottle. Top marks.

The guy sitting next to me on the flight in to Port Douglas is a native of Sydney who visits Port Douglas every few weeks. He said he always goes to Salsa, and if that's true, he certainly eats well while on the reef. Really friendly and clever service (you don't quite realize they're upselling, and if you do you don't care because they're funny and not at all obnoxious about it) and excellent food. My partner and I had grilled snapper, which was just on the cusp between perfect and overdone, so if the chef is reading this, beware. But it was delicious and ample--partner got half my fish and I am not a delicate eater. Served with baby bok choy, steamed rice, and a wonderful sauce. Very good draft IPA. Do make reservations. They attract a crowd. I wish I could return to Port Douglas every few weeks to eat here more often.

We stopped by here one night and they were full until late at night so we made a reservation for the following day. I recommend making a reservation a few days in advance. The service and food was great. I had the barramundi and it was delicious! My boyfriend had the fillet with mac and cheese and he said it was the best meal so far on our trip. The food was a little spendy but it was definitely worth the money!

My boyfriend and I decided to check this place out while we were in Port Douglas due to the great reviews it received on Trip Advisor. The night got off to a bit of a rocky start at the hostess stand when I was informed that I mistakenly booked our reservation for the next night (and this was our last night in Port Douglas). Thankfully, the staff was accommodating and said they would do their best to take care of us. After a brief wait at the bar, we were shown to our table and I was relieved that I had not completely screwed up our dinner date. To start, we ordered the pork belly scallops that everyone recommends but found that they weren't much to write home about. The scallops were cooked well but kind of small and bland. Fortunately, we found the rest of our meal to be quite delicious. The jambalaya was full of different seafoods and sausage and I loved every forkful. (My waitress said this was a good choice when I placed my order and she was absolutely right). My boyfriend ordered the beef cheek and was very happy with his decision. It was flavorful and fall-off-your-fork tender. Yum. If you save room for dessert, I'd recommend the chocolate souffle. It was light, airy, and delicious. Not at all too much after our meal. Just don't be in a rush to get out of there when you order it as it does take some time to prepare.

Quick lunch at Salsa after the Sunday markets and had no trouble getting a table for two. A small menu with some really unique but delicious sounding meals and an extensive cocktail menu - I chose the thai chicken spring rolls with a banana and ginger mayonnaise and a mango nut cocktail. Both meal and cocktail were full of flavour, well presented and arrived within 30 minutes. The spring rolls had a big chilli hit which was perfectly balanced by the delicate flavours in the mayonnaise, a really filling meal given it was in the 'light' section on the menu. Service was friendly and our water glasses were always full. It was a little noisy however this was cleverly disguised by the sounds of their large water feature which added a nice ambience.

More of a tarty tango then a sexy Salsa is served up here. The service is sea side smiles in teeny tiny white shorts. Bright and bubbly like a fresh glass of prosecco. Not the fastest but no complaints. Super cute pulled pork piquos were served on a smokey corn accompanied sauce. The decor is uber svelt seaside luxury. Big, wide open space looking out towards the beach.

The best restaurant hands down in Australia. The food is magnificent uncomplicated and presented beautifully. Service is all about doing a great job efficiently. I come here every time I'm in Port Douglas. Have the yabbies they're an addiction

We really enjoyed the creative cocktails and dinner - fresh fish and delicious pasta dish. The desert was amazing. Very good service, too. Not sure about the restaurant name?

Better than expected lunch menu fantastic Tasting plate was flavour plus Gnocchi was incredible

The margaritas are so delicious & the food is fresh & abundant. The restaurant is a little noisy, but it's nice if you get s table along the sidewalk & get the beach view. Give Salsa a try. You won't regret it.

The ambiance is not stellar. LED lights and such do a great job at destroying any hope for a more romantic atmosphere but the food is spectacular!!!

Salsa had been suggested to us from some friends who were recently or regularly in port douglas. To be honest, we werent going to try and get in, as the suggestion was also cautioned with - but you need to book before you even get to Port Douglas. We happened to walk past it at lunch and thought, ok we may as well try it. There was plenty of room at lunch, although I saw the nights reservations book had a note to the wait staff saying 'booked out' on a couple of nights. So clearly its popular. I can see how, I had sweet corn chowder and jalapeno popper and refried bean burrito, it was interesting flavours, and super tasty. Extra points for serving a spicy dish, because usually in regional Australia even if 'chili' is mentioned its not usually that spicy. But this was great. My friend had the large spring rolls with chicken which were pretty good from the taste I had too. We were in and out pretty quickly, not because we were rushed but things happened promptly and we were happy to get out in to the beautiful day and explore the area. Can't speak for the dinner menu, or service, but go along for lunch.

This place comes highly recommended by both tour books and trip advisor, so I decided to try it. There were also several australians on my reef dive who recommended it. I went there and found that there was a variety of options on the menu, a fair number of which I had never seen before. In addition to some tasty chicken thai spring rolls, I tried the Linguine with Yabbies. Yabbies are another name for Australian Crawfish. I got the small size for $25 and it was a lot of food -- no need to get the large size unless you are known in your circles for having a huge appetite. The Yabbies were sliced in half, and as such the meat extraction process was trivial with a fork. I am not normally a huge fan of Crawfish, but this was very good and interestingly Australian. Service was quite nice; quirky extraverted waitresses who were happy to explain the menu and quick to fill up water etc. The ambiance itself was quite interesting -- the restaurant was basically open to the air on several sides, with a roof over our heads.

Another one of the quality, high-end restaurants in Port Douglas. This one is, apparently, the local's favourite, and I'd put it on par with the others next to it like 2Fish and The Living Room. The menu is mostly fusion, with lamb, beef and fish dishes topped or flavoured with different ingredients than you might normally see: hints of Thai or Cajun come through, for example. Service was, like all the spots along Wharf Street, attentive. The place had a great buzz about it and ambience was busy but nice.

Meh. First the waitress told us, she knew nothing about one draft beer of three we asked about. Then she said, of the bottle...she would NOT recommend two. Then we waited over 30 minutes for mains, despite the restaurant being 60% full. No explanation. And we asked, ahem... Then when my main was too much and were in a place with a kitche, we asked to take it home. "I'll have to ask." Really? I paid or will for it. Coming back she said it was against policy, but... I was about to put on paper and wrestle anyone who said how gauche. Magically a plastic container was found, I could take my fish home. So like the beer...I don't recommend Salsa. Two stars cause it was good, food. Not great, just good. Service, awful. Stupid policy, worse. Ps At the end, got the "was all alright" by a man who'd seated us. Husband said, yes but.. Either unheard or ignored. Music was a bit loud.

The garlic bread was the best I've ever had. We also loved the soufflé! It may take up to twenty minutes, so plan accordingly. It's worth having dinner here just for the soufflé.

My meal was very good . I tried the snapper special. The sauce was lovely, but typical to the Australian style- a bit too much. My friend got the scallops and duck dumplings, and said they didn't taste like anything. We had dessert- I got the ice creams. They were very nicely done with macarons, raspberry couli and a spin sugar wafer. heavy handed on the sugar- could have done with less. My friend got the deconstructed Black Forest cake. It looked nicer then I anticipated. Again very rich- how much chocolate ganache can a person eat straight. It would have been a home run as a torte or cake. I gave 4 stars mostly because I wasn't a fan of the service. I felt very rushed to make the meal decision, they removed the drink menu so I needed to ask for it again. The servers ran around stressing me out and they do not know how to refill water glasses properly.

This restaurant came highly recommended from several locals. Service staff is friendly, kitchen is open late and location is nice. Interesting flavor combinations with beautiful presentation. I ordered a beef steak and my Husband ordered a tuna steak special. Both came slightly over cooked but were fine.

It's a beautiful cheery restaurant that feels very aussie and serves creative and delicious food. The spring rolls were loved by everyone and we had to order seconds. All of the seafood dishes, especially the barramundi were fantastic. You should not come to port Douglas without eating here

Forget this place! I have never had worse food poisoning in my whole life! DO NOT GO HERE! The seafood pasta might literally kill you.

We decided to have dinner in town after snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef. After checking out a few restuarant menus on a short walk, we picked Salsa Bar and were glad we did. The atmosphere is nice - upscale resort (but not too upscale), looking out toward the water. My wife had the fish special and I had the jambalaya with crocodile sausage. Service was good. Very nice restuarant.

Cooks everything in canola oil. Food was amazing and dessert was over the top.

Awesome food and service; great margaritas; amazing location and food servers. This place is really fun and inviting with a variety of food but book early as it is rather difficult to get into!

Very good food, a little noisy, average service, average beverage list. A very popular mid price point option here in Port Douglas but certainly not the best food in town.

This was the best meal we've had so far in Australia. I had the barramundi, my wife had the gnocchi and both were great, as was the desert for two sampler . The price was no more than any of the other restaurants we have eaten at. I recommend!

Lived up to the multiple sources that recommended we try Salsa. The coolest thing about Salsa (and Port Douglas in general) is the quality of dining experience that can be had in shorts. All four in our party were extremely happy with our dishes. The scallop cake appetizer was the highlight, but everything was great. Great, laid back, outdoor atmosphere. Service was a bit slow when it came time to pay and leave (I have found that to be oddly typical as a traveler in Australia) but our waiter was funny and attentive otherwise. Prices are pretty standard for what you get. Expensive, but not extraordinarily so relative to the other options. Definitely a worthy choice for a night out in Port Douglas.

Accommodating staff who go out of their way to make your evening enjoyable. Pleasant decor with a view, albeit on the other side of the carpark. And damn fine food. My crispy duck with paw paw chutney was very well-prepared and the gnocci was light and rich. If there was one wrong note, it was my Jameson's, neat. I've been drinking the stuff for a few decades (not 'round the clock, smart guy), and if that was Jameson's, I'm Pope Francis...bless you all.

The manager at the apartments we were staying at highly recommended Salsa so we had to check it out. My wife and I went with our 15month old livewire, and as if to gauge this on our arrival, we got seated right at the back next to the toilets. It was so close we could see inside them when the door opened. Noone should have to sit there unless they are absolutely packed, which they were far from. We started by sharing a $16 cocktail - it was ridiculously small. Not a good start, so how was this a 4 star experience? We only got mains and both were spectacular! I had the beef cheek special, which was tasty and rich, falling apart, with perfect accompaniments. This was trumped however, by my wife's selection - the Lamb Tenderloin. Cooked to perfection, the masala complimented it well, the lentil samosa was inspired, and the punchy pomegranate burst in your mouth just topped it off! I am salivating just thinking about it. Add to this the nice wine and friendly service and it turned out to be the best meal we had in our 2 week trip to the Tropical North.

Situated on Wharf Street at at the bottom of Macrossan Street, the beating heart of Port of Douglas, Salsa is a charming restaurant with a upmarket vibe. We had dinner for two and I can safely say the seafood was tasty, the specials good (we had pork with a fig jam) and the cocktail list memorable being both wide ranging and quenching.